A diocese of The Episcopal Church says it has raised enough funds to provide over 100,000 meals to those in need in the war-torn Gaza Strip amid Israel’s ongoing offensive against the terror group Hamas.
The Episcopal Diocese of New York and the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in Manhattan recently urged churchgoers and supporters to help provide donations to the World Central Kitchen’s “One Day’s Food for Gaza” program.
New York Bishop Matthew Heyd told The Christian Post on Tuesday there was a “terrific response” from the community, which contributed around $50,000 to support more than 100,000 meals through WCK, a food charity founded by chef José Andrés to help those impacted by war or disasters. WCK has provided millions of meals to Gazans in the last two years.
Heyd said the support is part of a series of efforts that the diocese has undertaken since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas and other terrorists launched a coordinated attack on Israel that killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Over 240 hostages were taken. In response, Israel launched a military offensive in Gaza to eradicate Hamas, which has controlled the strip since 2007, and free the hostages. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry claims over 60,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war. That figure doesn’t differentiate between combatants and civilians.
“There’s been so much pain since the Oct. 7 attacks,” said Heyd. “We’ve spoken out since Oct. 7 about all the people affected. Condemning Hamas and calling for the release of hostages, calling for a free flow of aid into Gaza, speaking up with partners in New York against antisemitism and Islamophobia.”
Last summer, the diocese donated funds toward the Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, which is a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, and plans to host the archbishop of Jerusalem for a visit to New York in the fall.
“In the feeding of the multitudes in Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus said to the disciples’ You give them something to eat,'” Heyd said.
“Supporting World Central Kitchen’s efforts is a way that we can make a difference in a catastrophic situation. Care for each other reflects God’s love for us.”
Carrie Hayes, director of media and communications strategy at World Central Kitchen, told CP that while there is no “larger formal relationship” between her organization and the diocese, she is “thankful for their support and the support of every individual and organization that raises funding for WCK.”
In April of last year, seven members of WCK were killed in Gaza when the Israel Defense Forces struck an aid convoy that delivered food to a local warehouse. Among those killed were workers from Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom and a dual citizen of the United States and Canada.
Soon after, the IDF acknowledged that errors were made on their part that led to the attack and vowed to take disciplinary action against those responsible for the tragedy.
Earlier this week, The Jerusalem Post reported that five Hamas terrorists had recently disguised themselves as volunteers with WCK and put a WCK emblem on a car to attack IDF personnel.
The five terrorists were taken out by an airstrike, while the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, an Israeli military unit overseeing civilian affairs in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, confirmed that the individuals and vehicle were not tied to WCK.
In a statement, WCK stressed that “the vehicle and persons of interest were not affiliated with WCK.”
“We strongly condemn anyone posing as WCK or other humanitarians as this endangers civilians and aid workers,” the WCK statement reads. “The safety and security of our teams are our top priority.”
WCK’s field kitchens in Gaza have been halted twice in 2025 due to a lack of supplies. The most recent five-day suspension ended on July 25. WCK operations in Gaza were also paused for about two months, ending in June, due to supply shortages.
