Mercy Soup Kitchen
of
Wyandanch
Our Mission
On September 8, 1980, the Mercy Soup Kitchen served its first meal to hungry people in Wyandanch. Lead by Sister Mary Agunta Boyle of the Order of The Sisters of Mercy volunteers provided meals to needy, local residents. To this day, we continue to be located in the basement of Trinity Lutheran Church at 17 South 20th. Street in Wyandanch.
Supported by voluntary contributions, we provide our guests with up to 3 nutritious hot lunches prepared in our kitchen with the option of eating in our dinning room or taking them to go. On their way out we offer additional food to take home such as several sandwiches, fresh fruit, and snacks. We are open to serve our guests from 11:30 AM until 1:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
From 9 to 15 volunteers staff the daily operation. The volunteers are your neighbors. They are retired police, teachers, housewives, working men and women. During the last several years, we have had a marked increase in the number of guests; we are now serving an average of 130 hot meals a day. On occasion, 175 plus hot meals have been served. When the door opens at noon, we never know how many people will show up. Whatever the number, we make sure that everyone is fed.
A typical day begins at around 7 AM when our volunteer chef opens the door and starts preparing the food. The food is prepared to “Suffolk County Department of Health Services” standards. The remainder of the team arrives a bit later to get ready for “show time” at 11:30 AM. After the meal is served and the guests have left, we turn our attention to clean up and close up. We are done around 2 PM. Most of our food is donated, and all complies with health department regulations.
We will continue to serve the community as long the need exists. We also welcome you to join our efforts by both volunteering your time and by making a contribution to the Mercy Soup Kitchen.
The Mercy Soup Kitchen of Wyandanch addresses the issue of hunger and need in the community by providing hot, nourishing meals in a dignified, comfortable and respectful manner to those who seek our help.
We are a volunteer, not-for-profit, non-sectarian, community-based organization who believes that all human beings are interdependent and that society heals itself by caring for the least of its brethren.
OPERATIONS
The Mercy Soup Kitchen operates a single soup kitchen in Wyandanch, Long Island, NY, serving over 35,000 free, hot noontime meals per year and an equal amount of take “home cooked” meals to the unhoused, disabled, elderly, children, and poor people of the community. No questions are asked of our guests. All who come to us are served with dignity and respect.
Almost all the food served is donated by Chick-fil-A, KFC, 7–Elevens, local bakeries, restaurants, markets, and community groups, or obtained through annual grants from L. I. Cares and Island Harvest. Our largest expense is rent, which is paid to the non-affiliated church in whose basement we are located.
Monetary contributions can be mailed to:
The Mercy Kitchen of Wyandanch
P.O. Box 1642, Wyandanch, NY 11798.
To discuss volunteering, please call
Ms. Peppi Perrotta (631-944-2957)
Thank you for your Support.
Vito W. Colletti
President and CEO
