Father Mike Lopez

I’m Father Mike Lopez, a priest and community leader serving Ridgewood. I was born and raised in this area, and have spent my whole life serving the community in Ridgewood, Middle Village and Maspeth. I have an unwavering passion for serving others, and a deep rooted connection to my community and its people.

In 2017 I founded the Hungry Monk Rescue Truck, a homeless services food truck and social

services organization. In 2019, I co-founded Monkworx Social Services, a homeless housing organization aimed at the re-housing of NYC’s most vulnerable street populations. During the Covid-19 Pandemic, both the Hungry Monk Rescue Truck and Monkworx Social Services helped to move over 30 million pounds of food throughout the City and State of New York, serving up to ten thousand families per week while simultaneously continuing to meet the needs of the homeless populations that we continue to serve. My work has been featured in New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the British Broadcasting Channel and many more print and digital media outlets.

Outside of my secular career I’ve worked as both a Confidential and Criminal Investigator for various criminal justice agencies on both the local and federal levels. I’ve always been driven by a strong sense of compassion and a desire to make a positive impact on the lives of those who I serve.