COLLEGE POINT — Maribel Perez admires St. Teresa of Calcutta. In particular, she is inspired by the work the woman known as Mother Teresa did with the poor and destitute.

That is why the 16-year-old junior at The Mary Louis Academy spends one Saturday a month standing on 14th Avenue in College Point handing out small bags filled with bars of soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and other toiletries to those in need.

Maribel, a scout with Troop 153 at St. Anastasia Church in Douglaston, is working toward her goal of becoming an Eagle Scout — the highest honor in scouting — and is taking part in a homeless outreach organized by Sister Ruth Lautt of St. Fidelis Church in College Point as part of her required community service project.

On the first Saturday of each month, Sister Ruth and a group of volunteers from St. Fidelis’ Street Outreach Ministry set up tables on 14th Avenue near College Point Boulevard and distribute food, clothing, and other items to anyone who approaches the tables.

On May 2, Maribel and a group of her fellow scouts stood behind a table, handing out bags of toiletries. She explained why the project, called “Hope in a bag,” is important to her.

“As a Catholic, we should always help the homeless and the less fortunate to honor God and follow in Jesus’ footsteps, as many saints have helped the homeless, like Mother Teresa,” Maribel said. “She has been a great role model.”

She learned about Sister Ruth and the outreach ministry through her grandmother, decided she wanted to take part, and began showing up every first Saturday to help.

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Maribel then took it a step further. She asked for speaking time at local churches — including her own church, Blessed Sacrament in Bayside — and sought donations from parishioners. Once she gathered the donations, she bought toiletries, and with help from fellow scouts, filled bags and brought them to the outreach distribution point on May 2.

Sister Ruth, who called Maribel “an exceptional young woman,” said the teen had purchased three months’ worth of hygienic products.

She also said it was remarkable that Maribel had the gumption to get up in front of large groups of people in churches to talk about the “Hope in a Bag” project. “Public speaking is the biggest fear people have. She got up in front of churches, her own parish, neighboring parishes, talked about the ministry, what it meant to her.”

Sister Ruth and her volunteers have been handing out food and clothing to people at the same College Point location once a month since November.

According to the Coalition for the Homeless, as of March 2026, there were approximately 350,000 homeless people in New York City. A report issued by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli stated that the homeless population has increased by 78% since 2019.

However, not all the St. Fidelis recipients are homeless.

“We get to know a lot of people. Some are working. A lot aren’t,” she explained. “They’re on public assistance, or they’re working at very low pay. They’re just scraping by.”
The “no questions asked” policy makes the St. Fidelis ministry unique, said its pastor, Father John Francis. Many programs require recipients to prove they need help before receiving food and clothing.

But here, “it is for all people and people can come and get whatever they need,” he said.

For Maribel, taking part has taught her a lesson.

“I feel very lucky to help them,” she said, adding that she hopes her project inspires others to take action. “And I see that I’m very fortunate for everything I have — a roof over my head, food on the table.”