We are very excited to announce the 2013 ARTWALK NY Artist Honoree will be Roxy Paine and the Philanthropic Honorees will be Kim and Michael McCarty! Click the link for more information!
Renowned artist and dedicated Coalition supporter Stefan Sagmeister and his partner Jessica Walsh have released a collection of cards for the Luxe Project by moo.com to benefit the Coalition for the Homeless.
Their collection, the “Halftone Satisfaction” offers business-sized cards noting both positive and negative sentiments designed “To be handed to anyone you meet who delights or annoys you.” 
Stefan chose the Coalition to be the beneficiary of this project because of his deep connection with the Grand Central Food Program and its mission of serving homeless and hungry New Yorkers on the streets of the city every night of the year. According to Stefan, “These funds will support this program. As a long-time volunteer I am proud to be able to see the results of the Coalition’s actions, and as someone closely associated with the organization, I know that the donations from this collection will be put to good use.”
We are truly grateful to Stefan for his support in this project and his many years of volunteer work. Says CFH Executive Director Dave Giffen, “He’s one of those unique people who brings not only his compassion and willingness to get directly involved, but also a fantastically creative approach to life and how to make it better for all New Yorkers. We were so happy just to have him bring his amazing spirit to the GCFP, and so are tremendously grateful for his selecting the Coalition to receive the proceeds from the MOO project. We’re very lucky to have people like Stefan in this city.”
Last week the Coalition released “State of the Homeless 2013,” which documents how, for the first time ever, more than 50,000 homeless New Yorkers are sleeping each night in municipal shelters – a shocking 61 percent increase since Mayor Bloomberg took office.
Sign our petition here, telling the Mayor it’s time to act!
The report also shows that more than 21,000 homeless children are sleeping each night in NYC shelters – up 22 percent in the past year – and that family homelessness has increased by a shocking 73 percent since Mayor Bloomberg took office.
The report, entitled “50,000: The Bloomberg Legacy of Record Homelessness,” tracks the rise in NYC homelessness over the past year and since the Mayor took office. It analyzes the failures of Bloomberg’s homeless policies that have resulted in record homelessness, in particular the Mayor’s elimination of permanent housing assistance for homeless kids and families. And it outlines an action plan for the next NYC mayor to reduce homelessness.
Sandy Evacuees Rally for Better Conditions and a Long-Term Affordable Housing Plan
“My heart has a wide hole in it,” said Isaiah Douglas, a 9-year-old boy who is now living in a hotel with his family after being displaced by Hurricane Sandy. He, along with many other displaced families, rallied on the steps of City Hall yesterday to bring attention to dangerous conditions for some evacuees placed by the City and to demand a long-term affordable housing plan. Even now, three months after the storm, thousands of evacuees remain displaced and in need of affordable housing assistance.
Coalition for the Homeless joined these families and other groups, such as the Legal Aid Society and New York Communities for Change to demand immediate action from the City:
“There are a few things that the city could immediately do. The first and foremost is to move families from unsafe and unsanitary working conditions that we have seen at some of these evacuee hotels. The second is to provide immediate need services like food and transportation. And the last and most important is to work on a long term housing solution.”
City Council members tried to get answers from City officials at a public hearing later yesterday afternoon, but unfortunately didn’t get very far. Department of Homeless Services commissioner Seth Diamond continued to assert that food needs for all evacuee families have been met, even as testimony from the families themselves contradicted this claim. Additionally, there was little mention of the long-term housing plan for these families, many of whom are struggling to survive on extremely low incomes.
As the City is now working on a plan to distribute billions of dollars in federal aid, it is critical that extremely low-income individuals and families are not left out of the mix.
A few limited edition Shepard Fairey The Future is Unwritten prints are still available on Artspace. A truly remarkable piece - and it benefits the Coalition for the Homeless! Get them while they last!
Excellent piece by New York Daily News profiling one of the Coalition for the Homeless’ long-time Grand Central Food Program volunteers, Mary Miller.
The Coalition’s toy drive is in full swing. We’ve made it easier than ever to give a gift to a homeless child this holiday season. As you are doing your online shopping either today or over the coming month, send a toy or Amazon gift card directly to the Coalition. Or, you can make a donation here and we will buy toys or other essentials for homeless kids in NYC. With your help, we can ensure that thousands of children have a gift to open this holiday season.
If you prefer not to shop online, or just want to learn more about our Toy Drive, go to www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/toydrive or download our wishlist here.
Toys can be sent to:
Coalition for the Homeless
Attn: Toy Drive
129 Fulton Street
New York, NY 10038
(212) 776-2000
info@cfthomeless.org
No need to pay for wrapping – we have a team of volunteers for that. Please make sure to include a holiday note – the kids love it!
Thank you!
