Brooklyn nonprofit receives $24,000 from Whole Foods

January 28, 2019 By Alex Wieckowski Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Felice Kirby, executive director of North Brooklyn Angels, shakes hands with Sam Baris, the store team leader of Whole Foods Williamsburg. John Merz, board member of North Brooklyn Angels, stands behind them. Photos by Philip Mauro

Share this:

North Brooklyn Angels, a grassroots nonprofit organization that runs a mobile soup kitchen to feed the hungry, recently received a donation of more than $24,000 from Whole Foods.

“It feels wonderful,” said Neil Sheehan, the board chairman of North Brooklyn Angels. “It’s a blessing to see neighbors enthusiastically taking time out of their days and weeks to help other neighbors.”

Since 2017, North Brooklyn Angels has operated a mobile soup kitchen called the Angelmobile, which distributes hot lunches five days a week at six regular locations around the North Brooklyn area. To date, the organization has served over 35,000 free, nutritious meals.

The North Brooklyn nonprofit was the first recipient of the Whole Foods “5% Days” program, which donates 5 percent of in-store sale profits on a given day from all three Whole Foods Brooklyn stores (Williamsburg, Fort GreeneL and Gowanus) to a local nonprofit or educational organization.

On Jan. 10, a team of volunteers set up informational tables at all three Brooklyn locations to share photos, stories and information about their mission and to recruit volunteers.

L-R: Santiago, active North Brooklyn Angels volunteer; Eric Graziano, regional marketing manager of Whole Foods Market; Sam Baris, store team leader of Whole Foods Market Williamsburg store; John Merz, co-founder and board member of North Brooklyn Angels; Felice Kirby, executive director of North Brooklyn Angels.

Volunteers signed up to help with cooking and food service shifts throughout the day. A group of local high schoolers came by to learn about the Food Justice work of the Angels. NYPD’s 94th Precinct Youth Officers and Explorers Club members also joined the crowd at the Angels’ table.

“Working with Whole Foods was a delight,” said Felice Kirby, executive director of the North Brooklyn Angels. She said her organization approached the Williamsburg store over a year ago and applied to participate in their Community Giving Day program.

“We were still relatively new then, but in following their guidance [we] became selected this year,” said Kirby. “They were incredibly engaged and truly attuned to the impact of the North Brooklyn Angels mission and are actively curious about other ways to benefit the community,” she added.

The 5 percent set aside by the Brooklyn locations on Jan. 10 totaled $24,360.29.

Sheehan said that the donation would go a long way in allowing the nonprofit to “cook and distribute more hot, healthy and delicious meals to those in our neighborhoods.”

North Brooklyn Angels relies heavily on the kindness of its volunteers to help those in need. Volunteers cook food, serve lunches, clean dishes and even drive the Angelmobile. Kirby encourages those who are interested in learning more or contributing to the organization to visit their website at northbrooklynangels.org.