Our Impact in 2023
What Was Made Possible by God’s Grace, Through Your Generosity
Throughout another challenging year, The Bowery Mission kept its Red Doors open to stand with New Yorkers experiencing homelessness, hunger and other crises. See the impact of compassionate friends like you!
Last year, we provided...
Compassionate Care for New Yorkers in Crisis
Through hospitality and tangible expressions of God’s love, we met the immediate needs of each person who walked through our Red Doors.
320,000 meals
eased the ache of hunger among neighbors looking for their next meal.
66,000 nights of shelter
offered a comfortable, safe overnight stay to New Yorkers with nowhere else to go.
45,000 emergency showers
helped New Yorkers with limited access to hygiene care stay clean and comfortable.
32,000 articles of clothing
provided comfort, warmth and dignity to New Yorkers in need.
Taking the Next Step
After staying overnight in our emergency shelter in Tribeca, 89 men and women committed to our longer-term Residential Programs for continued care and support. Andre was one of them. After years of struggling with heavy smoking, lack of life direction and homelessness, he found a safe place to start over.
“When I went to the subway station after camping out, sleeping outside, an MTA operator approached me and said: 'There are people at The Bowery Mission who will help you.'” — Andre, Graduate of The Bowery Mission's Residential Programs
Healing Residential Communities
Hundreds of men and women made progress toward a life of flourishing, using housing, counseling and classes to heal from past trauma, achieve personal goals and overcome barriers to independent living.
214 adults
participated in our Residential Programs, using our housing, counseling, classes and other support to make progress toward their goals.
124 adults
made progress toward their career goals through vocational mentoring, job training, certification programs, workshops and more.
154 adults
grew in faith and the knowledge of God through spiritual formation classes, chapel services and Bible studies.
Celebrating New Life Together
Throughout the year, we celebrated men and women who successfully graduated from our Residential Programs. After overcoming addiction and finding faith in God, alumna Natalia now offers hope to others as a home health aide. Watch her powerful story of transformation here.
“My goal is to share the gospel with others, and tell them that they can come to The Bowery Mission and have a place to live and start their lives like I started mine.” — Natalia, Graduate of The Bowery Mission's Residential Programs
Support for Children & Families
Children continued to grow through year-round enrichment classes, mentoring and tutoring — culminating in an unforgetting experience at summer camp.
203 children and youth
built new life-long skills through community-based enrichment classes, tutoring and mentoring.
300 children and youth
enjoyed an enriching week away from the city at Mont Lawn Camp, where they built life-long friendships and learned about God’s love.
A ‘Radiant’ Summer at Camp
Hundreds of campers joined us in the Poconos Mountains in Pennsylvania for a week of refreshment and growth, enjoying activities like swimming, boating, archery, music, worship and more! This year’s camp theme was Radiant, based on Psalm 34:5: “Those who look to Him are radiant.” Our Mont Lawn campgrounds buzzed with excitement as kids and teens came together to discover the transformative power of living in God’s light.
"What I love most is the staff. They treat you like a brother. It makes me want to be a better person and better leader for younger kids." — Santiago
Other Highlights from the Year
Filling Bellies & Touching Hearts
Thanks to our dedicated supporters, volunteers and staff, our 144th Thanksgiving Day Celebration was a resounding success, with Executive Chef Rafaelle DePalma overseeing the preparation of 350 turkeys, 3,500 pounds of potatoes, and more. In total, an astounding 1,900 meals were served to neighbors in need across our campuses on Thanksgiving Day! See a video of our preparations above and a full recap of the special day here.
Substantial Growth in
Volunteer Support
Total volunteers at The Bowery Mission increased an impressive 48% over 2022, with nearly 10,000 individuals contributing 39,000 hours of service. That translates to 4.5 years of collective impact! We are so grateful to each and every person who gave their hands and heart to serving our neighbors in need in 2023.
Making a Difference in Kids’ Lives
At Mont Lawn City Camp (MLCC), we launched a “Homework Help” program to provide kids struggling academically with a dedicated space for schoolwork. The program was extremely well-received and is now offered multiple days a week. Thanks to positive word-of-mouth interest in Homework Help, overall MLCC enrollment increased 15% by the end of 2023.
