The Power of Hope for New York's Network

As the COVID-19 situation became more and more “real,” Hope for New York continued to refer to our core mission and ask the hard question, “How is God calling us to respond?” For HFNY and our affiliates, the collective response is that we must continually innovate our strategies in order to meet those who are most vulnerable in our City. Across the HFNY affiliate network, organizations are re-imagining how we can most effectively meet the growing need for physical, emotional and spiritual care during this season. (Read more about how HFNY has helped our affiliates reimagine their programs.)

In order to innovate and re-imagine our programs, the HFNY network is leaning into our collective impact model of leveraging private, public, and other resources to catalyze the greatest impact for the needs on the ground. As a resource hub, HFNY is catalyzing the affiliate network and other resources to encourage collaboration and sharing how we’re approaching needs on the ground. We’re fostering in-kind donations for PPE and school supplies, sharing information from the City to access internet-enabled iPads for at home learning, and building out virtual volunteer ideas to address felt needs—this is the power of the network effect of HFNY.

To further catalyze collaboration, communication, and sharing of resources, HFNY staff is organizing topical virtual affiliate convenings with expert consultants covering topics such as 'Re-Imagining Organizational Strategy in a Time of Crisis’, ‘How to Apply for Federal Stimulus Funds’, ‘Fundraising in the COVID-19 Era’ and ‘How to Foster Resiliency and Prevent Burnout in this Time of Crisis.' These sessions are facilitated by HFNY staff, provide expertise from the consultants, and allow for interaction and sharing from different affiliates so they can learn from each other. After each group session, HFNY is covering costs for affiliate leadership to work 1:1 with the consultants to go deeper on challenges their organization is facing in this quickly evolving situation.

Like many small businesses and nonprofits in New York City, HFNY affiliates are seeking to sustain themselves so that they can continue to provide the lifeline and refuge that they are for their vulnerable communities. Due to unexpected loss of donations, contracts, and other revenue sources, especially from cancelled fundraising events, questions around the long-term sustainability of these organizations abound.

The work and long term sustainability of the affiliates—meals, resumé and job readiness programs, ESL programs, literacy programs, after school programs, emergency and affordable housing—is too important to be in jeopardy. To address this, HFNY staff is leveraging every possible aspect of the HFNY model—funding, volunteers, and network and capacity building—to ensure that affiliates are able to continue to be a beacon of light and source of physical, emotional and spiritual care for their communities.

Your gift to the HFNY Relief Fund helps to ensure that the network of 60+ HFNY affiliates continues to thrive and provide the care and resources these affiliates offer to the most vulnerable New Yorkers. Would you consider investing in this life-giving work?

Photos provided by New York City Relief, The Salvation Army, and The Bowery Mission