Inspired music video sparks spirit of giving to charity

Working at the food pantry of Father English Community Center in Paterson can be physically demanding. On the front lines serving the poor, many staff spend time lifting, carrying, and opening large boxes of food and household items and moving skids of donations. After doing warehouse-like work during the day, they go home with sore muscles.

Robert Long knows the hard work of the staff at Father English, which is part of Catholic Charities. He stocked shelves while on a nine-month sabbatical from 2021-22 and gained respect for their dedication to the local poor. Now, Long serves as principal organist and choir director of St. Mary’s Abbey in Morristown. Using his musical talents, he posted a video online in the fall of him playing piano and singing the ballad “We Can Be Kind” with several musicians. It’s meant to highlight the work of the staff and raise needed funds for Father English.

“It was a life-changing experience to see the workers at Father English give their commitment — and their lives — to do whatever it takes to serve people who are less fortunate than themselves,” said Long, who has worked at St. Mary’s since July 2022, after retiring from the Paterson Diocese.

The video intersperses a performance of the song, recorded in the church of St. Mary’s, with scenes of workers preparing food donations for distribution to clients at Father English. They include Carlos Roldan, food pantry director for Catholic Charities. The video is also intended to raise funds for food pantries in the Altoona Diocese and elsewhere and raise awareness of the need for volunteers.

Father English serves thousands of people who struggle for self-sufficiency each month. For the next two years, the Diocesan Min­istries Appeal has allocated $200,000 each year to help complete a major renovation of Father English.

Before COVID, Long recorded “We Can Be Kind” in a studio in central Pennsylvania, where he grew up and first worked as a liturgical musician in the Altoona Diocese. The recording sat on the shelf. He later decided to help generate donations for Father English by having a video filmed of his performance of the song written by David Friedman.

“The song has a great message for the world — sow kindness. There’s so much political antagonism today. We may not agree on much, but we can agree on kindness. Giving food to people in need is the least we can do,” Long said. A married father of three, he served as music director of Corpus Christi Parish in Chatham Township for 20 years before his sabbatical. “I wanted to help an organization that is in the business of kindness: Father English.”