Call Your City Council Member: Solutions, Not Sweeps!
On March 11, encampment sweeps restarted in New York City. Sweeps are harmful: they lead to people losing their belongings (including items that help them stay warm in the cold) and destroy trust with outreach workers. They’re also ineffective: as the Safety Net Project wrote in a powerful post, just 5% of folks displaced by sweeps during the previous administration accepted shelter placement, and even fewer stayed in shelter for more than a few days. (Curious why some folks might hesitate to enter shelters? We’d recommend reading this 2021 report from the Coalition for the Homeless about the experiences of unsheltered New Yorkers.)
We’re calling our City Council Members to let them know that their constituents want real solutions to homelessness—not cruel and ineffective sweeps. Check out this guide for details on how to find who your Council Member is, how and when to call them, and what to say—and then make sure to fill out this form to let us know how the call went!
Food Drive for Supportive Housing in Queens
Queens Open Hearts is collecting donations of shelf-stable foods for residents of a supportive housing site in Jamaica, Queens.
We’re looking for items like:
Canned fruits and vegetables
Canned fish and meat
Soups and stews
Boxed juice
Nut butters
Rice
Pasta.
We’re also looking for volunteers to help transport the donations to the housing site in mid-July.
If you’re able to donate food or volunteer in person, email Jayme@openheartsinitiative.org.
To donate funds to help us purchase items, use the button below.
Monthly Baby Supply Distribution for Families in Midtown Shelters
June Midtown Baby Supply
Weekly English Language Learning Workshop at a Shelter in Midtown
Our weekly English language learning classes at a shelter in Midtown, which take place on Tuesdays 12pm-1pm, need an additional volunteer who speaks some Spanish or French. Our upcoming dates are 6/16, 6/23, & 6/30.
If you can help, email Shaili at shaili@openheartsinitiative.org.
Street Care Kits for Neighbors in Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan Open Hearts is putting together street care kits for neighbors experiencing homelessness downtown!
Here’s how to help:
Purchase kit items from our wishlist
Donate via PayPal to help us fill any gaps.
Volunteer to assemble and distribute kits on Tuesday, June 16th, 6pm-7pm! (Location upon RSVP)
June Workshop: Talking About Homelessness with Friends & Neighbors
Have you ever been part of a conversation with another housed neighbor where homelessness has come up, and you haven’t been sure what to say? Our Talking About Homelessness with Friends & Neighbors workshop can help! This virtual, small-group workshop is highly interactive, so come ready to participate!
This workshop is part of our advocacy workshop series. We’ll cover:
Why it’s hard to change someone’s mind—and how to do it more effectively
Having a conversation about homelessness that goes deeper than knee-jerk reactions and talking points
How to talk about why this issue matters to you
This workshop will take place on Zoom on Wednesday, June 17, 6:30pm-8pm. It’s totally free. NOTE: If you RSVP initially and are no longer able to attend, no hard feelings--we understand that life happens--but we ask you to cancel your RSVP so we can admit additional participants off the waitlist.
Sign up using the button below. Questions? Email Will at will@openheartsinitiative.org.
June Brooklyn Free Store
Our Brooklyn Open Hearts chapter is organizing a free store, offering seasonal clothing, hygiene supplies and
snacks. Everything is free, and all are welcome!
Questions? Email shaili@openheartsinitiative.org
I want to volunteer at the Free Store:
We need LOTS of volunteers on the day of the Free Store, including for shifts before and after the event. Sign up here!
I want to donate items to the Free Store:
There are two ways to donate:
Drop off donations: We're looking for new or gently used summer clothing, hygiene supplies, and food pantry items. These items can be dropped off any time at Roots Cafe in Park Slope, or at Grace-Hanson United Methodist Church from 11-1pm on 6/20.
Donate to the paypal for hygiene supplies and snacks here!
Neighbors Meeting Neighbors in Midtown
Building stronger neighborhoods starts with getting to know each other! Join Midtown Open Hearts for an informal hangout bringing together housed neighbors & neighbors living in supportive housing.
We’ll have coffee, snacks, games, and conversation!
Drop by on Monday, June 22 between 4pm and 6pm at The Anagram Public Plaza (on the north side of E. 28th St, between Madison Ave and 5th Ave).
