Mercy Soup Kitchen continues meal service with help from community support after fire
A fire on Sunday damaged the church where Mercy Soup Kitchen operates, affecting the kitchen and offices.
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Even as it deals with the aftermath of a fire that damaged its facility, Mercy Soup Kitchen in Wyandanch is continuing to serve people who depend on it every day.
A fire on Sunday damaged the church where Mercy Soup Kitchen operates, affecting the kitchen and offices.
The fire started Sunday afternoon near an exterior door and spread through the church kitchen before reaching upstairs offices, according to church officials.
As of Tuesday, the kitchen still had no power, the floors had water damage, and the building continued to smell like smoke.
Despite those challenges, volunteers continued to serve meals to those in need.
"They're loading trucks. They're packing meals. You name it, whatever needs to be done, they're going to do it," said Vito Colletti, president of Mercy Soup Kitchen.
For many people who rely on the organization, the continued service is essential.
"I come here Monday through Thursday," said Carmella Jones-Zoe, of Islip. "I'm grateful because at least there's a heart within us all. It shows that we have heart. We are brave even through the storms, that we can still come together."
Mercy Soup Kitchen leaders said community support has been critical to keeping operations going.
"I saw the fire on News 12, called Vito, I met him down there, saw the damage that was done, and we just offered to help," said Joe Gibbons, president of the board of the Gerald J. Ryan Outreach Center in Wyandanch.
The Gerald J. Ryan Outreach Center and Mercy Soup Kitchen work closely together.
"They're using half my freezer, and it's a pretty big freezer. They have a lot of stuff you don't want to go spoil," Gibbons said.
Colletti says staff and volunteers are focused on saving as much food as possible.
"We're just trying to salvage as much of the food as we can from the freezers and refrigerators," he said.
Mercy Soup Kitchen serves about 150 meals every day and provides more than just food to those who visit.
"They come for the hot meal. They come for some kind of social interaction," Colletti said.
The soup kitchen continues to operate with the support of volunteers and community partners as it recovers from the fire damage.
