Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen
Encyclopedia
Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen (HASK) is an emergency feeding program of the Church of the Holy Apostles
, located in the Chelsea section of Manhattan. HASK provides hot meals as well as counseling and referrals services to the neediest citizens of New York City.
line forever. HASK also advocates on behalf of the hungry and homeless so that their voices are heard.
nationwide. The Soup Kitchen is run by a staff of 24. Helping also is a cadre of volunteers who number 55-60 each weekday. The Vestry of the church is responsible for the Soup Kitchen's fiscal and programmatic oversight.
On its first day, HASK served 35 local homeless individuals camped out across the street from the church. HASK quickly grew in a matter of weeks to 300, and four short years later it was serving more than 800 meals each weekday. By 2007, its 25th Anniversary, the Soup Kitchen had served more than 6 million meals. As of 2010, HASK has served over 6.8 million meals and serves currently on average over 1,200 meals each weekday (including holidays).
After a fire gutted the roof and much of the interior of the church nave in 1990, the Soup Kitchen served 943 meals the next day. HASK has not missed a single serving day since its inception. Vastly improved accommodations made after the fire allow the hungry individuals coming for hot meals to eat in the nave of the church itself.
Scores of press outlets from all over the country and the world have also come to film documentaries, news stories, and features.
Church of the Holy Apostles
The Church of the Holy Apostles , also known as the Imperial Polyandreion, was a Christian church built in Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, in 550. It was second only to the Church of the Holy Wisdom among the great churches of the capital...
, located in the Chelsea section of Manhattan. HASK provides hot meals as well as counseling and referrals services to the neediest citizens of New York City.
Mission
The mission of the Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen (HASK) is to feed the hungry, to comfort the afflicted, to seek justice for the homeless, and to counsel and provide a sense of hope and opportunity to those in need. HASK serves the poorest New Yorkers, primarily the homeless and jobless, and helps them find the means to leave the soup kitchenSoup kitchen
A soup kitchen, a bread line, or a meal center is a place where food is offered to the hungry for free or at a reasonably low price. Frequently located in lower-income neighborhoods, they are often staffed by volunteer organizations, such as church groups or community groups...
line forever. HASK also advocates on behalf of the hungry and homeless so that their voices are heard.
History
The Soup Kitchen opened on October 22, 1982. It is the outreach program of the Church of the Holy Apostles, which was founded in 1844 and designated a NYC Landmark in 1966. HASK is the largest feeding program in the Episcopal ChurchEpiscopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
nationwide. The Soup Kitchen is run by a staff of 24. Helping also is a cadre of volunteers who number 55-60 each weekday. The Vestry of the church is responsible for the Soup Kitchen's fiscal and programmatic oversight.
On its first day, HASK served 35 local homeless individuals camped out across the street from the church. HASK quickly grew in a matter of weeks to 300, and four short years later it was serving more than 800 meals each weekday. By 2007, its 25th Anniversary, the Soup Kitchen had served more than 6 million meals. As of 2010, HASK has served over 6.8 million meals and serves currently on average over 1,200 meals each weekday (including holidays).
After a fire gutted the roof and much of the interior of the church nave in 1990, the Soup Kitchen served 943 meals the next day. HASK has not missed a single serving day since its inception. Vastly improved accommodations made after the fire allow the hungry individuals coming for hot meals to eat in the nave of the church itself.
Services
Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen provides hot, nutritious and well-balanced meals, Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Soup Kitchen also operates counseling and referrals services which help with other essential and basic needs by giving information as well as referrals to other organizations. In addition, there is an annual spring Writers' Workshop, which was founded in 1995 by noted writer Ian Frazier. About two dozen participants, recruited primarily from the Soup Kitchen line, enroll each spring.Special Recognition
HASK was honored with:- A proclamation from the Office of the Mayor of New York City in commemoration of its 20th Anniversary.
- Proclamations from the City Council of New York, the Office of the Mayor, and a letter of commendation from the Office of the Governor of New York State in commemoration of its 25th Anniversary.
- A proclamation from the Office of the Borough President in 2006.
- A proclamation in 1999 from The Episcopal Diocese of New York, presenting HASK its Award for Exemplary Program.
Distinguished Visitors
Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen has drawn distinguished visitors throughout the years. They include:- New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
- New York City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn
- New York City Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum
- United States Senator from New York Chuck Schumer
- US Congressman from New York Anthony Weiner
- New York State Senator Tom Duane
- Susan Sarandon
- United States Senator Jeff Sessions
Scores of press outlets from all over the country and the world have also come to film documentaries, news stories, and features.