volunteering

The hardships that the homeless face in my community has had a tight hold on my heart and conscience ever since I was a kid. During college and in my first few years in New York City, I had opportunities to serve or volunteer, but for many reasons, I did not commit to them.

Before I joined the staff at Hope for New York, I was a volunteer. I signed up to serve breakfast on Mondays at St. Paul’s House, a food pantry and soup kitchen in Hell’s Kitchen.

For over 12 years, the Rescue Alliance has been able to positively impact the lives of our friends on the street and provide them opportunities for change. In February 2020, we saw our most successful outreach in history, but this year, our annual winter outreach changed to Pandemic Don't Walk By.

Our incredible virtual volunteers are still finding ways to connect with the isolated Isaiah 58 residents, who are immunocompromised because of HIV/AIDs. 

In addition to Stories of Hope from His Toy Store Reimagined events, here are more stories from our affiliates about how Christmas cheer is being shared in their communities!

Note: We asked young mom Bethany Barnes to share and expand on her experience volunteering at Expect Hope.

 

Our volunteers continue to connect with virtual opportunities like sending notes of love and encouragement to residents of Isaiah 58. Since June, more volunteers have continued showcasing their creativity by sending handmade letters and art to the immunocompromised residents. See the latest below!

 

Hope for New York volunteers are used to getting proximate in person with our affiliates, and the communities they serve. But when everything changed during COVID-19, our volunteers found new ways to serve! 

When the coronavirus hit, we were concerned that we would have to shut down our Wednesday Night Meal program. But God provided a way for us to continue offering meals throughout the pandemic.

My wife, Celine, and I first served our city through Hope for New York eight years ago, when we volunteered with All Angels’ Church with our Community Group. Together, we committed to serving with All Angels’ on Sunday evenings once a month. This was an incredible experience for us to not only serve the Upper West Side neighborhood but also come together as a community.