About Rescue Alliance
Rescue Alliance is a collaboration of faith-based organizations working together to restore the well-being of New Yorkers experiencing homelessness. Our vision is to see a city where everyone belongs. Our mission is to end homelessness in New York City, and we believe life transformation occurs at the intersection of three essential elements of care. Six organizations—including Hope for New York—came together in 2008 to form Rescue Alliance and begin the first Don't Walk By event. Here are the organizations (and HFNY affiliates) that you can volunteer with to serve our homeless neighbors.
City Relief
City Relief (formerly New York City Relief) uses buses as mobile soup kitchens to provide food, counseling, spiritual help, and resources to communities in need.
The Bowery Mission
The Bowery Mission meets the needs of New Yokers experiencing homelessness through hot meals, safe overnight shelter, faith-based Residential Programs, and more.
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army provides services to those in need, including emergency social service programs, after-school programs, and disaster relief.
HFNY Affiliates Participating in Homelessness Summit
If you attended Come Together: Virtual Homelessness Summit on March 20, we hope you will take the next step and find a volunteer opportunity to serve neighbors in need! Explore ways to serve through Rescue Alliance organizations, organizations featured at the Summit, and more!
All Angels' Church
All Angels' Church is an Episcopal church that serves the holistic needs of homeless men and women in the church and its surrounding community through meals, Sunday worship, Bible studies, drop-in service programs and a recovery cafe.
Recovery House of Worship Brooklyn
Recovery House of Worship Brooklyn creates environments to help hurting people heal, from providing holistic care to those experiencing or recovering from addiction to meeting the practical needs of individuals and families in Downtown Brooklyn.
Safe Families for Children
Safe Families for Children creates extended family-like support for families in crisis through a community of compassionate volunteers.
Other HFNY Affiliates Serving Homeless Neighbors
Dream Center
Dream Center NYC's exists to partner with local communities through programs designed around identity, empowerment, purpose, and neighborhood engagement in order to see neighborhoods flourish across New York City.
Graffiti 2 Community Ministries
Graffiti 2 Community Ministries serves children, teens, adults and families in the Mott Haven neighborhood. Through after school, summer, workforce development and community programs, Graffiti 2 meets the holistic needs of its neighbors.
St. Paul's House
St. Paul's House offers food programs as well as job training, transitional housing, and discipleship programs to men who are experiencing homelessness or addiction issues.
The Father's Heart
The Father's Heart Ministries provides services to the unemployed, at-risk youth, immigrants, and those without social or family support.
Don't Walk By
2023
Don’t Walk By focused on one weekend, Saturday, February 18, to serve lower Manhattan between 46th Street and Battery Park. One single outreach helped us better allocate resources and expanded our outreach offerings to reach more guests. Also, one excellent day of outreach provided us an opportunity to unify all churches across the boroughs to gather together for one collective effort.
2022
With ongoing concerns around the Omicron variant, Don't Walk By moved to the spring season and decreased to three Saturdays (March 26, April 2, April 9). Rescue Alliance focused on providing more on-site services at different Salvation Army locations. Throughout all three weekends, more than 700 volunteers served more than 700 guests, both during street outreach and on-site!
2021
In 2021, our annual winter outreach changed to Pandemic Don't Walk By, and there were smaller teams of past volunteers each weekend. For safety reasons, we were careful about opening this event to the wider public. In total, 375 volunteers served, engaged with 697 guests, distributed 596 backpacks! Watch a video of highlights:
The Current and Future State of Homelessness in New York City
Rescue Alliance (a collaboration of faith-based organizations, including Hope for New York) gave a recent update about homelessness in our city. The Bowery Mission, City Relief. and The Salvation Army shared insights on serving people who struggle with homelessness during COVID-19. Watch the video below to get updates and hear ways you can continue serving our friends on the streets.
