While mourning homeless Ridgewood man’s death, ministers call on city to address ongoing crisis
Arkadiusz Jasinski, affectionately known by the community as Arek, was remembered at a Ridgewood vigil as a respectful, down-on-his-luck construction trade worker by the ministry that often serviced him.
The Nov. 23 vigil at Forest and Putnam Avenues was attended by members of the 104th Precinct, the 104th Precinct Civilian Observation Patrol and All Saints Catholic Church leaders who recognized the struggle of the homeless Polish immigrant who froze to death during the Nov. 15 snowstorm.
“We really feel that there’s a crisis right now, in Ridgewood particularly, not only with the visible street homeless but with the seniors who are being displaced. Gentrification is causing a lot of people to not be able to afford apartments anymore,” Father Mike Lopez of All Saints said. “One of the interesting issues with men like Arek and the other Polish and eastern European men who are homeless in Ridgewood is that they at one point lived there. They have a desire to stay in the community that they know.”
Jasinski moved to New York about 20 years ago to work in construction, according to Lopez, and six years ago he hit some bumps in the road and ended up on the street.
A single man with no children, Jasinski had always planned to return to Poland where his mother lives and All Saints had worked with the consulate to get him a Polish passport to facilitate his plans.
“He was hoping to eventually make his way back to Poland,” Lopez said. “he was a rather interesting character. He often would tell people he was a Polish guy and that he didn’t speak a lot of English. He didn’t really cause much trouble … He was a very respectful guy.”
All Saints and nearby St. Matthias Roman Catholic Church, both of which work together to deliver services to homeless in the community, have provided showers, meals and clothing to Jasinski for at least three years.
Jasinski was also hospitalized a number of times and the two churches had helped him with his healthcare needs, according to Lopez.
“We felt that it was importantly first and foremost to memorialized Arek, and secondly to bring awareness to our community that there’s a crisis and we need to be more proactive to helping to find a solution as a whole,” Lopez said. “Our local elected [officials] aren’t doing anything in regards to local homelessness.”
Lopez claims opposition to homeless shelters in neighborhoods across the city sparks the kind of mentality that leads men like Jasinski to die in the streets.
Councilman Robert Holden’s proposition to use local religious centers to take on homeless individuals is a viable option for protecting people on the street from suffering the same fate as Jasinski, according to Lopez.
“We need to do a better job collectively,” Lopez concluded. “A number of people would have passed by him that morning, it was the morning after the storm so I’m sure people would have noticed that he was wet and freezing in that weather, and nobody called 911.”
It was not until around 9 a.m. on Nov. 16 that a 911 caller reported Jasinski’s condition to NYPD and EMS who declared the 44-year-old dead at the scene in front of 66-95 Forest Ave.
According to Lopez, whose church does homeless outreach via the Hungry Monk Rescue Truck, said there are about 20 to 30 visible street homeless people in the greater Ridgewood area as well as some who come from Brooklyn for services.
Hungry Monk posted a fundraiser to GoFundMe in the wake of Jasinski’s to levy funds for their own facility with beds.
Posted on Nov. 27, the next day they had already reached $2,250 of a $25,000 goal to accommodate up to 15 people and provide them with meals.
Ridgewood church kicks out independent parish over the homeless men it serves
When Father Mike Lopez and Father Angel Lugo rounded the corner of Forest and Myrtle Avenues on Aug. 29, they were greeted with handshakes, hugs and kisses on their hands. A small group of homeless men native to Ridgewood, some of whom struggle with alcoholism and often meet at the ’71st Avenue Plaza’ in front of Queens Wines & Liquors, were happy to see them.
Within minutes, however, Jeremiah McCarthy, who was raised in Glendale and has been living on the streets for more than 30 years, began to cry. He still can’t bear the news that his friends, the pastors, are being forced to leave.
Lopez and Lugo’s independent parish, All Saints American Old Catholic Community, holds masses and provides services for the poor and homeless at the Ridgewood Presbyterian Church, located a block away on 70th Avenue. But on Sept. 2, the parish will hold its final liturgy after being told its host church is terminating their agreement.
