Every Monday, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Iglesia La primitiva becomes an essential support point for the community, distributing food to families in need thanks to a partnership with the organization Philabundance. However, this Monday, November 16, was special: in addition to the regular distribution, residents received turkeys to celebrate Thanksgiving. Despite the low temperatures, dozens of people arrived seeking relief during difficult times.

Pastor José Rivera explained that this work continues consistently from the church’s location at 3027 North Fifth Street in Philadelphia. “Every Monday we are distributing food here,” he said, noting that on Fridays they receive the food to store and prepare it for the following week’s distribution. “There is a work team that comes, stores it, and then on Monday they are here preparing the bags… the bags of food that are distributed to the community,” he added.

During a tour of the facilities, the pastor introduced the volunteers responsible for coordinating the effort: Zoraida Colón and Emily Ortiz, who organize, classify, and store all the products in the ministry’s refrigerators. “These are the refrigerators where we put the food inside. When it arrives, we place the food here. Milk, juices in the freezer,” he explained while showing the area where fresh items are kept.

The foods distributed vary depending on availability, but they always include essential products. “Canned food. There is peanut butter… vegetarian chili… sometimes they send us fruit… tuna fish… canned beans… beans and lentils, cereal, cornflakes, milk, oil…,” the pastor detailed. Due to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, they also included boxes of stuffing and turkeys so families could celebrate the tradition.

Rivera recalled that this initiative began approximately ten years ago under the leadership of Reverend Ismael Flores, who is now retired. “He had the vision to begin this ministry,” he said. For a time, they operated the Food Share program, which provided fresh fruits and vegetables; however, it became impossible to continue due to limited space to store refrigerated items. “It was decided not to continue, and now we have continued the initiative,” he explained while describing the project’s evolution.

Food insecurity remains a serious concern in many sectors of Philadelphia. Families face uncertainty and fear due to the challenges of accessing enough food. From Iglesia La primitiva, the commitment remains to offer support, resources, and hope to those who need it most especially during festive seasons like Thanksgiving, when a simple turkey can make a meaningful difference on a family’s table.