It’s an early morning wake up call.

Leaving his apartment at 4 a.m., Eddie Mouzon walks roughly 40 blocks to pack a meal for those in need.

What You Need To Know

  • Eddie Mouzon used to pick up a sack lunch at the Christ and St. Stephen’s Church between work shifts. Now, he's the one handing out the sack lunches Monday through Friday

  • Mouzon knows the people who come to his table and knows their orders before they even ask for a tuna salad

  • It's more than just a meal. Mouzon offers information about where individuals can find showers or get meals on the weekend

It’s a mission Mouzon has been called to for the past 13 years — making sure food is available every day, even during the height of the pandemic.

“All through COVID, he was here. He was up here when a lot of the volunteers went away,” said Tom Henry, a parishioner and friend of Mouzon.

The Brown Bag Program started at Christ and St. Stephen’s Church 35 years ago when a secretary offered her lunch to an individual looking for something to eat.

Mouzon was also a recipient before he began packing up the lunches for others.

“I used to come here, grab my bag and go back to work,” remembers Eddie.

For Mouzon, it’s not just simply handing out a meal.

“Well, it’s friendship. He respects the people,” said Henry.

“I know where there are places they can go to eat at,” Mouzon said. “Where they can take showers. I give them information. [I] give them a hug. Because a lot of homeless, they really just want someone to talk to.”

As numbers drops in the winter time, Mouzon is still hard at work putting together more than 60 bags to hand out.

“He has an eagle eye and can see five blocks down and say, ‘Oh, get a chicken salad. They want chopped chicken. Oh, they want spaghetti and meatballs.’ He knows,” said Henry.

For continuously showing what it means to care, Eddie Mouzon is our New Yorker of the Week.