“Nobody treats me better and helps more people in my situation than these guys,” McCarthy said. “Some people just want food, some people just want housing, but I just want this man’s love.”
According to Lopez, Ridgewood Presbyterian and its pastor, Rev. Victoria L. Moss, told him that All Saints must vacate the church by Sept. 4 due to the behavior of the people that they serve. For the past five years, All Saints has had a written agreement with Ridgewood Presbyterian that allows Lopez and Lugo to park their community response vehicle, the Hungry Monk Rescue Truck, in front of the church during the day and use the building for its services.
For Thanksgiving in 2017, All Saints organized its third annual holiday dinner at Ridgewood Presbyterian to serve meals to those in need. With the rescue truck, All Saints has also delivered meals, helped seniors move, performed homeless outreach and more, Lopez said.
“We are being blamed for many of the issues with the street homeless and addicted in the Ridgewood area,” Lopez said. “Our mission is to help these men and women find the services they need and bring them in off of the streets.”
Lugo speaks with three homeless men at the 71st Avenue Plaza in ridgewood on Aug. 29. (Photo: Ryan Kelley/QNS)
When asked to explain Ridgewood Presbyterian’s decision to end its partnership with All Saints, Moss said in an email that the parish was using the building for its services “to such an extent that it was interfering with other groups.” She added that drunk men also began showing up to the church any time, day or night, and sometimes were “threatening and disruptive and 911 had to be called.”
On some occasions, the men would hide in the building and sleep in bathrooms, the church balcony or the alley and urinate in the parking lot, Moss said. Their behavior led to a number of complaints from members of the surrounding community, she added. When she contacted the 104th Precinct, Moss said she was told that once the men were invited they would continue to return at all hours because they are “too confused to stick to a schedule.”
“All Saints couldn’t control them. We couldn’t control them and it was unfair to our other space users to have to deal with them,” Moss said. “It is clear that All Saints has an important ministry in this neighborhood. They need a space of their own to carry out the work they feel called to. We regret that we can no longer house their congregation, but due to the complaints and disruptions experienced by every one of our space users and the inability of the police department to assist us, we didn’t see any other alternative.”
Ridgewood Presbyterian currently hosts three Alcoholics Anonymous meetings per week, the Ridgewood Older Adult Center and an emergency bed stabilization program under the guidance of the Department of Homeless Services (DHS), as well as its worship services.
DHS spokesperson Arianna Fishman confirmed that Ridgewood Presbyterian has been serving “roughly a dozen” homeless people from the Ridgewood area since February with help from the non-profit Breaking Ground, but the church staffs the program. The church provides beds and services to get homeless individuals back on their feet.
Going forward, Lopez said that he doesn’t know where he and All Saints will go, but he is reaching out to other local churches and wants to stay in Ridgewood where the parish has built relationships with the homeless. He said the parish has become a liaison between the homeless and the community, and he welcomes residents to contact the parish to deal with homeless people they are concerned about.
In a community that is surrounded by homeless shelter controversies as of late, All Saints is simply trying to help everyone, no matter the struggles they are facing, Lopez said.
“One of the things that the people with the ‘not in my back yard’ theory often say is that the churches should be more proactive in this work,” Lopez said. “So here we are, being a proactive church, working and serving the poor and trying to be the buffer.”
Ridgewood church calls on community to help upgrade their food delivery truck
All Saints American Old Catholic Community is all about helping the community in any way they can. This past Thanksgiving, All Saints prepared a Thanksgiving dinner so local families in need wouldn’t have to go hungry.
This year, All Saints was able to expand their Thanksgiving outreach with the Hungry Monk Rescue Truck, a re-purposed ambulance that allowed volunteers to deliver turkeys and other foods to the homeless, the elderly and those with limited mobility. While many repairs had been made to the truck since it was gifted to the church this year, there is still a long way to go.
“It was used from 1999. It’s an old ambulance,” said Father Mike Lopez, pastor of All Saints American Old Catholic Community. “We got it running, our bishop blessed it, and the day after he blessed it, it broke down and wouldn’t start again.”
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up by Mary Houlihan to help the church buy a decal wrap for the Hungry Monk not only to make themselves more visible to the homeless, but to make themselves more visible to potential donors, collaborators and food suppliers.
