Starting Wednesday, July 1, 2020 we will no longer be updating this page. As New York City continues to open and our affiliates adjust to a "new normal," we ask that all volunteers now visit our previous Urgent Needs page to find immediate volunteer needs. You can also find Virtual Volunteer opportunities here. Thank you to all our supporters for volunteering during COVID-19 to serve our city!
As of the end of March 2020, 100% of our affiliate programs have been suspended or modified because of COVID-19. For the affiliates that remain open, they are offering essential programs such as providing meals and shelter. Our affiliates are also making alterations and taking extra precautions to protect the safety of our volunteers.
How to Serve | How to Give | How to Pray
HOW TO SERVE
We know not everyone can serve at this time for important reasons, but if you feel called to continue serving our vulnerable populations, please refer to the urgent needs below, or sign up for our weekly Urgent Needs newsletter.
To protect the health and the safety of our affiliates, staff and volunteers, please follow the CDC guidelines. If you have experienced any of the below, we ask that you not volunteer at this time:
- A fever, cough, or shortness of breath.
- Traveled from an affected geographic area within the past 14 days, OR
- Been in close contact with a person with confirmed COVID-19 within the past 14 days.
> Also, per NYC.gov guidelines, do not volunteer if you are sick and/or over 50 years old (especially if you have chronic lung disease, heart disease, diabetes, cancer or a weakened immune system).
If you anticipate canceling any volunteer opportunities you have signed up for, please log into your HFNY account and cancel as soon as possible so we can notify our affiliates.
Virtual Volunteer opportunities
>> See all current opportunities here.
Brooklyn Arab American Friendship Center
Virtual Volunteers needed: Teach ESL classes weekly with 8-12 students on Zoom. The schedule is flexible as long as it is after 2 p.m. Sign up here.
Citymeals on Wheels
In-Person Volunteers needed: Various opportunities available, but subject to change because of the quickly evolving needs and impact of COVID-19. Sign up here.
>> Message from Citymeals on Wheels
Cru Inner City
In-Person Volunteers needed:
- Provide ongoing warehouse support. Break down pallets and help load church pick-ups of non-perishables/household items. Sign up here.
- Organize and distribute food at a pantry while following social distancing protocols. Hosted by a hub of Cru Inner City (Living Redemption Youth Opportunity Hub) seeking to serve hurting New Yorkers. Located at The Soul Saving Station Church (124th & St Nicholas), a Cru Inner City Partner Hub Site. Volunteers must be 18 years old or older. Sign up here.
Defy Ventures
Virtual Volunteers needed: Sign up to attend a virtual event with Defy Ventures, which provides career readiness and entrepreneurship training to formerly incarcerated individuals. Events range from Book Clubs, Community Building, and Business Coaching Nights. Sign up here.
Dream Center
Virtual Volunteers needed: Over the last year, Dream Center has been working to build contact lists in the Chelsea, East Harlem, and Bushwick communities. The goal is to contact each family on that list once every 7 days so that Dream Center can continue serving. Sign up here.
In-Person Volunteers:
- Mobile pantry packing and delivery in Bushwick. Sign up here.
- Mobile pantry packing and delivery in Chelsea, East Harlem, The Bronx. Sign up here.
- Document COVID-19 Relief photos and stories. Sign up here.
Donations needed: In desperate need of dry goods. Dream Center has been working with Metro to provide pantry boxes to families and ministries across the city. Last week, they served over 2000 families and the need has doubled, but they have used up nearly their full stock of food to put in the pantry boxes. In-kind donations needed for shelf-stable food. Email: Drew at dfain@dreamcenter.nyc.
Expect Hope
Donations needed: Multiple items needed for expectant women in NYC, including crib bumper pads, laptops, cleaning items, and more. See their Amazon wish list. For more details, email: emilyprins@expecthope.org
Graffiti Ministries
In-Person Volunteers needed: Wednesday night grab-and-go meals distribution. Sign up here.
