Stevenson Visits Coney Island Lighthouse Mission

On Thursday October 26th, five students handed out goods at the Coney Island Lighthouse Mission. The trip was organized by teachers Nick Alexander, Sabika Khan and Daniel Aulbach-Sidibe. The students donated canned goods, non perishable food items, clothes and toiletries.

The Mission is run by Denise Robbins and Pastor Vincent Fusco. CILM provides emergency food to community members in need through their food pantry and soup kitchen, and they also distribute groceries and serve hot meals throughout the week. Dedicated to fighting hunger and poverty in the community, CILM has grown into the largest emergency food provider in the Coney Island area.

Through Stevenson's connections, the New York Cosmos donated $3,000 worth of tickets to the CILM and fans brought in 130 cans to the game that Saturday to be delivered the following Monday. The New York Mets also made clothing donations.

The trip piggybacked Stevenson's successful journey to CILM last April when Stevenson students worked with the mission group on organizing grocery bags for delivery, as well as preparing food for the soup kitchen. The week prior to that trip, students held a fundraiser at the school and also collected canned goods, nonperishable food items, and clothing for CILM’s sister organization, Rachel’s Joy Maternity Home, which provides shelter for abused young women and mothers.

At the end of that day, the students raised over $500 for the mission, donated 80 pounds of clothing, as well as over 25 Chromebooks, and served approximately 120 patrons. Read a letter of appreciation from CILM.

Visit the Coney Island Lighthouse Mission and Rachel’s Joy Maternity Home to learn more about these organizations.