So far the campaign has raised $3,310 in one day. If they exceed their $7,000 goal, the extra money will go toward getting the Hungry Monk a new oil panel, new tires, a new floor in the back of the truck and Cambro containers so they can transport hot food with ease.
The goal for 2018 is for the church to get a new truck so they can serve even more people in the community.
“Now more than ever, it’s so important to reach out to those in need in our communities,” said Houlihan. “The number of homeless New Yorkers has skyrocketed 75 percent from only 10 years ago, and the number one cause of homelessness among families is lack of affordable housing.”
Ridgewood church hands out 200 Thanksgiving meals with help from the community
Photos via Facebook/All Saints American Old Saints Community
Volunteers from across the neighborhood came together at All Saints American Old Catholic Community to put together an unforgettable Thanksgiving meal for those in need.
“This is our third year putting together a Thanksgiving meal,” said Father Mike Lopez, the church’s pastor. “We had a number of volunteers, including high school students, members of St. Mary & St. Antonio’s Coptic Orthodox church, and others from our parish. It really was a combined effort.”
This year, All Saints American Old Catholic Community were able to expand their efforts with the Hungry Monk Rescue Truck, a re-purposed ambulance that helps the church expand their community outreach to those who don’t know about their services.
“With the Hungry Monk Rescue Truck, we distributed 100 meals in Woodside, Sunnyside and Bushwick,” said Lopez. “We brought sandwiches, soup, fruit, sweets and water to the homeless while we served a hot meal at the church.”
Thanks to 60 extra turkeys donated by Trader Joe’s, All Saints American Old Catholic Community was also able to hand out additional turkeys to families in need.
“We continue to seek volunteers who want to help us in our outreach and to help families in need,” said Father Lopez. “If you’re aware of a family in need or a way to reach out, tell us. We’re happy to go out.”For more information about volunteering with All Saints American Old Catholic Community, visit www.allsaintsicc.org.
Arkadiusz Jasinski, affectionately known by the community as Arek, was remembered at a Ridgewood vigil as a respectful, down-on-his-luck construction trade worker by the ministry that often serviced him.
The Nov. 23 vigil at Forest and Putnam Avenues was attended by members of the 104th Precinct, the 104th Precinct Civilian Observation Patrol and All Saints Catholic Church leaders who recognized the struggle of the homeless Polish immigrant who froze to death during the Nov. 15 snowstorm.
“We really feel that there’s a crisis right now, in Ridgewood particularly, not only with the visible street homeless but with the seniors who are being displaced. Gentrification is causing a lot of people to not be able to afford apartments anymore,” Father Mike Lopez of All Saints said. “One of the interesting issues with men like Arek and the other Polish and eastern European men who are homeless in Ridgewood is that they at one point lived there. They have a desire to stay in the community that they know.”
Jasinski moved to New York about 20 years ago to work in construction, according to Lopez, and six years ago he hit some bumps in the road and ended up on the street.
A single man with no children, Jasinski had always planned to return to Poland where his mother lives and All Saints had worked with the consulate to get him a Polish passport to facilitate his plans.
“He was hoping to eventually make his way back to Poland,” Lopez said. “he was a rather interesting character. He often would tell people he was a Polish guy and that he didn’t speak a lot of English. He didn’t really cause much trouble … He was a very respectful guy.”
All Saints and nearby St. Matthias Roman Catholic Church, both of which work together to deliver services to homeless in the community, have provided showers, meals and clothing to Jasinski for at least three years.
Jasinski was also hospitalized a number of times and the two churches had helped him with his healthcare needs, according to Lopez.
“We felt that it was importantly first and foremost to memorialized Arek, and secondly to bring awareness to our community that there’s a crisis and we need to be more proactive to helping to find a solution as a whole,” Lopez said. “Our local elected [officials] aren’t doing anything in regards to local homelessness.”
Lopez claims opposition to homeless shelters in neighborhoods across the city sparks the kind of mentality that leads men like Jasinski to die in the streets.