Donations needed: Clorox, face masks, latex gloves, sanitizers, disinfecting wipes, paper towels. Email: Kareem at kareem@graffitichurch.org.
>> Message from Graffiti Community Ministries
Isaiah 58
Virtual Volunteers needed: Send cards, letters and drawings to immunocompromised residents with HIV/AIDS at Bailey-Holt House. Sign up here.
Living Waters Fellowship
In-Person Volunteers needed: Prepare and serve breakfast to over 100 guests, including the elderly, children, and the homeless. Also help set up, cook, bus tables, clean, and offer prayers. Opportunities available on ongoing Saturday mornings from 9-11:30 a.m. Sign up here.
Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter
In-Person Volunteers needed: Pick up food donations in lower Manhattan and transport them to a supportive housing residence on the Upper East Side. Sign up here.
- Volunteers need to have a car and valid driver’s license, access to a car, and the ability transport the food at set times each day.
New York City Relief
Virtual Volunteers needed: Become a Follow-up Care Volunteer and work closely with New York City Relief's team to reach out to guests who stop by outreaches. Interested candidates should have a phone, computer and reliable internet access. Sign up here.
In-Person Volunteers needed:
- See location updates to outreaches below. Sign up here.
- More updates on the New York City Relief locations
New York City Relief wants to keep volunteer numbers to 10 to ensure appropriate spacing between people. Please let the organization know ahead of time if you will be volunteering or cancelling.
Also, in keeping with the NYC Service guidelines, any individuals over 50 years old or under 18 years old should stay at home and not serve. We want to do all we can to ensure everyone's safety.
Donations needed: Hand sanitizer, masks, gloves, and forehead thermometers. Label items "NYCR" and drop off at various New York City Relief locations or at The Salvation Army (120 West 14th Street). Email: info@newyorkcityrelief.org.
>> Message from New York City Relief
Operation Exodus
Virtual Volunteers needed: Create transformational relationships with our students virtually. Roles include authors for author circles, social service employees who can lead family workshops, guest speakers for career workshops, and volunteers who can send families an encouraging word. Sign up here.
Donations needed: iPads and lap tops needed for helping children continue their studies (and connecting with family). Operation Exodus needs a total of 150 devices to be donated. Email: Kim at kim@operationexodus.org.
>> Message from Operation Exodus
Recovery House of Worship
Attend: Monthly volunteer training info sessions. These will place the first Saturday of each month from 10-11am on the RHOW website. In the midst of adjustments to our food distribution ministries, RHOW wants to provide encouragement, training, support, so that volunteers have a place to see/hear from each other and also share ideas and ideas. Sign up here.
In-Person Volunteers needed: Ongoing community food pantry. Sign up here.
Donations needed:
- Towels and simple adult underwear in varying sizes (for both men and women) needed. RHOW is close to providing a mobile shower on Monday mornings in front of their building and would like to provide these items. See Amazon wish list.
- Small, refillable fine mist spray bottles with caps. Think travel size bottles. RHOW needs 50 of these.
- Hand sanitizer and sanitary wipes. Email: Zach at zac@jointrellis.org.
>> Message from Recovery House of Worship
Restore NYC
Attend: Various online conversations around sex trafficking. RSVP for details here.
Virtual Volunteers needed: Bilingual volunteers needed to help translate documents and lead ESL classes via Zoom for clients. Sign up here.
Donations needed: Laptops and cleaning supplies. Email: Jenna at jenna.conarroe@restorenyc.org.
Safe Families for Children
Virtual Volunteers needed: Become a Virtual Family Friend and provide support to isolated and struggling families through connections by phone, text, FaceTime, or video conferencing. Connect with families at least once a week for 3 months. Bilingual volunteers who speak Spanish are also needed. Sign up here.
Donations needed: (1) used laptop for a parent taking college courses. Email: Emily at ecowan@safefamilies.net.
