About Network Talks
Network Talks is a series of conversations with the wider Hope for New York community about topics that New Yorkers care about, and how our wider network can take steps to help.
We hope that this will be an opportunity for our network to consider and commit to praying, serving, and giving to neighbors in need.
Spring 2024: Understanding Food Insecurity in Our City
We provided our network with a better understanding of the effects of food insecurity and how it has impacted the work of our affiliates.
Spring Resources
- Our Program - Watch the different parts of our program
- Video: Welcome to Network Talks - Elise Chong, CEO, Hope for New York
- Video: Overview of Food Insecurity - Joel Berg, CEO, Hunger Free America
- Video: Biblical Call to Care - Karl Chan, The Bowery Mission
- Video: Conversation About Food Insecurity - featuring The Bowery Mission, The Father's Heart, 9 Million Reasons, Next Step Community Church, and City Relief.
- Video: How to Pray, Serve, and Give - Mary Beth, Senior Manager of Volunteer Mobilization, Hope for New York
- What's Next? - Find ways to pray, serve, and give
- Our pocked-sized Resource Card - Print and give out this list places to get food
Our Spring Program
6:30 PM | Doors open
7:00 PM | Welcome - Elise Chong, CEO, Hope for New York
7:10 PM | Video: The Father's Heart Feeding New Yorkers
7:15 PM | Understanding Food Insecurity in Our City - Joel Berg, CEO, Hunger Free America
7:25 PM | Biblical Call to Care - Karl Chan, Director of Partnerships, The Bowery Mission
7:40 PM | Short Break
7:45 PM | Panel Conversation: Feeding Hungry New Yorkers
Moderator: Karl Chan, with speakers
9 Million Reasons, Carolyn Marko, Executive Director
The Father's Heart, Marian Hutchins, Executive Director
Next Step Community Church, Zac Martin, Pastor of Justice and Mercy
8:15 PM | Audience Q&A
8:25 PM | Closing Remarks: Pray, Serve, Give - Mary Beth Nagengast, Senior Manager, Volunteer Mobilization, Hope for New York
8:30 PM | Meet HFNY affiliate partners around the room. Soup and bread served.
Our Speakers
Joel Berg, CEO, Hunger Free America
Joel Berg is a nationally recognized leader and media spokesman in the fields of domestic hunger, food security, obesity, poverty, food-related economic development, national service, and volunteerism. He is also the author of All You Can Eat: How Hungry Is America? and America We Need to Talk: a Self Help Book for the Nation. Since joining Hunger Free America (formerly known as New York City Coalition Against Hunger) in 2001, Joel has grown the nonprofit into a multi-million-dollar, respected national champion for Americans struggling to obtain nutritious food. Prior to joining Hunger Free America, Joel served for eight years in the Clinton Administration in senior executive service positions at USDA. Other distinguished accolades include being the past winner of the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture’s Honor Award for Superior Service (one of the department’s highest honors) and Congressional Hunger Center’s Mickey Leland National Hunger Fighter Award. His personal philosophy in advocating for change is, “Ending hunger lifts us all.” Read the full bio and more about Hunger Free America.
Karl Chan, Director of Partnerships, The Bowery Mission
Karl Chan joined The Bowery Mission in 2019 as the Associate Director of Partnerships and became Director of Partnerships in 2021. Prior to The Bowery Mission, Karl worked at Compassion Australia in three different roles, including Strategy and Innovation Manager. The Bowery Mission’s recognizable red doors have been a stalwart in New York City for over 150 years, once serving an area known as "skid row." Today, The Bowery Mission continues to serve the wider city community with a variety of programs, including daily meals three times a day. Read more about The Bowery Mission.
Marian Hutchins, Executive Director, The Father’s Heart Ministries
Marian Hutchins has served as Executive Director of The Father’s Heart Ministries for over four years. Prior to her current role, she served as their Director, Community Resources and Development. The Father’s Heart Ministries started as a church before developing a non-profit outreach in 1997. For over 25 years, The Father’s Heart Ministries has been providing the East Village community with a variety of services and resources, including a Hunger Prevention Program on specific Saturdays that provides food, groceries, and a hot breakfast. Read more about The Father’s Heart Ministries.
Carolyn Marko, Executive Director, 9 Million Reasons
Carolyn Marko is the co-founder of 9 Million Reasons, the outreach arm of Evangel Church, and its current Executive Director. Founded in 2016, 9 Million Reasons aims to give back to the 9 million people living in New York City. The organization has been serving the wider Long Island City community through a variety of services, including ESL and immigration support, with a stronger focus on their food distribution program since 2020. Currently, 9 Million Reasons is our city’s largest, donation-based community food pantry. Read more about 9 Million Reasons.
Zac Martin
Pastor of Justice and Mercy, Next Step Community Church
Director of Outreach, City Relief
Zac Martin currently serves dual roles: Pastor of Justice and Mercy at Next Step Community Church (formerly Recovery House of Worship) and Director of Outreach at City Relief. For over four years, Zac has overseen the social outreach programs for Next Step, which serves the wider downtown Brooklyn community with breakfast served three times a week and the food pantry open on Saturdays. Read more about Next Step Community Church. He recently started a new role, Director of Outreach, at City Relief, a mobile outreach that provides hot soup and bread, hygiene kits, social services, and more to unhoused neighbors at various locations around the city. Read more about City Relief.
Fall 2023: Homelessness and the Migrant Crisis in NYC
We provided our network with a better understanding of the complexity of the migrant crisis and the connection to homelessness.
Fall Resources
- Main Program - Watch our main program, featuring a conversation with City Relief
- Breakout Sessions - Watch or listen to audio clips of our sessions
- Video: Building community with unhoused neighbors (panel)
- Audio: How The Bowery Mission helps homeless neighbors
- Audio: How The Salvation Army helps homeless neighbors
- Audio: Health concerns and the Migrant Crisis (panel)
Our Fall Speakers
Host: Rev. David Lee, Assistant Pastor, Redeemer Downtown
Keynote Speaker: Josiah Haken | Chief Executive Officer, City Relief
Fall Breakout Sessions
Each attendee chooses (2) to attend
How The Bowery Mission helps homeless neighbors
Speaker: Karl Chan, Director of Partnerships, The Bowery Mission
How The Salvation Army helps homeless neighbors
Speaker: Zack Hodgson, Emergency Services Director, The Salvation Army
Health concerns and the Migrant Crisis (panel)
Speakers: Dr. David Kim, James Leonard, Beacon Christian Community Health Center
Building community with unhoused neighbors (panel)
Moderator: Freeman Field, Senior Director, Programs, Hope for New York
Speakers: Kareem Goubran, Graffiti | Jasmine Francis, Safe Families for Children