Danilo Lachapel Way (Bronx)
Present name:None
Location:At the intersection of Tinton Avenue and East 156th Street
Honoree: Reverend Danilo Lachapel (d. 2019) was the founder of the Give Them To Eat Ministry and former Associate Pastor at the Bronx Spanish Evangelical Church. He fed thousands of homeless and impoverished people through his soup kitchen, founded in 1994. Give Them To Eat partnered with City Harvest and the food bank to serve as a hub for food distribution to Bronx pantries, mobilizing hundreds of volunteers monthly. He would educate his neighbors on world events and movements through guest speakers, documentaries, film screenings and actions. He dedicated his life to his vision of liberation theology through solidarity between the poor of this country and revolutionary movements across the world, from Cuba and Venezuela to Palestine and Haiti. One such example was the 2004 Misa Popular a los y las Caídas, the Peoples' Mass for Fallen Heroes of Latin America, a multilingual ceremony that incorporated chants, art, economics, hip hop, a letter from a guerilla rebel in Colombia, theater, and tributes from youth and elder community members. He led hundreds of people on anti-violence marches, and did not shy away from political initiatives with local elected officials that would benefit his community's poor. He was a tireless advocate for immigrant rights, offering ESL classes and integrating newcomers with neighborhood programming. His ministries set precedent for the sanctuary churches that have recently emerged to protect immigrants from persecution. (Salamanca)
LL:2022/54