Glendale nonprofit steps up effort to serve neighbors in need

Catering for the Homeless founder Crystal Wolfe started the organization to address food insecurity among low-income New Yorkers Photo courtesy of Crystal Wolfe

By Rachel Vick

As COVID-19 exacerbates problems faced by people in need, one Glendale food service organization is stepping up to fill in the gaps left by shuttered businesses and evaporating food pantries.

The organization Catering for the Homeless has organized a COVID-19 relief drive to collect food and toiletries and distribute more than 10,000 meals a week to residents of 12 Queens neighborhoods.

“I feed anyone in need because it prevents homelessness,” said Catering for the Homeless Founder and President Crystal Wolfe. “Because so many people are struggling to pay rent and bills while also struggling to feed their families.”

“So many children are going hungry because their family is struggling and every week there are more showing up to [food pantries],” she added

Wolfe, who serves on Community Board 5, has spent more than three years connecting religious institutions, food pantries and community-based organizations with catering companies that can share their surplus meals.

“I’m truly hoping this is going to be a light and that this is going to open people's eyes to solving this problem,” Wolfe said. “The reason we have such a big homeless problem is the underlying causes we’ve had for decades, a lot of things are outside of their control, like domestic violence.” 

Wolfe is now working to raise more money to expand her efforts. She started a GoFundMe page to pay for grocery deliveries to families and she is collecting signatures for a petition calling on the Department of Education to donate extra meals.

It’s all part of her plan to create a national network that can end hunger by connecting organizations with surplus ready-made meals. 

Her next goal is to create an interactive website where catering companies across the country can list extra prepared food for local organizations to claim. 

“This is a human rights issue,” Wolfe said. “It's important for us to look at things from a head level of ‘let's solve these’ and a heart issue because if people don't care they'll never be solved.”

“It starts with caring, and I hope the community can open their minds and hearts to start caring again.”