On Saturday, May 18th from 2-4PM (rain date Sunday, May 19 2-4pm), our Upper West Side chapter will be hosting an event in Riverside Park for local families with children in shelter. There will be sports, games, and snacks—plus a piñata! 

Join us—and bring your kids!—for some fun community-building.

• Volunteer opportunity: We’re looking for A LOT of volunteers--for both before the event and at the event itself! Check out the list below for details, and if you can help with any of these, email Caroline at caroline@openheartsinitiative.org.

• Before:

• Hand out flyers at UWS family shelter sites to spread the word about the event

• Pick up donations from UWS businesses in advance of or day of the event

• Donate games, activities, picnic blankets

• Day of event:

• Set up in the park

• Support kids with different activities during the event

• Escort families from the park entrance to the event

• Help clean up after the event

The Fulton Community Reentry Center is opening in the Bronx this week, offering 140 transitional reentry housing beds to returning citizens. The building will include spaces to share meals, foster community, and offer resources to formerly incarcerated individuals and their families. You can learn more about the site here.

Bronx Open Hearts is creating welcome cards and resource packets to support these new neighbors as they move into the site. We’ll be meeting at a volunteer’s apartment (address will be shared upon RSVP), which has an elevator and no pets. Card-making supplies will be provided! RSVP below to join us:

Join OHI's member-led Policy and Advocacy Committee for its biweekly meeting to get involved in our policy and advocacy efforts. Zoom link will be shared upon RSVP.

Do you live, work, or go to school in Lower Manhattan? Join us for our monthly Lower Manhattan Open Hearts chapter meeting on Zoom. Zoom link will be shared upon RSVP.

For 4 weeks straight, we've called our New York City Council electeds in support of Int. 210 - let's make it five!

This bill would end the cruel practice of 30- and 60-day limits on shelter stays for asylum seekers.

Join us on Zoom on Friday, May 10th, from 12pm-1pm (drop in anytime!) to support each other as we call our Council Members to ask them to support and move this crucial bill forward.

Do you live, work, or go to school in Brooklyn? Join us for our monthly Brooklyn Open Hearts chapter meeting on Zoom. Zoom link will be shared upon RSVP.

Do you live, work, or go to school on the Upper East Side? Join us for our Upper East Side Open Hearts monthly chapter meeting. Zoom link to be shared upon RSVP.

Our monthly Homelessness: Learning From Experience (HLFE) meetings provide a space for unhoused neighbors to share experiences, build connections, and provide input that informs OHI's work. These meetings are also a great opportunity for folks who are housed to listen and learn about homelessness and build connections in a casual setting. If you're interested in joining the next meeting, which will take place on Saturday 5/4 from 1:30pm-3:30pm on the Upper East Side, email Will at will@openheartsinitiative.org. Location will be shared upon RSVP.

For 3 weeks straight, we've called our New York City Council electeds in support of Int. 210 - let's make it four!

This bill would end the cruel practice of 30- and 60-day limits on shelter stays for asylum seekers.

Join us on Zoom on Friday, May 3rd, from 12pm-1pm (drop in anytime!) to support each other as we call our Council Members to ask them to support and move this crucial bill forward.

Do you live or work on the Upper West Side? Join OHI's UWS Kindness Committee meeting. Zoom link provided upon RSVP.

Join OHI's member-led Policy and Advocacy Committee for its biweekly meeting to get involved in our policy and advocacy efforts. Zoom link will be shared upon RSVP.

Do you live or work in Manhattan between 14th St and 59th St? Join OHI's Midtown Open Hearts chapter for its monthly meeting, where we'll be discussing ongoing efforts to welcome and support neighbors experiencing homelessness in Midtown. This meeting is hybrid and has both in-person and Zoom options; Zoom link and location details will be shared upon RSVP.

Join us for our monthly Housing Justice is Racial Justice meeting!

This is an informal reading and discussion group for OHI members to learn together about the intersections of housing justice and racial justice and the roots of the housing and homelessness crisis in policies driven by systemic racism. It's a "101" type of space to learn and grow together, so no expertise is required (in fact, it’s geared towards folks who may not know much about these topics!) and is open to all OHI members. Each meeting focuses on a different “text” chosen by an OHI member that will serve as a jumping-off point for discussion.

If you're interested in joining, click the button below to let us know, and we’ll share the Zoom details.

Douglaston Open Hearts + Zion Episcopal Church are offering a Free Store for the residents of the Douglaston Women's Shelter on April 27. Here’s how you can help:

Volunteer at the Free Store

Email info@openheartsinitiative.org and we’ll get you plugged in!