>> Message from Safe Families for Children
St. Paul's House
In-Person Volunteers needed: Regular programs are resuming, with a reduced number of volunteers. See all opportunities below:
- Serve weekly breakfast for the Gospel Service on Monday mornings. Sign up here.
- Pack pantry food items in 35-40 bags weekly on Monday evenings. Sign up here.
- Distribute pantry food bags weekly on Tuesday mornings. Sign up here.
The Bowery Mission
In-Person Volunteers needed: Help at the Tribeca campus meal service. Sign up here.
- Or, help with all-campus meal services. Sign up here.
Donations needed: Various in-kind donations needed, please check the latest list of items needed and where to send. Donate here.
>> Message from The Bowery Mission
The Father's Heart
In-Person Volunteers needed: Various ongoing opportunities. Sign up here.
Donations needed: Face masks, forehead thermometers, and hand sanitizers for food distribution. Email: Pastor Marian at marianhutchins@
>> Message from The Father's Heart
The Open Door
Virtual Volunteers needed: Spanish-speaking GED teachers needed for both weekly summer (June 15 - August 8) and fall (dates TBD) classes. Wednesdays from 7-8:15 p.m. Sign up here.
The Salvation Army
In-Person Volunteers needed:
The Union Square location (132 West 14th St) has various ongoing opportunities. Sign up here.
The Bronx Citadel location (425 E 159th St) has various ongoing opportunities.
- Serve at Community Food Pantry. Sign up here.
- Serve at Lunch to the Community. Sign up here.
- Serve as volunteer cook for emergency meal services. Sign up here.
- General volunteers are also needed. Sign up here.
Donations needed: As NYC students are now learning virtually, The Salvation Army day care centers are in need of school supplies. Provide school supplies for these day care centers:
- Bronx Citadel Day Care Center - See their Amazon wish list.
- Bushwick and Brownsville Day Care Centers - See their Amazon wish list.
>> Message from The Salvation Army
Young Life/YoungLives
Virtual Volunteers needed: Various opportunities below to help teen mothers stay connected virtually and support their needs during this pandemic.
1- Weekly: Help manage and meet the growing needs of teen moms with weekly online check-ins, tutoring, and mentoring. Also, be a part of the YoungLives Club, Bible Studies, and other fun virtual events such as dance and exercise classes. Sign up here.
2- Ongoing: Write notes of encouragement to accompany donation care boxes for our teen moms struggling. Sign up here.
Donations Needed: Our teen moms and their babies are in most need of the following items:
- Diapers, baby wipes, formula
- Rice, pasta, pasta sauce, mac n’ cheese, ramen, cereal, crackers, bread, tortillas
- Peanut butter, applesauce, canned fruit, canned meat, kidney beans, soup
All donations can also be shipped to:
YoungLives
111 Sycamore Ave
North Plainfield, NJ 07060
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HOW TO GIVE
We know the effects of COVID-19 will be long lasting, and we are determined to provide ongoing support to our affiliates. We invite you to join The Hope Exchange, our monthly giving program, to help sustain their crucial work beyond this crisis.
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HOW TO PRAY
Our affiliates have shared these prayer requests. As you pray together with your churches, community groups, and friends and family, please remember the work of our affiliates.
Please also remember to pray for protection over our city, country and world (especially those disproportionately affected by the evolving health situation); all HFNY organizations serving the most vulnerable (including the staff); all decision makers in all sectors (government, nonprofit, church, philanthropy, etc.) to discern next steps in a wise, cautious, but also compassionate manner.
A House on Beekman
About: A House on Beekman supports children and families in the South Bronx with holistic long-term care and services.
Pray For:
- A speedy solution to provide free Wifi to all students who need it to complete their schooling
- Extra patience and perseverance for students and parents learning to navigate new technology and online platforms
- Creativity and compassion for teachers as they seek to educate their students remotely
- AHOB staff as they continue to support their students remotely while adjusting to working from home and caring for their own families
Avail
About: Avail NYC provides free, confidential care and resources for men and women making a decision about an unexpected pregnancy or seeking support after an abortion experience.
