Brooklyn pastor hailed as a hero for his work helping feed the hungry during COVID-19 crisis

BROOKLYN - Pastor Francisco Fernandez is one of the unsung heroes of the coronavirus shutdown, and the community he serves gave him a surprise “thank you” celebration in response.

For the past month, Fernandez has been tirelessly distributing food and hope to families out of his church in Brooklyn. The kits feed a family of five for a week, a gift sorely needed in communities that have been hard-hit by the economic shutdown.

“A lot of people lost their jobs, they’re heaving a harder time getting food, some of the places, the lines are so long, everybody that’s calling me are people that no longer have any money, some people just can’t make it,” Fernandez said.

Partnering with World Vision, the humanitarian aid organization, Fernandez has been on the frontlines, risking his own safety for the well-being of others.

“So many people were dying of COVID-19, and he was here working until midnight with his wife and some volunteers,” said World Vision’s Sandy Aguila-Rosa. “They’ve been delivering food to the people that wouldn’t come out because they were afraid. He knew their need as well.”

Fernandez is also a mechanic for the Metro Transit Authority, a New York State chaplain and a neighborhood liaison with the NYPD. He was once homeless, living on the streets and says he understands more than most what it’s like not to know where your next meal is coming from or even if there will be one.

Despite all of that, Fernandez says it’s not about him. 

“I’m no hero, I’m just God’s hands and feet when he needs me,” Fernandez said.

Fernandez’s church is one of several World Vision distribution centers across the nation where food pantries are in desperate need of funds, supplies and more heroes.