Francesca Le Donne Photo

Support Belmont Park backstretch families by sharing a 'Basket of Blessings' on Mother's Day

by Keith McCalmont

The New York Race Track Chaplaincy of America (NYRTCA) is asking for support to make this Mother's Day a special one by delivering 'Baskets of Blessings' to those ladies living and working on the backstretch at Belmont Park and the surrounding community.

A donation of $100 will fund a special basket which will be lovingly prepared and include an assortment of food, toiletries, and special gifts. Each basket will be hand-delivered by the NYRTCA ahead of Mother's Day on Sunday, May 10. 

"The mothers of our backstretch community have perhaps been most impacted by the current crisis, as they are handling the responsibilities of childcare and home schooling, which is challenging for everyone but even more so with limited resources, a crowded home environment, and in some cases a language barrier," said Chaplain Humberto Chavez, who heads the NYRTCA. "The New York Race Track Chaplaincy is in daily touch with the families we serve, despite the fact that we cannot see each other during this time in our physical office. We are extremely grateful for the support we have received to date which has allowed us to focus on meeting the most urgent needs of our community, which is currently in crisis and in need of basic food and supplies." 

To provide a 'Basket of Blessings' to a family in need this Mother's Day, please visit this link.

The NYRTCA is also continuing to seek donations for its food pantry that will benefit backstretch workers and their families at Belmont Park as they deal with the many challenges posed by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Donations to the food pantry made between now and June 6 will be matched up to $25,000 by Mr. Len Green of The Green Group and DJ Stable . A previous matching grant made by a NYRA Board Member has now been matched. The matching grant gives donors to the NYRTCA the opportunity to double their donations to the food pantry, one of the few in the area around Belmont Park that is still open during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Financial donations can be made online at flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/Nzc5ODQ=. The Chaplaincy is also accepting donations of food. For more information about what to donate and the drop-off location, contact [email protected] or text 516-428-5267.