Councilman Robert Holden’s proposition to use local religious centers to take on homeless individuals is a viable option for protecting people on the street from suffering the same fate as Jasinski, according to Lopez.
“We need to do a better job collectively,” Lopez concluded. “A number of people would have passed by him that morning, it was the morning after the storm so I’m sure people would have noticed that he was wet and freezing in that weather, and nobody called 911.”
It was not until around 9 a.m. on Nov. 16 that a 911 caller reported Jasinski’s condition to NYPD and EMS who declared the 44-year-old dead at the scene in front of 66-95 Forest Ave.
According to Lopez, whose church does homeless outreach via the Hungry Monk Rescue Truck, said there are about 20 to 30 visible street homeless people in the greater Ridgewood area as well as some who come from Brooklyn for services.
Hungry Monk posted a fundraiser to GoFundMe in the wake of Jasinski’s to levy funds for their own facility with beds.
Posted on Nov. 27, the next day they had already reached $2,250 of a $25,000 goal to accommodate up to 15 people and provide them with meals.
Ridgewood church kicks out independent parish over the homeless men it serves
When Father Mike Lopez and Father Angel Lugo rounded the corner of Forest and Myrtle Avenues on Aug. 29, they were greeted with handshakes, hugs and kisses on their hands. A small group of homeless men native to Ridgewood, some of whom struggle with alcoholism and often meet at the ’71st Avenue Plaza’ in front of Queens Wines & Liquors, were happy to see them.
Within minutes, however, Jeremiah McCarthy, who was raised in Glendale and has been living on the streets for more than 30 years, began to cry. He still can’t bear the news that his friends, the pastors, are being forced to leave.
Lopez and Lugo’s independent parish, All Saints American Old Catholic Community, holds masses and provides services for the poor and homeless at the Ridgewood Presbyterian Church, located a block away on 70th Avenue. But on Sept. 2, the parish will hold its final liturgy after being told its host church is terminating their agreement.
“Nobody treats me better and helps more people in my situation than these guys,” McCarthy said. “Some people just want food, some people just want housing, but I just want this man’s love.”
According to Lopez, Ridgewood Presbyterian and its pastor, Rev. Victoria L. Moss, told him that All Saints must vacate the church by Sept. 4 due to the behavior of the people that they serve. For the past five years, All Saints has had a written agreement with Ridgewood Presbyterian that allows Lopez and Lugo to park their community response vehicle, the Hungry Monk Rescue Truck, in front of the church during the day and use the building for its services.
For Thanksgiving in 2017, All Saints organized its third annual holiday dinner at Ridgewood Presbyterian to serve meals to those in need. With the rescue truck, All Saints has also delivered meals, helped seniors move, performed homeless outreach and more, Lopez said.
“We are being blamed for many of the issues with the street homeless and addicted in the Ridgewood area,” Lopez said. “Our mission is to help these men and women find the services they need and bring them in off of the streets.”
Lugo speaks with three homeless men at the 71st Avenue Plaza in ridgewood on Aug. 29. (Photo: Ryan Kelley/QNS)
When asked to explain Ridgewood Presbyterian’s decision to end its partnership with All Saints, Moss said in an email that the parish was using the building for its services “to such an extent that it was interfering with other groups.” She added that drunk men also began showing up to the church any time, day or night, and sometimes were “threatening and disruptive and 911 had to be called.”
On some occasions, the men would hide in the building and sleep in bathrooms, the church balcony or the alley and urinate in the parking lot, Moss said. Their behavior led to a number of complaints from members of the surrounding community, she added. When she contacted the 104th Precinct, Moss said she was told that once the men were invited they would continue to return at all hours because they are “too confused to stick to a schedule.”
“All Saints couldn’t control them. We couldn’t control them and it was unfair to our other space users to have to deal with them,” Moss said. “It is clear that All Saints has an important ministry in this neighborhood. They need a space of their own to carry out the work they feel called to. We regret that we can no longer house their congregation, but due to the complaints and disruptions experienced by every one of our space users and the inability of the police department to assist us, we didn’t see any other alternative.”