All are welcome, and folks who live or work nearby (in the NoMad or Flatiron area) are especially encouraged to stop by! RSVP is encouraged but not required. RSVP using the button below!
Questions? Email Jayme at jayme@openheartsinitiative.org.
Learning Across Chapters: Transportation Discussion
Do you help lead programming or material support efforts with OHI (especially ones where homeless participants travel to attend)? Join our discussion to meet other volunteers doing similar work, learn from each other, and strategize together. RSVP below.
This month, we’ll be talking about transportation! Particularly for neighbors experiencing homelessness, sometimes the biggest barrier to participating in a program isn’t the program itself—it’s getting there.
We’ll strategize together about:
Transportation barriers we’ve observed
What support volunteers can provide
Practical next steps for reducing barriers to participation
NOTE: While all are welcome to join, this meeting is intended for OHI members who are already involved in programming or material support activities and want to strategize about it together. If you’re looking to get involved in activities for the first time, check out our events page.
Arts at a UES Supportive Housing Site!
We are in need of a few more volunteers to help lead art workshops at a supportive housing site on the UES!
Support neighbors as they learn and create. No art experience is required, and we’ll provide the supplies!
Our next session is on Wednesday, 6/24 from 2-3:30 PM. Location upon RSVP.
RSVP below if you’re interested in helping out! Address will be provided upon RSVP.
Policy and Advocacy Committee Meeting
Interested in getting involved in OHI’s city- and state-level policy advocacy efforts to end homelessness in NYC? Join OHI's member-led Policy and Advocacy Committee for our next meeting.
On the agenda:
Planning actions in support of our policy priorities
This meeting will be on Zoom. RSVP below to get the Zoom link!
Arts in Midtown!
Join us at a shelter in Midtown East for an evening of painting and getting to know your neighbors on Thursday, 6/25 at 7pm! Supplies and snacks will be provided. Specific location upon RSVP.
RSVP using the button below!
Questions? Email shaili@openheartsinitiative.org
Volunteers Needed for Housing Search Tech Support!
Join us on 6/29 from 3-4:30 PM at a library in Midtown East to help neighbors work through the housing search process! A brief training will be provided. Volunteers will work one on one with shelter residents as they navigate making accounts, uploading documents, applying for housing, and finding housing websites! RSVP using the button below (location upon RSVP).
June Discussion: Debunking Myths About Homelessness
Join us for our monthly Housing Justice is Racial Justice meeting. This month’s topic: debunking myths about homelessness!
We’ll be discussing a few pages from Mary Brosnahan’s They Just Need to Get a Job: 15 Myths on Homelessness. (No need to get the book—we’ll send you the pages!) For this discussion, we’ll focus on the myth that there’s already a lot of help out there that folks experiencing homelessness just aren’t accessing.
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. (Want to choose a text and help facilitate a meeting in the future? Reach out to Will at will@openheartsinitiative.org.)
If you're interested in joining, click the button below to RSVP, and we’ll share the reading and Zoom details.
Arts in Brooklyn (6/15)
Join Brooklyn Open Hearts for an afternoon of arts on Monday, June 15th at 2pm.
We’ll be at a Safe Haven shelter in South Brooklyn painting, drawing, and enjoying conversation with neighbors. We’ll provide the supplies and snacks—just bring yourself!
Click the button below to RSVP and receive location information.
Help us Pack Hygiene Kits in BK!
Brooklyn Open Hearts is organizing a hygiene kit packing session to prepare kits for neighbors at our upcoming free store!
We will be meeting in Park Slope on Sunday, June 14th from 12:00 - 1:30pm. RSVP for location and additional details!
If you can’t make it but still want to support, you can help us stock kits by ordering items directly from our wishlist, or donating to our PayPal.
Questions? Email shaili@openheartsinitiative.org
Solutions Not Sweeps Virtual Phonebank
Got 10 minutes at lunch? Make a call that matters.
New York City restarted encampment sweeps in March. Sweeps don't work: only 5% of people displaced during the previous administration accepted shelter, and even fewer stayed. Instead of helping people, sweeps break the trust that outreach workers have spent time building and result in people losing their belongings.
The city shouldn’t waste resources on this kind of ineffective action. Our City Council members need to hear from you that we want real solutions to homelessness — not sweeps.
