Hope for New York

More than 1,000 Don’t Walk By volunteers divided into teams in February 2012 and canvassed the city on a search for the homeless, offering the people they encountered care kits and an invitation to return to a nearby church for food and medical assistance. Don't Walk By is an annual collaboration of faith-based organizations that are committed to serving the homeless, and a number of Hope for New York’s affiliates (The Bowery Mission, NYC Relief, NYC Rescue Mission) were involved in the outreach. Hope for New York has supported this movement by recruiting volunteers and providing financial support for the past four years.

"At the end of the night, the last street team came in with a man named Darren. Since we were all wrapping up to go home, we didn't have much time to chat so I cut to the chase— I asked him if he wanted to go somewhere for the night. He quickly told me that he just needed a second chance.  Darren told me that earlier that night in his despair, he cried out to God in the subway station and right after that, this team of Don’t Walk By street volunteers approached him, offering to take him back to the anchor church! I was just floored and we prayed in that moment for God to continue the work that was started in him that night."  Katrina Monta