Jews, Christians, and Mormons Walk Into A Fundraiser

Manhattan, NY—This Thanksgiving, November 23, marks the third annual interfaith Thanksgiving Pack-A-Thon, a hunger-fighting initiative in which scores of volunteers pack thousands of meals for distribution to New Yorkers in need. Congregation Shearith Israel hosts the event, with participants and donations coming from their Upper West Side faith partners: The Jewish Center, West End Collegiate Church, and, for the first time, the Church of the Latter-Day Saints. The Met Council on Poverty distributes the packaged meals, with the UJA Federation providing logistical support.

A key component of the Pack-A-Thon, in addition to the meals, is the concurrent fundraising drive to reach $18,000 to feed the hungry—irrespective of religious background—in New York City. All participants donate, and all donations are tripled, courtesy of an anonymous matching grant of up to $10,000. Last year’s Pack-A-Thon raised over $16,000, and the community hopes to exceed that amount this year.

As the oldest Jewish congregation in America—founded in 1654—and having celebrated the Thanksgiving Day with a special service since the holiday was proclaimed in 1789, Shearith Israel feels uniquely connected to Thanksgiving and is acutely aware of its responsibility toward its neighbors, regardless of religious affiliation. In the words of Louis Solomon, President (called Parnas) of Shearith Israel, said, “We feel blessed to join with this wonderful community of faith-based congregations, continuing the age-old tradition of helping others.”