We are delighted to partner with Habitat for Humanity in New York City (www.habitatnyc.org) as they endeavor to provide affordable housing for those who lack adequate shelter. This is not a problem limited to third world countries but prevalent in our very city:

+ In New York City more than 1.5 million people live below the poverty line
+ More than 25% of New York City children live in poverty. 39% of children in the Bronx and 30% of children in Brooklyn live below the poverty line
+ A person making minimum wage in NYC would have to work 141 hours per week to afford a 2-bedroom apartment. (Affordable housing = 30% or less of a household's monthly income)
+ According to the Department for the Homeless, as of July 30, 2010 there were 8,052 homeless families with children, 1,301 adult homeless families, and 7,688 single homeless individuals. In that time there were almost 35,000 homeless individuals living in NYC

How you can help:
1. Participate in a “build” - get involved on the ground by spending a day building a home with and for someone in need
2. Financial giving
3. Advocacy - This fall, Habitat ran a School for Faith, Action and Impact, specifically for faith-based communities, exploring how we can “put our faith into further action by raising our voices for our neighbors and communities in need”  We will update you as opportunities for advocacy related actions arise.

On Saturday, January 15th, a few All Souls members participated in Habitat NYC's Building on the Dream Martin Luther King Jr event. Here is NY 1's coverage of the event, including a short interview with our own Fabio Madanat. See video.

On March 19th, 2011 members of All Souls Church supported Habitat NYC's "Brush With Kindness" Event on the Upper West Side in Manhattan. We had a productive and fun day putting a fresh coat of paint on the DeHostos Community Center at 94th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, making the recreational space brighter and more child "friendly" for after-school activities.

For more opportunities to serve the city, please see our social justice page.