“We do have a rule that we do not ask our honorees to perform,” joked Kors—a known theatre devotee. Still, McDonald did so of her own accord. Glittering in sequins under the spotlight, she gave an impromptu operatic rendition of an Irish blessing, May You Always. Underneath the church’s colossal 177-foot ceilings, her lyrics rang out crystal clear: “May your heartaches be forgotten, may no tears be spilled, may old acquaintances be remembered, and your cup of kindness filled.”

The stylish crowd, which included Zoey Deutch, Rosie Perez, Mark Ronson, James Corden, and Chloë Sevigny—dined on autumn salads and beef with pumpkin puree as they enjoyed a performance by the cast of Saturday Church, a new Broadway musical with an important and topical storyline about love, identity, and community, set to music by Sia.

They also heard remarks from CEO and president, Terrence Meck. As he proudly announced the inaugural God’s Love We Deliver distribution center opening in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park, Meck spotlighted some special guests in attendance. One of the founding volunteers of the organization had flown from California to attend her first-ever Golden Heart Awards—“we call her the chief love officer,” Meck praised. A Queens teenager named Mohit who turned to the delivery service amid his cancer diagnosis—and is now asymptomatic—was also given a rapturous round of applause. Now that he’s in better health, he’s getting involved in the inaugural Youth Leadership Council. “If you are the future of God’s Love We Deliver, count us in,” Meck said.

Someone who’s no stranger to the non-profit is Anne Hathaway. The recipient of this year’s award for Outstanding Philanthropy and Volunteerism, the actress was welcomed to the stage by her friend Gigi Hadid. Hathaway, who could be found discreetly helping out at the Soho headquarters with her family just a few weeks ago, recalled where it all began. Funnily enough, when in her early 20s, the then-emerging actress raised a hand to attend a luncheon for the charity, spurred on after hearing Meryl Streep, her idol and future co-star, would be there too. “It was the most splendid-feeling room I had been in up until that time of my life. Baby-me noticed immediately that somehow, I had lucked into an invitation…to take part in seismic goodness.”