The New York Race Track Chaplaincy of America has launched a matching gift drive for its food pantry that will benefit backstretch workers at Belmont Park as they deal with the many challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Donations to the food pantry made between now and June 6 will be matched up to $25,000 by a member of the New York Racing Association board of directors. That gives the Chaplaincy the potential to raise up to $50,000 for its pantry, one of the few in the area around Belmont Park that is still open during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Financial donations can be made online at https://www.flipcause.
The Chaplaincy is also accepting donations of food. For more information about what to donate and the drop-off location, contact [email protected] or text (516) 428-5267.
“We’ve seen skyrocketing demand for our food pantry program and we need help in order to meet these needs,” said Chaplain Humberto Chavez, who heads the New York Race Track Chaplaincy of America. “It’s often at the most challenging times, when a lot of good people are facing hardship, that our racing community comes together.”
All donations to the food pantry are distributed to backstretch workers and their families at Belmont Park, where training has continued since the cancelation of live racing March 19 at Aqueduct. The Aqueduct spring meet, which had been set to run through April 19, has also been canceled.
The New York Chaplaincy’s food pantry has become a critical lifeline for backstretch workers and their families during the pandemic. Because of the health crisis and the cancelation of racing, requests for food have increased dramatically – and according to Chaplain Chavez, “we need help in order to meet these needs.”
NY Race Track Chaplaincy: Our backstretch workers need our help.
