Last week, members of the American Heart Association’s New York City team, and one of the Association’s generous donors, Rose Caiola, had the opportunity to visit Every Day is a Miracle (EDM) in the Bronx. The prominent food pantry helps provide access to food and other significant resources for underserved community members.
EDM currently has two primary locations, each benefiting over 25,000 individuals. In addition to these locations, the organization also has three mobile units. The pantry is a collaborative effort with food donated by community members and sponsors.
With over 90 active volunteers—many of whom are current or former recipients themselves—EDM is powered by the community, for the community.
“We believe in the holistic development of all of our community members,” Maria Torres, EDM CEO and co-founder, said. “A bag of food is not enough, so we provide ESL classes, financial and computer literacy courses, career readiness tools, and nutrition workshops. These lines are not getting shorter, so this work is vital for our community. We want to see long-term success for our clients in every area of their lives.”
Torres, Development Associate, Esther Garces, and the EDM team are committed to making every client interaction dignified, empowering, and seamless—from multilingual support to streamlined digital registration.
Every Day is a Miracle has aligned with American Heart Association guidelines to ensure that they are not just providing food, but quality food to the community.
The work of the organization has been supported significantly with devotion and support from American Heart Association volunteer and sponsor, Rose Caiola. Caiola was born and lived in the Bronx for 10 years, partially raised, so this effort is personal.
“It is incredible to see how our collaborative work in the Bronx has grown over the last several years,” said Caiola, Principal Member of Bettina Equities Management. “Partnering with organizations like the American Heart Association and Every Day is a Miracle goes beyond promoting healthy food access, nutrition security and wellness—it’s about creating opportunity and possibility for our borough.”
Torres, Caiola, Association Sr. Executive Director, Meg Gilmartin, and Association Community Impact Director, Saraswathi Cuffey at EDM
Every Day is a Miracle, Fordham pantry
Torres and Caiola touring EDM’s Fordham location
“We are incredibly grateful to Rose and Bettina Equities for being champions of the American Heart Association,” said Meg Gilmartin, Region Senior Vice President and Senior Executive Director at the American Heart Association. “Her support helps mobilize our work and creates tangible results for people in New York City. We look forward to seeing how we can continue to expand and change lives for those in the Bronx and beyond.”
Clients can be registered on Wednesdays at the pantry’s Fordham location, which operates every Thursday from 8:30am to 12:30pm, and their Tremont pantry operates every Fridays during the same hours. Visit edmnyc.org for more information.