God's Love We Deliver—NYC’s premier nonprofit provider of medically tailored meals and nutrition services for individuals affected by severe illness—hosted their 19th annual Golden Heart Awards at the historic Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine.
The evening began with a performance of “Sunday” by return performer J. Harrison Ghee and the cast of Saturday Church. Michael Kors welcomed guests and presented Audra McDonald with the Michael Kors Award for Outstanding Philanthropy, Artistry, and Activism.
“This year, we celebrate 40 years of God’s Love We Deliver. Forty years of service, dedication, selflessness, and impact. A lot has changed in 40 years, and yet God’s Love’s mission has never wavered,” said Michael Kors.
God’s Love We Deliver President & CEO Terrence Meck welcomed guests and introduced the organization’s 40th anniversary video featuring the voices and stories of their clients. He spoke of hope in the face of fear, which so many had at the height of the AIDS crisis when God’s Love We Deliver was founded, and which the community of God’s Love We Deliver shares today.
Meck spoke of love leading the life-affirming mission of God’s Love We Deliver and how love and hope transform lives.
Meck then recognized a former client, 14-year-old Mohit Kapoor, and his mother, Shalini. Mohit is living with cancer, and the entire family received meals during COVID while Mohit was undergoing treatment. Terrence introduced a video sharing Mohit and Shalini’s story, and shared that Mohit is feeling well and remains grateful for his time on God’s Love We Deliver's medically tailored meal program.
“Your story reminds us all that hope doesn’t just survive — it grows, it expands, and it strengthens when shared with those around us,” said Meck. “A hope that began forty years ago with one woman on a bicycle. A hope that today is fueled by love, compassion, and the unshakable belief that food can heal. A hope that every New Yorker who needs us will have access to our meals — not just today, but for the next forty years and beyond.”
During the auction, conducted by The Fundraising Guy, Harry Santa-Olalla, guests bid on program items to support God’s Love, such as vans for delivery, sponsoring a family of five for a year, and more.
Gigi Hadid presented Anne Hathaway with the Golden Heart Award for Outstanding Philanthropy and Volunteerism.
The evening concluded with a special performance by Ben Platt, who was introduced by Anna Wintour. Ben brought the house down with “Maybe This Time,” “I Dreamed A Dream,” and “Over The Rainbow.”
The cocktail hour featured drinks by Sake ONO, cheesesteaks by Danny & Coop’s Cheesesteaks, water by Private Spring Water, caviar by Petrossian Caviar, and mocktails by Culinary Council member David Burtka and Neil Patrick Harris. The afterparty included donuts from Sprinkletown Donuts & Ice Cream by Zac Young.
The evening raised more than $4 million. In total, the event funded more than 400,000 nutritionally tailored meals for the clients and families of God’s Love We Deliver.
Image credit: Noam Galai/Getty Images
