Since 1974, the building at 55 East 3rd Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan has served as Maryhouse, a place that offers hospitality to “the homeless, the hungry, and the forsaken.”

Run by volunteers of the Catholic Worker, Maryhouse shelters women and children, runs a soup kitchen, distributes clothing, and provides shower facilities, among other services. The organization was co-founded in 1933 by American journalist and social activist Dorothy Day, who is currently under consideration for canonization (or sainthood) by the Catholic Church.

Sisters Lila Mangino ’21 and Sophia Mangino ’22 had the opportunity to volunteer at Maryhouse this past July with their father Michael Mangino, who was motivated to get involved after reading Day’s autobiography The Long Loneliness. During their time there, Lila, Sophia and Michael helped prepare meals, serve food, clean and assist with mailing of The Catholic Worker, a newspaper the organization publishes seven times a year centered around the social justice movement.

Inspired by their time, Lila and Sophia hosted a clothing drive this fall to benefit the women at Maryhouse. Lila and Sophia will be returning to Maryhouse during winter break to deliver the clothing.

This article originally appeared in the 2019 Moravian Academy Fall Journal.