New York’s star-studded Love Rocks NYC benefit returns for a milestone year that organizers say is taking on added urgency for God’s Love We Deliver, the nonprofit that delivers medically tailored meals to people who need them. The sold-out concert at the Beacon Theatre on Thursday will be headlined by Paul Simon, Mary J. Blige and Elvis Costello, with hosts that include Whoopi Goldberg and Julianne Moore, organizers said.
In describing the event’s significance, organizers pointed to anniversaries: it is the 10th Love Rocks concert and the 40th year for God’s Love We Deliver. They also tied the timing to a fundraising environment that has tightened for many food-assistance programs, saying federal cuts to food programming have increased demand for the nonprofit’s work.
Greg Williamson, the concert producer and real estate broker who has executive produced all Love Rocks NYC shows with fashion designer John Varvatos and events producer Nicole Rechter, said reduced federal support has made artists more interested in supporting the cause. “There has always been a reason to support this cause, if you can,” Williamson said. “But during the times we’re living in, people are very aware of (federal cuts).”
Williamson said the Love Rocks shows have raised $65 million over the past decade, translating to about 6.5 million meals God’s Love We Deliver can provide. He added that the events have also helped broaden the charity’s visibility and mission in ways that can bring in volunteers and additional partners, describing the challenge of sustaining an effective blend of entertainment and fundraising year after year.
The proceeds from this year’s Love Rocks NYC concert—along with its livestream at loverocksnyc.com—are expected to be the biggest single fundraiser in God’s Love We Deliver’s history, organizers said. They said the event is arriving as the nonprofit pushes its biggest expansion in years, including opening a new distribution center in Brooklyn last month and launching its 40 Forward capital campaign to better use space to serve more meals more efficiently.
Terrence Meck, God’s Love We Deliver’s president and CEO, said the group has worked to diversify its funding base and that it relies on federal grants for only a small percentage of its overall work. He said that, so far, the nonprofit has not seen cuts connected to the Trump administration, saying, “We’ve been really lucky,” and adding, “I think we operate in a sweet spot with this administration because ‘food as medicine’ is something that they are talking about and that they’re keeping front of mind when it comes to the health and well-being of this nation.”
Meck said God’s Love We Deliver’s mission has long been shaped by health needs: it began serving meals to people with HIV-positive patients before expanding to others with chronic illnesses. He said about 60% of the organization’s annual budget comes from philanthropy, including individual donors and other nonprofits.
The nonprofit’s leaders also emphasized the role of volunteers and the non-mathematical impact of the work, beyond the food itself. Meck said the organization’s approach is centered on “the care, dignity and compassion that we bring to our clients through food, but also through that human connection,” adding, “Of course they love our food and they’re so grateful that they’re not hungry… But it’s all about feeling, about knowing, that they’re not alone.”
Actor-philanthropist Liev Schreiber marked the charity’s 40 millionth meal donated in the New York area last year by describing God’s Love We Deliver as “a testament to New Yorkers and how they step up.” “It’s one of the things I love about this city,” he said of the organization.