Ridgewood Presbyterian currently hosts three Alcoholics Anonymous meetings per week, the Ridgewood Older Adult Center and an emergency bed stabilization program under the guidance of the Department of Homeless Services (DHS), as well as its worship services.
DHS spokesperson Arianna Fishman confirmed that Ridgewood Presbyterian has been serving “roughly a dozen” homeless people from the Ridgewood area since February with help from the non-profit Breaking Ground, but the church staffs the program. The church provides beds and services to get homeless individuals back on their feet.
Going forward, Lopez said that he doesn’t know where he and All Saints will go, but he is reaching out to other local churches and wants to stay in Ridgewood where the parish has built relationships with the homeless. He said the parish has become a liaison between the homeless and the community, and he welcomes residents to contact the parish to deal with homeless people they are concerned about.
In a community that is surrounded by homeless shelter controversies as of late, All Saints is simply trying to help everyone, no matter the struggles they are facing, Lopez said.
“One of the things that the people with the ‘not in my back yard’ theory often say is that the churches should be more proactive in this work,” Lopez said. “So here we are, being a proactive church, working and serving the poor and trying to be the buffer.”
Ridgewood church calls on community to help upgrade their food delivery truck
- By Emily Davenport
- edavenport@qns.com
- Friday, December 8, 20111:30 AM
All Saints American Old Catholic Community is all about helping the community in any way they can. This past Thanksgiving, All Saints prepared a Thanksgiving dinner so local families in need wouldn’t have to go hungry.
This year, All Saints was able to expand their Thanksgiving outreach with the Hungry Monk Rescue Truck, a re-purposed ambulance that allowed volunteers to deliver turkeys and other foods to the homeless, the elderly and those with limited mobility. While many repairs had been made to the truck since it was gifted to the church this year, there is still a long way to go.
“It was used from 1999. It’s an old ambulance,” said Father Mike Lopez, pastor of All Saints American Old Catholic Community. “We got it running, our bishop blessed it, and the day after he blessed it, it broke down and wouldn’t start again.”
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up by Mary Houlihan to help the church buy a decal wrap for the Hungry Monk not only to make themselves more visible to the homeless, but to make themselves more visible to potential donors, collaborators and food suppliers.
So far the campaign has raised $3,310 in one day. If they exceed their $7,000 goal, the extra money will go toward getting the Hungry Monk a new oil panel, new tires, a new floor in the back of the truck and Cambro containers so they can transport hot food with ease.
The goal for 2018 is for the church to get a new truck so they can serve even more people in the community.
“Now more than ever, it’s so important to reach out to those in need in our communities,” said Houlihan. “The number of homeless New Yorkers has skyrocketed 75 percent from only 10 years ago, and the number one cause of homelessness among families is lack of affordable housing.”
Ridgewood church hands out 200 Thanksgiving meals with help from the community
Photos via Facebook/All Saints American Old Saints Community
- By Emily Davenport
- edavenport@qns.com
- Tuesday, November 28, 2017
- 1:30 PM
Volunteers from across the neighborhood came together at All Saints American Old Catholic Community to put together an unforgettable Thanksgiving meal for those in need.
“This is our third year putting together a Thanksgiving meal,” said Father Mike Lopez, the church’s pastor. “We had a number of volunteers, including high school students, members of St. Mary & St. Antonio’s Coptic Orthodox church, and others from our parish. It really was a combined effort.”
This year, All Saints American Old Catholic Community were able to expand their efforts with the Hungry Monk Rescue Truck, a re-purposed ambulance that helps the church expand their community outreach to those who don’t know about their services.
“With the Hungry Monk Rescue Truck, we distributed 100 meals in Woodside, Sunnyside and Bushwick,” said Lopez. “We brought sandwiches, soup, fruit, sweets and water to the homeless while we served a hot meal at the church.”
Thanks to 60 extra turkeys donated by Trader Joe’s, All Saints American Old Catholic Community was also able to hand out additional turkeys to families in need.
“We continue to seek volunteers who want to help us in our outreach and to help families in need,” said Father Lopez. “If you’re aware of a family in need or a way to reach out, tell us. We’re happy to go out.”For more information about volunteering with All Saints American Old Catholic Community, visit www.allsaintsicc.org.
