Don't Walk By 2024: 240+ Volunteers, 256 Guests Engaged, 650 Meals Served

Every year, Don't Walk By registration opens in the month of January before our February outreach. Sign up at hfny.org/dwb.

Our annual homelessness outreach was a success this year in reaching many unhoused neighbors! For one Saturday, over 240 volunteers gathered at The Salvation Army on West 14th to serve in various roles, including street outreach and on-site hospitality. 

Now in our 17th year, Don't Walk By focused on the downtown neighborhood, with volunteers canvassing the streets between 24th  and Houston (from river to river), plus a few transit hubs.

What Was New This Year

Before Don't Walk By weekend, three days were set aside for small groups of volunteers to walk the streets and distribute flyers that invited neighbors to access hot meals and resources on that Saturday. 

Wristbands printed with the date and location were also distributed as extra reminders.

The pre-Don't Walk By outreach engaged many unhoused neighbors who began lining up outside The Salvation Army early Saturday morning. 

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This year, for street team leaders, The Salvation Army also recruited leaders from their other locations. Many seasoned leaders and staff came for the outreach!

A Greater Need for Help

This year, we saw how more neighbors in need do not have consistent access to food and shelter.

Our street teams engaged with 256 unhoused neighbors. At The Salvation Army, 372 individuals received various services (101 medical care, which included podiatry), 650 hot meals were provided, and 316 backpacks (aka. CITYPAKS) filled with winter and hygiene items were disitributed. In additional 5 guests requested overnight shelter at The Bowery mission and 3 guests entered The Salvation Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Center program.

Many of the neighbors in need were also newly arrived immigrants from South America and Africa. This year, our translation services included Spanish, French, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, and even Dutch.

Here's a look at this year's outreach:

Looking Ahead

As always, Rescue Alliance has a heart to continue serving more unhoused and hungry neighbors in New York City!

Photos by Austin Wideman (www.austinwideman.com)