Pray For:
- Wisdom and strength, perseverance and fortitude in the midst of personal and organizational challenges for all staff as they serve in unprecedented times
- Client programs to grow during this unexpected season
- Avail to serve clients, staff, and partners well as be an instrument of peace in God's hand
Brooklyn Arab-American Friendship Center
About: BAAFC offers ESL classes and cultural activities for new Arab American immigrants.
Pray For: The Lord to speak to the hearts of our students and remind them of the things they heard and continue using us even through the phone and media till the storm passes by
Brooklyn Teen Challenge
About: Brooklyn Teen Challenge is a residential faith-based recovery program for men and women with life-controlling issues.
Pray For: To remain strong, unified in the call God has on this organization.
Community Connections for Youth
About: Community Connections for Youth (CCFY)empowers grassroots faith and neighborhood organizations to develop effective community driven alternatives to incarceration for youth.
Pray For:
- The most vulnerable youth we serve—young people in detention and correctional settings who are at the greatest risk and who can't get in-person visits or even video-conferencing. Pray for them and their families.
- For our staff, that we can stay connected and encouraged as we adapt to working remotely.
- The 22 young people detained at the Horizon Juvenile Detention Center where COVID-19 has been spreading.
Cru Inner City
About: Cru Inner City partners with local churches in low-income neighborhoods to provide a multitude of resources, including food and clothing, job readiness training, and youth programs.
Pray For: For our partner churches as they minister spiritually to people's fears and offer Cru's products to their needy neighbors.
Do For One
About: Do For One is a relationship-building program that brings isolated people into greater community life. We selectively match one person with developmental disabilities with another person who enjoys a more socially included life.
Pray For: People who seem to be in greater need—elderly parents caring for their child with disabilities, people living alone, and people living in nursing homes. Coler Hospital is on lockdown (no family and volunteers) and will be overcrowded soon with Bellevue Patients. Residents and staff are very nervous. Pray for them!
Expect Hope
About: Expect Hope is a Christ-centered residential program serving unsupported women 18+ years of age during crisis pregnancies and through their child's second birthday.
Pray For: A spirit of peace and calm in our home and in the hearts of our new mothers. Pray for the health of the staff so that we can provide continuous 24/7 care to our resident mothers and babies.
Garden of Hope
About: Garden of Hope supports survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking in the vast Chinese immigrant communities across NYC.
Pray For:
- God’s protection and peace over our staffs and all the women and children in our service
- Shelter safety and the single mothers who take care of their children by themselves with limited income to survive during this critical period
Global Empowerment Services, Inc. (GEmS)
About: Global Empowerment Services exists to empower local immigrant communities in Jamaica, New York to achieve their God given potential through providing a set of specific programs.
Pray For: GEmS to continue to be present in our students' and friends' lives with wisdom and safety and for the health of our children who are continuing in school in New York City.
Habitat for Humanity NYC
About: Habitat for Humanity mobilizes volunteers to revitalize community centers and construct affordable housing for low-income families.
Pray For: For a member of the Habitat for Humanity community
Isaiah 58
About: Isaiah 58 is a volunteer-led ministry of mercy outreach to people living with HIV/AIDS.
Pray For: The health and protection of the residents at Bailey-Holt House who are immunocompromised. Pray for this virus to go away soon, so that Isaiah 58 can return to BHH for Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
Living Waters Fellowship
About: Living Waters Fellowship is a church that provides after-school programs, adult ESL classes, and breakfast to the local community.
Pray For: Wisdom in how to meet the needs of our neighborhood
New York City Relief
About: New York City Relief uses buses as mobile soup kitchens to provide food, counseling, spiritual help, and resources to communities in need.
Pray For:
- Pray for various outreaches every month! Sign up here to receive ongoing prayer emails.
