YSOP

YSOP wants to thank all of our participants, staff, supporters and friends that have contributed to the success of our service learning programs and supported us financially since 1983. Unfortunately, due to the unprecedented economic downturn brought on by the coronavirus, we are forced to close our doors for now. We want to honor all of the student groups, youth groups and other friends who served with us over the years. Collectively, we welcomed 83,866 participants and served 6,616,517 meals, packed bags, gardens composted, children tutored, etc. We hope that one day in the future,YSOP might get a restart. Please remember our neighbors most in need and offer a kind word, a smile and a warm thought in the spirit of YSOP.

We want to share that the YSOP Washington, DC program is coming to a close for the foreseeable future. After a period of careful thought and reflection, we have had to make the decision to pause our programs in DC due to financial pressures we have endured over the past few years. This decision does not come lightly. It has been made after weighing all of our options and realizing we are unable to run our high-quality programs at optimal level. We want to celebrate the serv...ice we have done in DC for the past 18 years. We have had the great privilege to host and serve with thousands of youth who have come through our doors. In turn, those youth have had the opportunity to serve and get to know the stories of some of the most vulnerable residents in the DC area. We want to thank our many part time staff and the DC Leadership Council Members for all of their passion, support and service over the years. YSOP DC would not have been able to do such meaningful work without you all. Thank you to all of our participants for sharing your service experiences with YSOP. Thank you to all of our worksite partners who provided meaningful service experiences for YSOP participants. Lastly, thank you to the Church of the Epiphany for housing our program for the past 15 years and sharing in and supporting our mission. We are still fully operating and have many programs scheduled at the YSOP NYC program. We welcome the opportunity to work with any group interested in participating on a YSOP NYC program! It has been an honor to serve with all of you in our Nation’s Capital.

We have a shiny new coffee pot at YSOP! A generous New Yorker named Lex responded to our request for a used coffee maker with a new one! We are so appreciative and look forward to sharing many delicious cups of joe with our homeless dinner party guests.

We had some extra special office help today at YSOP. Maverick and Clipper provided some alternate perspectives on service, while the heat in their house is out.

"By day, New York’s 114,085 homeless students live in plain sight: They study on the subway and sprint through playgrounds. At night, these children sometimes sleep in squalid, unsafe rooms. School is the only stable place they know." The reality for thousands of children living and going to school while homeless. What life looks like for some students living in New York City. nyti.ms/2ERp33h

The holidays came early for YSOP this year! Thank you so much to Linda Houser and George and Anne Willis for the lovely donations from our Amazon wish list! If you would like to see how you can help out YSOP this holiday season, visit our wish list at http://a.co/8LgpuE8 or for cash donations visit our website at ysop.org

One of the most painful things about going into shelter for your safety can be leaving behind the non-human animals in your family. This shelter is one of a handful that welcomes pets, along with their people.

YSOP's search for a 2020 Fellow and the DC Community Program Manager has begun! The Fellows Program will begin in January of 2020. YSOP offers Fellows an annual stipend for an 8 month Fellowship in Washington, DC (January-August) and a 12 month Fellowship in New York City (January-December). Our DC Community Program Manager is a full-time position. Our deadline for applications is December 9th. More details about our open positions and how to apply can be found on our website at http://www.ysop.org/fellowshipsjobs

Did you know that every registered voter has the right to vote early in this election? Please share this information, which we hope makes it easier for everyone, especially people who are living in shelters with curfews, to vote.

#throwbackthursday to last week when we had volunteers from Marymount School of New York come to YSOP NY for two overnight programs. Over the three days that they were here, our participants were able to help over 1,500 people through their worksites and the wonderful dinners that they prepared. We were also excited to welcome Carlina Rivera, Councilwoman for the 2nd district of the NYC Council, who came to speak with our volunteers!

School has started up once again, and YSOP is very excited for the upcoming Fall season. In the coming months, we are scheduled to host over 350 school and church group participants in meaningful service, and we could use your help. If you are able, we could use donations of wowbutter, jelly, snacks, folders, and much more! Help us provide the best quality service learning programs for our participants by donating items of your choice from our Amazon wishlist! http://a.co/1vp5ind

"In a city where fine diners pay $100 for a meatball, more than 1 million people still can’t afford to eat three square meals a day." https://www.amny.com/news/hunger-nyc-food-poverty-1.23595077

Did you know that transgender, non-binary and intersex people are represented in the homeless population in greater numbers than the general population? New York City's Department of Homeless Services is working to help all New Yorkers needing homeless services, including people identifying as transgender, non-binary and intersex.

Apply to be YSOP’s Washington, DC Program Manager! The Program Manager will have the opportunity to coordinate and grow our Washington, DC volunteer service programs. The deadline is August 13th. Job application and instructions can be found at http://www.ysop.org/fellowshipsjobs