Join our virtual drop-in phone bank on Tuesday, June 9 from 12pm-1pm.
Show up whenever works for you. The whole thing takes 5–10 minutes:
Jump into the video call
Get the script and instructions to find your council member's number from the chat
Step away, make the call, come back and log it
Drop off whenever — no need to stay
Just 10 minutes and a phone – no special experience needed!
We'll be calling throughout the hour and supporting each other as we call — so even if you can only pop in briefly, you'll be part of something bigger.
👉 RSVP using the button below.
Speak Up for a Shelter in South Slope/Sunset Park!
Background
A new shelter is being planned for 25th st. in South Slope/Sunset Park. On Wednesday, June 10th at 6 PM, Brooklyn Community Board 7 is meeting to hear about the project, and we expect folks opposed to it will attend. If you live, work, or go to school in Sunset Park or Kensington, we could use your voice expressing support for welcoming homeless neighbors to this site!
Take Action
The #1 need is for folks to provide support in person on Wednesday, June 10th from 6:00 - 8:00pm. Use the button below to RSVP, and we’ll send you the details. If you can’t make it but still want to show support, you can submit your testimony online. Use the button below to RSVP, and we’ll follow up with instructions.
Haven’t spoken at a Community Board meeting before? No worries—the board hears from members of the public all the time at hearings like these, and Open Hearts will be there with you every step of the way. To make sure you are prepared, we are hosting an optional prep call on Monday, June 8th from 6:30-7:00pm. We will brief you on what to expect, provide suggested talking points, and give you an opportunity to practice your testimony among friendly faces. You can RSVP for the call below!
Use the link below to RSVP to speak up for this new shelter. Once you RSVP, we’ll be in touch to share suggested talking points for in person testimony and online comment, as well as other logistical details. Questions? Email Shaili at shaili@openheartsinitiative.org.
Help Run Crochet + Knitting Workshops in the Bronx
We are in need of a few more volunteers to help lead knitting and crocheting workshops at a supportive housing site in the Bronx! Support neighbors as they learn and create. Some knowledge of knitting or crocheting is preferred! (Note: we especially could use someone with some crochet knowledge, since our main volunteers here are skilled knitters!)
RSVP using the button below. Reach out to Shaili at shaili@openheartsinitiative.org with any questions.
Monthly Community Language Exchange/Intercambio - June
RSVP below! The event is on the Upper East Side. Exact location will be provided upon RSVP.
English speakers will practice Spanish, and Spanish speakers will practice English
No prior experience needed
Toys and games will be provided for the children
Dinner will be served
The event is free!
Hosted by Upper East Side Open Hearts
For questions or more information, contact shaili@openheartsinitiative.org or (414)-477-1030
Help us provide food at the language exchange here!
Homelessness: Learning From Experience Meeting
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 with neighbors in a casual setting.
If you're interested in joining us, click the button below to RSVP. Location will be shared upon RSVP.
We’ll be talking about:
To be announced!
Questions? Email Will at will@openheartsinitiative.org.
Arts in Brooklyn (6/1)
Join Brooklyn Open Hearts for an afternoon of arts on Monday, June 1st at 2pm.
We’ll be at a Safe Haven shelter in South Brooklyn painting, drawing, and enjoying conversation with neighbors. We’ll provide the supplies and snacks—just bring yourself!
Click the button below to RSVP and receive location information.
Painting in Midtown! (5/28)
Join us at a shelter in Midtown East for an evening of painting and getting to know your neighbors on Thursday, 5/28 at 7pm! Supplies and snacks will be provided. Specific location upon RSVP.
RSVP using the button below!
Questions? Email shaili@openheartsinitiative.org
Policy and Advocacy Committee Meeting
Interested in getting involved in OHI’s city- and state-level policy advocacy efforts to end homelessness in NYC? Join OHI's member-led Policy and Advocacy Committee for our next meeting.
On the agenda:
Planning actions in support of our policy priorities
This meeting will be on Zoom. RSVP below to get the Zoom link!
Arts at a UES Supportive Housing Site!
We are in need of a few more volunteers to help lead art workshops at a supportive housing site on the UES!
Support neighbors as they learn and create. No art experience is required and we’ll provide the supplies!
