Over the last 20 years, we have seen the number of homeless in New York constantly changing. Although valiant efforts are made to reduce this number and afford people housing, catastrophic events such as the Pandemic, Hurricanes Irene and Sandy and the fluctuating job market affect this number tremendously. As of November 2022, over 20,500 children sleep in shelters nightly. The number had fallen to 16,000 during the pandemic, when people were forced to be under a roof during the lockdowns, but sadly has rapidly increased since then.

Because of the hype in the media, ads on television, and the festive atmosphere everywhere, the holidays can be a painful reminder to children without homes of just how dramatically different their lives are from other kids. Our organization’s goal is to ensure the holidays are a happy time for these children by treating them to a festive experience, a party unlike any they’ve ever experienced before.

The Department of Homeless Services (DHS) of New York City is our partner in planning the New York City Children’s Holiday Party. DHS delivers temporary shelter and social services to families in more than 150 shelter facilities throughout the city.