The Covid-19 pandemic devastated families across the country, including New York City. Families struggle with unstable housing, limited child care and food insecurity. In the city alone, nearly 400,000 children are living in poverty. Hundreds of small businesses, which before the pandemic employed about half of the city’s workforce, didn’t survive. Almost 3 out of 4 workers in the food, hotel and entertainment sectors lost their jobs and many have not been rehired. In fact, New York’s governor’s recent budget shows these types of jobs won’t recover until 2026.

 

In light of this, here is a short list of New York charities offering assistance to families and children.

 

  1. A Charity Offering Help For the Early Years – www.nycmammasgiveback.org

 

The non-for-profit nycmammasgiveback.org  is a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization that provides pregnancy, postpartum, infant, and early childhood essentials and support to agencies and shelters in the NYC area serving pregnant women, families, and children (ages 0–5) experiencing homelessness and poverty. This group is made up entirely of moms who volunteer their time to this cause, regularly collecting, sorting, and delivering a variety of new and gently used baby items and work with over 31 partners to help families in need. Donations can be mailed or dropped off at their warehouse.

 

  1. Helping Survivors of Domestic Violence and Abuse – SafeHorizons.orgSafeHorizons.org

 

During the pandemic, domestic violence increased dramatically with the tools governments used to stop the spread of Covid-19 such as stay-at-home orders, economic shutdowns, and school closures. These measures created opportunities for abuse. As the lockdowns took effect, domestic violence hotlines reported huge spikes in calls.

According to the World Health Organization,1 in 3 women worldwide suffer physical or sexual violence.

 

SafeHorizons.org is an organization that helps victims of domestic violence and abuse.

Their hotline is 1-800-621-HOPE. They have domestic violence shelters, community programs which include safety planning, case management, supportive counseling and more.

 

  1. Non-for-Profit That Supports Single Moms’ Career Search – bottomlesscloset.org

 

Single motherhood has grown so common in America that today 80 percent of single-parent families are headed by single mothers — nearly a third live in poverty.  In 2019, almost one third (28.7%) of single mother families were food insecure, about one-ninth (11.7%) used food pantries, and one third spent more than half their income on housing. During the pandemic, even more single mothers had to use food pantries and social services because of loss of employment.

 

How can you help?

 

Donate to domestic violence shelters and food pantries. In New York City, consider donating work clothes to bottomlesscloset.org. This organization helps women with resumes, career attire, interview preparation and gives workshops on “Financial Management, Professional Development, and Personal enrichment — all aimed at making the transition into the workforce and the path to self-sufficiency that much smoother.”