Pythian Watchwords: Friendship and Charity

Dave Lowitz first got to know the work of Mother Marianne’s West Side Kitchen when he was working for the Resource Center for Independent Living (RCIL). At the invitation of Deacon Gil Nadeau, RCIL sent an outreach team to see the need first hand. They discovered, among other things, that 27 percent of the guests were homeless and 70 percent were unemployed.

Recently Dave recounted how impressed RCIL was with the work of West Side Kitchen, and that he had the pleasure of presenting Deacon Gil with RCIL’s Community Support Award back in 2010.

Terry Reich, Ken Alcerin, Peter Carchedi, Dave Lowitz

In a visit to the soup kitchen on Jan. 11, Dave made another presentation, this time on behalf of the Knights of Pythias. Joining him were other members of the local lodge’s board – treasurer Peter Carchedi, Terry Reich and Ken Alcerin. They presented a check for $1,000 to soup kitchen Advisory Board Chair Darren Woods and Interim Kitchen Director Mike Pilat.

Peter said the donation came from the New York Grand Lodge’s Humanitarian Fund.

Dave pointed to the fraternal organization’s aim to help people through its principles of “Friendship, Charity and Benevolence.”

But perhaps Peter said it best:

“We know that you people do good work.”