Our next session is on Wednesday, 5/27 from 2-3:30 PM. Location upon RSVP.
RSVP below if you’re interested in helping out! Address will be provided upon RSVP.
Weekly English Language Learning Workshop at a Shelter in Midtown
Our weekly English language learning classes at a shelter in Midtown, which take place on Mondays & Tuesdays 12pm-1pm, need an additional volunteer who speaks some Spanish or French. If you can help with this, email Shaili at shaili@openheartsinitiative.org.
Please note, this week’s Monday session is cancelled due to Memorial Day!
Neighborhood Advocacy Workshop: Speaking at Community Board Meetings
Interested in speaking up for housing and shelters in your neighborhood, but not sure how to do it? Our Neighborhood Advocacy: Speaking at Community Board Meetings workshop can help. This virtual, small-group workshop is highly interactive, so come ready to participate!
This workshop is part of our advocacy workshop series. We’ll cover:
What Community Boards are and why they play an important role in discussions about housing and shelter sites
Key principles for speaking effectively at a Community Board meeting
Building talking points and practicing what you might say
This workshop will take place on Zoom on Wednesday, May 20 from 6:30pm-8:30pm. It’s totally free. NOTE: If you RSVP initially and are no longer able to attend, no hard feelings--we understand that life happens--but we ask you to cancel your RSVP so we can admit additional participants off the waitlist.
Sign up using the button below. Questions? Email Will at will@openheartsinitiative.org.
Arts in Brooklyn (5/18)
Join Brooklyn Open Hearts for an afternoon of arts on Monday, May 18th at 2pm.
We’ll be at a safe haven in South-Central Brooklyn painting, drawing, and enjoying conversation.
Supplies and snacks provided, Just bring yourself!
Click the button below to RSVP and receive location information.
Brooklyn Free Store
Our Brooklyn Open Hearts chapter is organizing a spring free store, offering seasonal clothing, hygiene supplies and
snacks. Everything is free, and all are welcome!
Questions? Email shaili@openheartsinitiative.org
I want to volunteer at the Free Store:
We need LOTS of volunteers on the day of the Free Store, including for shifts before and after the event. Sign up here!
I want to donate items to the Free Store:
There are two ways to donate:
Drop off donations: We're looking for new or gently used spring & summer clothing, hygiene supplies, and food pantry items. These items can be dropped off any time at Roots Cafe in Park Slope, or at Grace-Hanson United Methodist Church from 11-1pm on 5/16.
Donate to the paypal for hygiene supplies and snacks here!
Sign up to donate here!
UWS Street Care Kit Distribution
Our Upper West Side Open Hearts chapter is distributing care kits to neighbors experiencing street homelessness. We need volunteers to help distribute kits on the UWS (location upon RSVP).
Weekly English Language Learning Workshop at a Shelter in Midtown
Our weekly English language learning classes at a shelter in Midtown, which take place on Mondays & Tuesdays 12pm-1pm, need an additional volunteer who speaks some Spanish or French. If you can help with this, email Shaili at shaili@openheartsinitiative.org.
Monthly Baby Supply Distribution for Families in Midtown Shelters
May Midtown Baby Supply
Speak Up for a New Men’s Shelter in Flatbush!
Background
A new shelter for single men is being planned for 1042 Flatbush Ave. On Wednesday, May 6th at 6:30 PM, Brooklyn Community Board 14 is meeting to hear about the project, and we expect folks opposed to it will attend. If you live, work, or go to school in Flatbush, Midwood, or Kensington, we could use your voice expressing support for welcoming homeless neighbors to this site!
Take Action
The #1 need is for folks to provide support in person at Kings Theatre on Wednesday, May 6th from 6:30 - 8:30. Use the button below to RSVP, and we’ll send you the details.
Can’t make it but still want to show support? You can submit your testimony online. Use the button below to RSVP, and we’ll send you the details.
Haven’t spoken at a Community Board meeting before? No worries—the board hears from members of the public all the time at hearings like these, and Open Hearts will be there with you every step of the way. We’ll provide suggested talking points, and an OHI organizer will be in attendance to provide testimony and support you through the process!
