Joan Rivers: Forever in our hearts

Today we are heartbroken. We join our community and the rest of the world in mourning the passing of our dear friend and Board member Joan Rivers. Joan was one-of-a-kind and irreplaceable. She will be sorely missed for her brilliant humor and insightful view on life, but most especially for the kindness and joy she brought to everything she did for God’s Love and our clients. We send our love to Melissa and Cooper who are special members of the God’s Love family.

Joan has been a beloved friend‎ of God’s Love for over 25 years, and a member of the Board of Directors since 1994. Throughout her years of service with God’s Love We Deliver, Joan demonstrated deep commitment, compassion and generosity. In 2009, Joan won over $500,000 for God’s Love on the NBC reality competition, Celebrity Apprentice. She took charge at the memorable Cupcake Challenge, selling cupcakes with vigor and encouraging everyone to buy to support her beloved God’s Love We Deliver. She always said that winning Celebrity Apprentice would be a big victory for God’s Love We Deliver, and she was right. The final challenge had the contestants putting on a gala, and we remember Joan, getting down on her hands and knees to roll out the red carpet, making sure it was perfect for the event. That’s the kind of woman she was – devoted, hard-working, strong and always fighting for what she believed in.

Joan was a staunch supporter and ambassador for God’s Love in so many ways. For years, she supported the Race to Deliver, bringing her energy, voice and laughter to Central Park on those early November mornings to support our runners, teams and friends. Joan volunteered absolutely every Thanksgiving, bringing her daughter Melissa and her grandson Cooper with her. Each year, she delivered holiday meals to our clients, surprising them with jokes and their special feasts, bringing warmth and care and brightening the holiday for so many.

Even after Joan started filming her many TV shows, she always came back to God’s Love when she was in New York to support our volunteers, our clients and our mission. This past year was a very busy one for Joan; yet, she came to SoHo for our groundbreaking ceremony in October, she volunteered with us on Thanksgiving and Winter Feast, and she came to our Brooklyn location to celebrate the delivery of our 15 millionth meal. Joan never skipped a beat, and it always felt like coming back to God’s Love was a little like coming home for Joan.