The Bowery Mission's 2024 Valentine Gala

Our 25th Annual Valentine Gala was held on Tuesday, February 13. Amidst the challenges of rising homelessness in New York City, we celebrated The Bowery Mission’s steadfast commitment to meeting urgent needs and providing transformative community for our neighbors in need. We also honored Dr. Jamie Baker Knauss, a beloved partner in our work for nearly 10 years, who has faithfully used her pediatric expertise and deep compassion to uplift the children and families we serve from New York City’s toughest neighborhoods.

Thanks to your generosity, more than $2.1 million was raised, which will directly support The Bowery Mission’s services. 375 attendees enjoyed an evening of dinner, dancing and connecting with friends new and old at The Plaza. We’re so grateful for everyone who joined us in ensuring The Bowery Mission remains a place where neighbors receive God’s love and can journey out of homelessness into new lives of joy and purpose.

"For decades, we have testified to how a person’s hopes and dreams can be pieced back together, not through quick fixes or empty promises, but through tangible acts of God’s love, and the unwavering support from a community built on the love of Jesus Christ."

— James Winans, CEO

During the event, guests heard from Andre, a graduate of The Bowery Mission’s Residential Program for Men. Once struggling with homelessness and a severe addiction to smoking, he found support to overcome destructive life patterns within our community of faith. He is now working, has his own apartment and is attending community college as part of pursuing his dreams to become a writer.

"It was a place of acceptance, to take you in when the world gave up on you... I had a chance that I didn’t know about and grace brought it to me."

— Andre, Program Graduate

HONORING

Jamie Baker Knauss MD

• Jamie Knauss recently concluded a nine-year term on The Bowery Mission's Board of Directors, including a three-year term as vice chair. She is passionate about using her pediatric experience to serve children and families from New York City’s toughest neighborhoods.
  
  She was first introduced to The Bowery Mission through her church, Central Presbyterian, where she serves as an elder. She quickly became a dedicated supporter of Mont Lawn Camp and City Camp, the Mission’s programs for children, and began lending her medical expertise through consultation and onsite care. Read More

  On The Bowery Mission Board, Jamie played an important role as a key stakeholder in the Mission’s programs for children and youth. “I love witnessing the program’s impact on children and families, seeing how so many children have become campers, then camp counselors, then joined our staff,” she says.

  Jamie also serves with NYC Safe Families for Children, Young Life, and Reading Buddies, a literacy program for elementary children at The Stanley Isaacs Houses. She received her M.D. from University of Michigan Medical School and is a Member of American Academy of Pediatrics.

  Jamie is married to Rob Knauss, who serves as a Managing Director at Warburg Pincus, and together they have four adult children.

Since the 1870s, The Bowery Mission has been a place of welcome, care, and healing for New Yorkers experiencing homelessness and hunger. Our Annual Valentine Gala raises funds for our emergency meal and shelter services as well as our residential programs, which provide individualized, holistic care for men and women taking the next step on their journey to independent living. The Bowery Mission also offers year-round enrichment opportunities for youth through our Mont Lawn City Camp program, which culminates in an unforgettable summer experience at Mont Lawn Camp in Pennsylvania’s Poconos region.