On the corner of West 28th Street, along the throngs of homeless stretching down Ninth Avenue from the Church of the Holy Apostles, more than just soup is being served to the downtrodden. Featuring players like Scott Croly, a piano also appears on the menu.
As is with most New York public outreach programs for the homeless, the halls of the church are clad with almost all men, coming in different sizes but all looking for a bite to eat. The tunes that resonate from a piano in the hall, though, offer a change of pace to some of the guests.
According to The New York Times, familiar pieces come from the piano, the likes of "I've Got You Under My Skin," "New York, New York" and others from the American Songbook. Scott Croly, Barry Weiss, George Van Pelt and others sit behind the keys and entertain the guests — and guests they are, too.
Some newcomers to the program, like 44-year-old Brian Dempsey, commented on the background music, saying, "I'm not eating here because my situation is great."
He continued: "It's very peaceful to hear music," especially when he has no place to stay and recently lost his apartment.
For now, the guests are enchanted by Croly and his ability to satiate even the hungriest of stomachs. But even his situation, sadly, cannot be remedied with just the power of song.
Check out the exclusive here and take a look at an exclusive video, via the good people at the Times, below:
