United Way of New York City

This month, volunteers from CIBC and Gibson Dunn stepped up to support NYC students through our Build-a-Backpack drive—filling brand-new book bags with classroom essentials. 🎒 ✏️ Each backpack is packed with a folder, notebook, crayons, pencils, and other supplies students need to start the year strong. The bags will be delivered just in time for the first bell of the school year. 🔔 Thank you to our Board members Ann V. of Gibson Dunn and Scott Wilson of CIBC, along with all the volunteers who gave their time to help students head back to school ready to learn.

Food pantries and families across NYC are facing impossible choices. With federal funding cut and SNAP benefits reduced, demand for emergency food is at record highs.    United Way of New York City supports local providers like Housing Solutions of New York (HSNY), helping them serve their communities with dignity and compassion. But without federal support, these vital services are at risk.    Hear from HSNY staff and clients about what’s at stake.    New Yorkers are saying: Don’t Take Our Plate.    Learn how federal cuts are threatening our food system—and how you can help: unitedway.nyc/4mRuvGk 

Do you know what to do when a natural disaster strikes? ⛈️ Our campaign with Verizon, United We Prepare, is giving New Yorkers the supplies and knowledge to stay safe during emergency weather. Here are our three top tips for disaster preparedness. ☑️ Text NOTIFYNYC to 692-692 to receive NYC-wide emergency updates straight to your phone.📲 Read our full disaster preparedness guide: https://lnkd.in/eWed2WSh

We’ve teamed up with Verizon for “United We Prepare”, a campaign giving New Yorkers the knowledge and resources to be ready when natural disasters strike.      We were thrilled to join the Back to School Blast fair in the Bronx to hand out disaster preparedness kits to community members.      Each kit contained a:     😷 Respirator mask     🧰 First aid kit     🔦 LED flashlight     📱 Portable phone charger      🌧️ Poncho     Thanks to every Bronx neighbor who made our first distribution a huge success. Next, we’ll be packing more kits, reaching more neighborhoods, and helping more families across the city feel prepared for emergency weather. Learn more about our initiative with Verizon: https://lnkd.in/eWed2WSh

What supplies do New Yorkers need to be ready when a natural disaster strikes? ⛈️ We've launched United We Prepare, a campaign with Verizon that gives New Yorkers the resources they need to face emergency weather. See which essentials our Junior Board of Directors packed into our disaster preparedness kits. Read more tips for disaster preparedness: unitedway.nyc/47s6WiJ

We were thrilled to join Gibson Dunn at their office last week to fill 150 backpacks for our Build-a-Backpack Drive. 🎒 Volunteers filled each bag with classroom essentials like notebooks, folders, pencils, and markers. The backpacks will be delivered to NYC students in time for the first day of classes—ensuring they're prepared to start the school year off strong. Thank you to the Gibson Dunn team, including our Board member Ann V., for helping us support our city's students during back-to-school season.

A hunger crisis is unfolding across New York City. In July, the federal government enacted devastating cuts to SNAP and Medicaid, with severe and life-threatening consequences for our communities. At the same time, federal funding for emergency food providers through the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) has remained suspended since March, straining the network of local soup kitchens and food pantries that so many New Yorkers rely on. For over 40 years, United Way of New York City has fought for dignified access to food in every borough. We help connect 500+ community partners with the funding sources, local produce, and technical assistance they need to nourish their neighborhoods. But now, the safety net is unraveling. These providers will be forced to do even more with even less. And New Yorkers are saying: Don’t Take Our Plate. Help us sustain emergency food providers, fight for stronger funding, and ensure that no plate is left empty. Give now: https://lnkd.in/eKn3Z8Yx

Harlem Week is a time to honor our community’s resilience and strength.    This past week, UWNYC was proud to join our neighbors in honoring the best of Harlem and share how we’re making quality healthcare accessible for every New Yorker.    Yesterday, our Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer Eichakeem McClary opened a health innovations panel at Thursday's Black Health Matters Summit focused on breaking barriers to healthcare using technology.    Eichakeem highlighted the critical work of UWNYC’s programs, including Connect2Care, a digital platform that connects everyday New Yorkers to free and low-cost services like childcare, food assistance, and health insurance.    She also spotlighted Choose Healthy Life, UWNYC’s partnership with 30 Black churches across New York State to bring preventative health services to trusted community spaces.    Through our Blueprint for Wellness program, we offer free health screenings—comprehensive exams that include blood pressure checks, vision tests, and hearing exams. At Black Health Matters, we proudly completed 142 health screenings for attendees who joined us throughout the day, and have delivered more than 5000 in communities across NYC in the past year.   We’re proud to stand with Harlem—this week and every week—as we work to build healthier, more connected neighborhoods.   Read more about our Health Equity initiatives: https://lnkd.in/e7JmF9vq Black Health Matters #HarlemWeek #BlackHealthMatters #BHMinHarlem #BlackHealth

In New York City, even six-figure salaries can fall short of what’s needed to cover housing, childcare, and other essentials, according to a recent New York Times piece. The article cites our True Cost of Living Report, which finds that families in the city need at least $100,000 a year to meet these basic needs — and as much as $150,000 in some Manhattan neighborhoods. Read the full article: unitedway.nyc/3HeHvXr The New York Times

We're teaming up with Verizon on “United We Prepare“, an initiative helping NYC communities be ready for extreme weather—whenever it strikes.       With the help of our corporate partners and supporters, we’re packing Disaster Preparedness Kits filled with essentials like masks, ponchos, and first aid supplies. These kits will be distributed to neighborhoods across the city.      We’ll also be sharing tips on how to stay safe during natural disasters.      Learn more about our disaster preparedness work with Verizon: https://lnkd.in/eWed2WSh