Actor and activist Rosie Perez joined Brooklyn leaders and community members on Thursday evening to celebrate a major milestone for one of the city’s most vital nonprofits: the opening of Liberty BKLYN, God’s Love We Deliver’s new 30,000-square-foot distribution center at Industry City in Sunset Park.
The facility, located at 850 Third Ave., is a significant expansion for God’s Love We Deliver as it celebrates its 40th anniversary. The opening is part of the organization’s 40 FORWARD Capital Campaign, a $40 million initiative designed to support the new state-of-the-art center and fuel future growth as demand for medically tailored meals continues to rise across the city.
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Assembly Member Marcela Mitaynes, God’s Love staff, volunteers, board members and campaign supporters joined Perez for the celebration, which included packaging meals inside the new facility to officially launch operations. With Liberty BKLYN fully operational, officials say God’s Love We Deliver can increase annual meal production from four million to almost seven million meals — dramatically changing its capacity to serve New Yorkers with serious and chronic illnesses.
“Forty years ago, our founder, Ganga Stone, delivered a single meal to a man dying of AIDS. That simple compassion sparked a movement that has nourished New York City ever since,” said God’s Love President and CEO Terrence Meck. “Today, Liberty BKLYN, our new distribution center, stands as the bridge between where we began and where we are boldly going.
“With the support of our staff, volunteers, donors and community, together we are achieving our mission and fueling our future,” he continued.
Perez, a longtime advocate for food access and health equity, emphasized the critical link between nutrition and well-being.
“I’m proud to support God’s Love We Deliver. When you’re sick, there’s one thing that gets you through the day, and that’s a good meal—because food is medicine,” she said. “Now with Liberty BKLYN open, God’s Love and its wonderful volunteers can serve more people throughout the borough, where too many people can’t cook or buy groceries for themselves.”
The Sunset Park location is already making a tangible difference. More than 1,000 volunteers have contributed 3,800 hours of service at Liberty BKLYN, and just last year, God’s Love delivered 58,000 meals to 262 individuals in Sunset Park alone. Citywide, the organization supports people living with HIV, cancer, heart disease, renal failure, diabetes, and more than 200 other diagnoses, as well as their children and caregivers — all at no cost to clients.
“The fact that we can expand capacity, and really allow for them to do more work for more people is something I’m really grateful for,” Reynoso said. “And for us to be able to do that here, in the greatest borough in the city, has been a lot of fun.”
Perez left off with a hopeful message to her Brooklyn neighbors: “There is so much for you to do [here], there is so much for you to give. Trust me, I’ve been doing this a long time, and it really keeps you young. It just feeds your heart.”
For more information on God’s Love We Deliver, click here.