- The team as we provide emergency relief to our friends on the street, while also exercising as many safety precautions as possible to keep our germs to ourselves.
Open Hands Legal Services
About: Open Hands Legal Services is a Christian non-profit organization that provides free legal aid, advocacy, and spiritual support to the poor and disenfranchised of New York City.
Pray For: An overwhelming sense of God's grace. There is a lot of fear out there! May this be a time of turning more to God and fully trusting in Him.
Operation Exodus
About: Operation Exodus is a Christian mentoring program for students (K-12) and their families in Washington Heights, Inwood, and the Bronx.
Pray For:
- For the 200+ students and families that are served every year.
- For the families and mentors who are first responders and essential workers.
- For continued perseverance and comfort for students and staff members.
- For financial protection and provision for families
Prison Fellowship
About: Prison Fellowship works to bring hope and restoration to prisoners, families and communities impacted by crime and incarceration.
Pray For:
- Peace within prisons and between the men and women incarcerated and correctional staffs.
- Correctional facilities to be shielded from negative outside reactions to the pandemic.
- Prison medical staffs, who will be on front lines of any in-prison response. See more prayer requests.
Restore NYC
About: Restore NYC identifies sex trafficking victims and provides long-term, holistic aftercare services for adult female foreign national survivors.
Pray For:
- The women we serve and their families, esp. for the financial disruption
- Anxious staff who have compromised immune systems
- All of us to exhibit great strength and leadership for the anti-trafficking field at this time and be able to continue care well for the women we serve.
Safe Families for Children
About: Safe Families for Children creates extended family-like support for families in crisis through a community of compassionate volunteers.
Pray For:
- Isolated and under-resourced families that have no support, esp. with potential school and day care closures worsening their situation
- Children who will have less access to food and care if schools and daycares close
Shiloh NYC
About: Shiloh NYC offers school-based programs in the South Bronx, weekly teen mentoring meetings, and summer camp.
Pray For:
- Parents who are sick. Children and families who are currently in unsafe spaces, and who are dealing with food insecurities.
- For the staff, who are delivering groceries using social distancing protocols and vehicles that we own. That the staff may know how to respond in safe ways.
The Father's Heart
About: The Father's Heart Ministries provides services to the unemployed, at-risk youth, immigrants, and those without social or family support.
Pray For: Wisdom and strength, and provision for every need
The Open Door
About: The Open Door empowers immigrants to reach their full God-given potential to successfully integrate, participate and contribute to the well-being of our society.
Pray For: Please keep this prayer in mind
The Salvation Army
About: The Salvation Army provides services to those in need, including emergency social service programs, after-school programs, and disaster relief.
Pray For: (Manhattan Citadel location) The safety for staff, volunteers, and participants
UES Rehabilitation & Nursing Center
About: Upper East Side Rehabilitation and Nursing Center is an elderly care facility passionate about rehabilitation and nursing care.
Pray For: UESRNC to alleviate the fear among volunteers and clients
Urban Hope
About: Urban Hope's mission mission is to transform our community by equipping, developing, and empowering its inner-city youth.
Pray For:
- The kids and their families who are afraid in this time of crisis
- Christians can step out in wisdom and boldness
- How we can creatively reach our local communities so they feel safe and served by the local church. In this crisis, the church is needed more than ever.
Young Life
About: Young Life is a non-denominational Christian ministry that reaches out to adolescents.
Pray For:
- Wisdom in how we navigate these times
- Our team to continue to mentor and connect kids in creative ways during this time (as they need it more than ever) and for the health of the staff, students
Youth for Christ
About: At Youth for Christ we serve incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youth in responding to their needs with relational programs that encourage conversation and build capacity for success in them.
Pray For:
- The youth that we serve in detention centers. They are in a controlled environment and should someone be infected, there is high potential for spreading.
- The youth that we serve who are back in their communities but in need, with limited resources
- Our volunteers who serve so selflessly.
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