Part of the late Joe Madory’s legacy, Poor People’s Dinner remains a November tradition
By Pamela Silvestri | silvestri@siadvance.com
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — One legacy of the banker and humanitarian Joe Madory remains a November tradition, now 26 years in motion — the Poor People’s Dinner. Over a simple meal of soup and bread, attendees commune to understand the plight of the poor and champion their cause.
That dinner is slated for Monday, Nov. 20 at 6 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn, Bloomfield. Funds raised go toward Project Hospitality’s pantries and soup kitchens from shore to shore. Tickets and sponsorships are available through Josh Keller 718-448-1544 or jkeller@projecthospitality.org. Individual tickets are $75, seniors $50, and students $40 — Projecthospitality.ticketspice.com.
The event is chaired by Donald Reilly with guest speaker Jaclyn Stoll, Executive Director of Project Hospitality.
Stoll is a Staten Island native and anti-hunger advocate. A graduate of St. John’s Villa and Blessed Sacrament, Stoll joined Project Hospitality more than a decade ago during the agency’s all-out relief effort after SuperStorm Sandy.
FUELING SUPPORT
According to Project Hospitality, “She has been a leader in implementing longterm solutions to homelessness, most recently overseeing the creation Castleton Housing which provides supportive and affordable apartments for people who might otherwise be left out the cold.”
Organizers of the Poor People’s Dinner encourage Staten Islanders of all faiths and backgrounds to “come together as a community to share a bowl of soup and bread, raise funds, and donate food to stock Project Hospitality’s pantries.”
The event will also mark the culmination of large-scale food drives held in schools and organizations across the borough. Project Hospitality is requesting Poor People’s Dinner guests bring with them potatoes, apples, onions and non-perishable foods such pasta, rice, canned fruit and vegetables.
STRUGGLING MIDDLE CLASS
Project Hospitality serves more than 4 million meals every year through its new Stapleton Food Pantry on Canal Street, network of mobile pantries that travel to neighborhoods across the borough and continuum of housing and social service programs.
According to a study by Food Bank NYC, more than one in three NYC households lack the means to be self-sufficient, where covering basic needs for one parent and two children on Staten Island requires roughly $5,900 a month.
More than 13% of Staten Islanders struggle to afford food and rent. These are often people who hold one or two jobs. Nearly half of the people in New York City who live in hunger are employed, according to Hunger Free America. Since 2000, living costs have increased 113% on average across the boroughs, Food Bank found.