Use the link below to RSVP to speak up for this new shelter. Once you RSVP, we’ll be in touch to share suggested talking points for in person testimony and online comment, as well as other logistical details. Questions? Email Shaili at shaili@openheartsinitiative.org.
Weekly English Language Learning Workshop at a Shelter in Riverdale (Bronx)
We have a great group of volunteers leading weekly English language learning classes at a shelter in the Riverdale area of the Bronx, which take place on Mondays 4:00-5:00 PM & 7:00-8:00 PM as well as Thursdays 4:00-5:00 PM. If you’re interested in helping out with this, email Shaili at shaili@openheartsinitiative.org.
Arts in Brooklyn (5/4)
Join Brooklyn Open Hearts for an arts workshop on Monday, May 4th at 2pm.
We’ll be at a shelter in a South-Central Brooklyn neighborhood painting, drawing, and enjoying conversation.
Supplies and snacks provided! Just bring yourself.
Click the button to RSVP and receive location information.
Weekly English Language Learning Workshop at a Shelter in Midtown
Our weekly English language learning classes at a shelter in Midtown, which take place on Mondays & Tuesdays 12pm-1pm, need an additional volunteer who speaks some Spanish or French. If you can help with this, email Shaili at shaili@openheartsinitiative.org.
Monthly Community Language Exchange/Intercambio - May
Please complete the form to RSVP for this event. Location will be provided upon RSVP. The event is on the Upper East Side.
English speakers will practice Spanish, and Spanish speakers will practice English
No prior experience is needed
Toys and games will be provided for the children!
Dinner will be served
The event is free!
Hosted by Upper East Side Open Hearts
For questions or more information, contact shaili@openheartsinitiative.org or (414)-477-1030
Help us provide food at the language exchange here!
New Volunteer Orientation + HLFE Meetup
Are you new to OHI? Join us for our next new volunteer orientation, which will take place as part of our monthly Homelessness: Learning From Experience meetup.
At the orientation, you’ll:
Get to know other OHI volunteers and unhoused neighbors
Learn about how to plug into our work
Questions? Reach out to Will Woods at will@openheartsinitiative.org.
Policy and Advocacy Committee Meeting
Interested in getting involved in OHI’s city- and state-level policy advocacy efforts to end homelessness in NYC? Join OHI's member-led Policy and Advocacy Committee for our next meeting.
On the agenda:
Planning actions in support of our policy priorities
This meeting will be on Zoom. RSVP below to get the Zoom link!
Help with Art Workshops on the UES!
We are in need of a few more volunteers to help lead art workshops at a supportive housing site on the UES! Support neighbors as they learn and create. No art experience is required and we’ll provide the supplies!
Our next session is on Wednesday, 4/29 from 2-3:30 PM. Location upon RSVP!
RSVP below if you’re interested in helping out! Address will be provided upon RSVP.
Lower Manhattan Free Book Fair
Lower Manhattan Open Hearts is organizing a free book fair in Tribeca for neighbors experiencing homelessness!
We need volunteers to help organize donations, help folks “shop” for books, and help folks get from shelters to the event.
RSVP below (address upon RSVP), and we’ll be in touch!
April Discussion: Rental Assistance and Racial Justice
Join us for our monthly Housing Justice is Racial Justice meeting. This month’s topic: rental assistance and racial justice!
We’ll be talking about rental assistance voucher programs like CityFHEPS, the challenges those programs face, and what that all has to do with racial justice and housing justice.
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. (Want to choose a text and help facilitate a meeting in the future? Reach out to Will at will@openheartsinitiative.org.)
If you're interested in joining, click the button below to RSVP, and we’ll share the reading and Zoom details.
Volunteers Needed for Housing Search Tech Support
Join us on 4/27 from 3-4:30 PM at a library in Midtown East to help neighbors work through the housing search process! A brief training will be provided. Volunteers will work one on one with shelter residents as they navigate making accounts, uploading documents, applying for housing, and finding housing websites! RSVP using the button below (location upon RSVP).
Weekly English Language Learning Workshop at a Shelter in Midtown
Our weekly English language learning classes at a shelter in Midtown, which take place on Mondays & Tuesdays 12pm-1pm, need an additional volunteer who speaks some Spanish or French. If you can help with this, email Shaili at shaili@openheartsinitiative.org.