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Ridgewood church calls on community to help upgrade their food delivery truck A Ridgewood church is asking for the community’s help give their food delivery truck a major upgrade.
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 A Ridgewood church went the extra mile to make sure that no one would go hungry this past Thanksgiving.
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.