Meet Margaret Russell, Legacy Society Member

God’s Love We Deliver has been an essential part of my life for more than a dozen years and it’s extraordinarily rewarding to volunteer, serve on the board, and be a member of its Legacy Society.

Like so many, I was devastated to lose countless friends to HIV/AIDS in the 1990s and I had long supported charities that funded research and preventive care. After resigning from one board over its policies I asked my friend Paul Wilmot, a longtime God’s Love trustee, if I could volunteer, as everything I knew about God’s Love We Deliver demonstrated how brilliantly it was run. I particularly loved that as New York’s AIDS crisis improved, God’s Love had smartly pivoted and expanded its meal service to include anyone with severe or chronic illness, 90 percent of whom live below the poverty line—reaching an even more diverse population in need.

I was honored to join the God’s Love board, though I was a bit concerned about time in the kitchen—I’m an accident-prone cook with limited culinary skills and merely chopping vegetables can be dangerous. Happily, I’ve been able to volunteer in non-food-related roles, and this year, during the months of COVID-19, I’ve been driving to deliver emergency meals with a few different people, including my dear friend Vicente Wolf, who was my inspiration to join the Legacy Society.

When I first joined God’s Love, Vicente told me his deep respect for the organization led him to make a generous bequest to it in his will—a gift based solely on its stellar reputation. Fast-forward to today, and Vicente serves not only as an impassioned trustee, but as an ambassador for the Legacy Society, prompting so many others to name God’s Love as a beneficiary in their estate plans—including me. After co-chairing a recruitment event at Vicente’s loft, I realized the work of God’s Love We Deliver isn’t just about the present; it’s laser-focused on the future and I wanted to formalize my commitment for years to come to help make sure God’s Love has the resources to continue its amazing work.

I realized the work of God’s Love We Deliver isn’t just about the present; it’s laser-focused on the future and I wanted to formalize my commitment for years to come to help make sure God’s Love has the resources to continue its amazing work.

The team at God’s Love We Deliver constantly forges innovative solutions and groundbreaking initiatives to help even more people in need stay healthy with proper nutrition. Please consider joining Vicente and me and our Legacy Society colleagues in supporting this visionary work for the future. For information, please contact Brandon Bryant at 212.294.8134 or bbryant@glwd.org.