Sort donations

Help sort donations at Zion Episcopal Church on the following dates:

• Wednesday, April 17, 9:30am-12pm

• Friday, April 19, 9:30am-12pm

• Wednesday, April 24, 9:30am-12pm

• Friday, April 26, 9:30am-12pm

Donate items

Purchase items for donation through the Amazon wishlist (these will be delivered directly to the church), or drop off gently used or new items (women’s spring clothing and brand new toiletries only!) at Zion Episcopal Church’s parish office, from Tuesdays-Fridays 9am-1pm.

For two weeks straight, we've called our New York City Council electeds in support of Int. 210 - let's make it three!

This bill would end the cruel practice of 30- and 60-day limits on shelter stays for asylum seekers.

Join us on Zoom on Friday, April 26, from 12pm-1pm (drop in anytime!) to support each other as we call our Council Members to ask them to support and move this crucial bill forward.

We need help distributing baby supplies gathered for families at a shelter in Midtown as part of the drive that our Midtown Open Hearts chapter has been organizing in collaboration with local elected officials! Exact location will be shared upon RSVP--if you can help, please email Will at will@openheartsinitiative.org.

Join OHI's Policy and Advocacy Committee for a virtual phone bank on Tuesday, April 9th from 12pm-1pm. We'll be coming together on Zoom to call our City Council members and the Council Speaker's office to urge them to support and pass Intro. 210, a bill that would end the 30- and 60-day shelter stay limits that the city has imposed on asylum seekers experiencing homelessness. No experience necessary--we'll be there to cheer each other on and offer tips and a script template--and folks are welcome to hop on/off for part of the time depending on your availability.

• Can you be there? RSVP by emailing info@openheartsinitiative.org, and we'll send you the Zoom link/calendar invite.

• Can't join, but want to reach out to your Council Member anyway? Check out a template for email outreach here.  And when you do reach out, please let us know by emailing info@openheartsinitiative.org, so we can keep track of our advocacy on this issue!

Do you live, work, or go to school in Manhattan south of 14th St? Join OHI's Lower Manhattan chapter for its monthly meeting (VIRTUAL). If you don't have the Zoom link for this yet and would like to join, please email info@openheartsinitiative.org.

Lower Manhattan chapter member Sonni is hosting a sandwich-making event again for asylum seekers and other hungry New Yorkers on 4/5 from 9AM to 11:30AM.  

If you are interested in helping, please fill out this form: https://bit.ly/49zSJhY

A note from Sonni: “Once you fill out the above form you will be emailed with the address and instructions on how to get to the location. If you do come you must bring items to make sandwiches or some other food that can be easily distributed.  All food must be in individual servings and if utensils are needed you need to supply them.  Please avoid any pork products since many of the immigrants are Muslim. The form has some suggestions for what you can bring if you are unsure.”

Do you live or work in Brooklyn? Join OHI's Brooklyn Open Hearts chapter for its monthly meeting, where we'll be discussing ongoing efforts to welcome and support neighbors experiencing homelessness in Brooklyn. Zoom link will be shared upon RSVP.

Do you live or work on the Upper West Side? Join the Kindness Committee of Upper West Side Open Hearts for our monthly meeting, where we'll be discussing efforts to support homeless neighbors on the UWS through our shelter support teams, programming and workshops in shelters, and more. Zoom link will be shared upon RSVP.

Do you live or work in Manhattan between 14th St and 59th St? Join OHI's Midtown Open Hearts chapter for its monthly meeting, where we'll be discussing ongoing efforts to welcome and support neighbors experiencing homelessness in Midtown. You can join us on Zoom or in person--Zoom link and location info will be shared upon RSVP.

Join us for our next Housing Justice is Racial Justice meeting! 

This is an informal reading and discussion group for OHI members to learn together about the intersections of housing justice and racial justice and the roots of the housing and homelessness crisis in policies driven by systemic racism. It's a "101" type of space to learn and grow together, so no expertise is required (in fact, it’s geared towards folks who may not know much about these topics!) and is open to all OHI members. Each meeting focuses on a different text chosen by an OHI member that will serve as a jumping-off point for discussion.

Our next meeting will take place on Monday, March 25 from 7pm-8pm on Zoom. If you're interested in joining, click the button below to let us know, and we’ll share the Zoom link. (And additionally, let us know if you have ideas for future short texts or media to read/listen/watch and discuss, and if you're interested in facilitating a future meeting.)

Saturday, March 23
9am assembly, 11:30am distribution 
Lower Manhattan

Our Lower Manhattan Open Hearts members Sonni and Antonius have been hosting biweekly sandwich-making events to prepare food for asylum seekers stuck in long lines in the East Village. Join them for the next one to help assemble sandwiches--and stay later to help distribute them if you can! The sandwich-making will take place in Tribeca, and distribution will take place in the East Village. All are welcome, RSVP is required, and exact location will be shared upon RSVP.