This organization acts as a bridge between those who seek to help and those who need support the most—schools, hospitals, shelters, and local communities. Its core mission is to make volunteering simple, accessible, and truly effective. Every year, thousands of volunteers join hundreds of projects, dedicating millions of hours to serving the city and those in need. Read on newyork1.one for more about the mission and activities of this organization.
The Birth of the New York Cares Movement
In the late 1980s, New York was a city of contrasts—a metropolis where neighborhoods in need stood right next to luxury skyscrapers. It was then, in 1987, that a group of concerned residents decided it was time to unite their efforts. They saw how many people wanted to help but felt lost in the fragmented world of charitable initiatives. Their idea was simple: to create a single place where anyone could find a way to change the city for the better. Thus, New York Cares was born.
Initially, it was a small team of enthusiasts, but with every year, their circle grew. As of 2025, New York Cares is New York’s largest volunteer network, uniting over 30,000 active volunteers and collaborating with more than 1,300 non-profit organizations and schools. Every month, they organize about 1,600 projects—from educational programs and park cleanups to distributing food to those in need.
Since its founding, New York Cares volunteers have dedicated over 8 million hours of service and distributed more than 70 million meals to New Yorkers in need.
“We bring people together to meet the most pressing community needs.”
New York Cares is part of the global Hands On Network and the Points of Light Foundation, and a symbol of urban solidarity.
The Warmth of Care: Programs That Change New York
Over decades, the organization has built a range of programs that cover all aspects of city life—from education to the environment.
In classrooms, libraries, and school halls, New York Cares volunteers help children from low-income families with homework, prepare them for the SAT, and instill belief in their own abilities. Tutors and mentors become not just instructors but friends who show that knowledge is the key to a better life.
Every day, volunteers package food kits, distribute hot meals, clothes, and essential supplies. New York Cares’ environmental initiatives make the metropolis more vibrant. Volunteers clean up parks, plant trees, and compost waste, transforming concrete blocks into oases of calm. The organization doesn’t forget those who especially need attention: elderly New Yorkers, veterans, and immigrants. Volunteers visit them, host joint activities, help with daily tasks, but most importantly—they give them the feeling that they are not alone.
Here are a few of New York Cares’ major projects:
New York Cares Coat Drive
The idea was born in 1989 when New York Cares volunteers decided that no one should face the cold without warm clothing. That’s when the first centralized city coat collection initiative emerged. Its symbol became the famous “shivering Statue of Liberty”—the campaign’s emblem, reminding people that freedom and dignity begin with basic needs: warmth, care, and humanity.
Since then, the campaign has become a true New York winter tradition. Over decades, more than 2.5 million coats have been collected, thanks to the efforts of volunteers and partner organizations.
Anyone can become part of this movement. In a school, office, or cafe—all you need is a box, a poster, and the desire to help. An interactive map on the website can help you find the nearest donation point where you can drop off coats. There is also an option for monetary donations toward the initiative. Volunteers sort, pack, and distribute clothing to schools, shelters, and social centers. Local sports clubs and leagues regularly join the campaign, reminding everyone that a real team is a city that helps one another.
Coat Drive is about more than just clothing. It’s about community overcoming indifference. It’s about the connection between those who are able to help and those who simply need to know they haven’t been forgotten.
Winter Wishes
In December, New York transforms. The city of lights, glass, and skyscrapers takes on a soft glow as thousands of people unite to do one thing—make children’s dreams come true. This is what the Winter Wishes program from New York Cares does every year—a project that has been turning ordinary letters into real miracles for over three decades.
The idea is simple but moving. Children and teens from low-income families, shelters, or city schools write letters—not to Santa, but to volunteers. Each letter holds a dream: a warm sweater, a set of paints, a book, a ball, or just candy. These letters go to people the program calls Wish Granters.
How it works:
- Registration. A volunteer or company signs up on the New York Cares website.
- Receiving a Letter. The Wish Granter receives a specific request—with the name, age, and a brief story.
- Preparing the Gift. The gift is purchased and beautifully wrapped, infused with a little heart.
- Delivery. By the deadline, everything is sent to a partner school or non-profit organization that distributes the gifts.
- Thank You. After the holiday, volunteers receive warm letters from the organizers and photos of the happy children.
Every year, the program reaches tens of thousands of New Yorkers. In 2022 alone, 14,875 wishes were fulfilled. In a big city where people rarely know their neighbors’ names, Winter Wishes is a reminder: the most valuable gift is attention and kindness. And that’s where the real holiday begins.
Stand With Students
Education is not just knowledge; it’s a chance to change one’s life. This is the focus of the Stand With Students program, a year-round initiative by New York Cares that helps students in New York public schools overcome academic and social barriers.
The program is focused on supporting children and teenagers who face a lack of resources or inequality in accessing quality education.
What the program includes:
- Academic Support.
Volunteers help students with homework, prepare them for the SAT, and assist with college applications.
- Resources for Schools.
Annually, students receive backpacks, school supplies, hygiene products, and even kits for teachers—everything that makes the start of the school year easier.
- Emotional-Social Programs.
Attention is paid not only to educational gaps but also to the psychological well-being of children and families, which helps create a sense of support and safety.
In New York, one in eight students lives in poverty. Stand With Students strives to ensure equal opportunities for all children, so that none of them fall behind solely due to economic circumstances.
Since the initiative began, the organization has distributed over 50,000 backpacks filled with school supplies. But more important is the sense of belief the program instills in children: belief in themselves, in the future, and in the fact that there are people nearby who are ready to help.
Small Actions, Big Changes
To grasp the scale of New York Cares’ activities, one only needs to look at the last major report for 2023. That year, the organization distributed over 73,000 coats, provided 6.8 million servings of food, handed out 17,000 school backpacks, and fulfilled over 20,000 children’s wishes.
All of this was thanks to 27,000 volunteers who collectively worked over 188,000 hours and collaborated with 439 partners across the city.
Financially, 2023 was stable: $12.49 million in revenue and $10.94 million in expenditures. The money came from corporate grants, foundations, donations, and special charitable events. But the main currency of New York Cares is not dollars, but the time and hearts of its volunteers.
In a world where attention is often lacking, this organization proves daily that even in a city of millions, people can remain closer to one another.
Further proof of this is the annual Volunteer Weeks, in which representatives of New York Cares actively participate.
In 2025, it was held from April 20 to 26. Over 1,600 New Yorkers put aside their usual routines to join more than 200 volunteer projects organized by New York Cares.
One of the most touching moments was the event at the Hour Children Food Pantry in Queens. On Monday, April 21st, volunteers filled the space with the sound of voices and the smell of fresh bread—they were assembling food packages for families struggling with food insecurity. The tables were piled with fruit, canned goods, vegetables, bread, and rice—all sourced from local partners and farmers.
“This is more than just handing out food,” said a New York Cares representative. “It’s about meeting people where they are and offering support in the hardest moments. This isn’t charity; it’s solidarity.”
Among those who came for help were many recently arrived migrant families. For them, these packages symbolized the feeling that they were not alone in this city.
Dozens of events took place across different neighborhoods. On Earth Day, volunteers cleaned and decorated parks and community gardens; on Bronx streets, they tutored children in English and math; and in senior centers, they read books to combat loneliness.
It was a week when everyone could contribute—even a few hours became a step toward change.
“This week reminds us: help doesn’t have to be massive to be meaningful. When hundreds of hands work together, the city breathes kindness,” a New York Cares representative noted.
While National Volunteer Week lasts only seven days, New York Cares engages in this work daily. Their programs are not short-term campaigns but continuous support for those who need it most.