Hope for New York Celebrating 20 Years

In 1992, a small group of Redeemer staff and lay leaders, buoyed by Tim Keller’s teaching on serving the poor and socially powerless and eager to put what they were hearing on Sunday morning into practice, founded Hope for New York.

The new organization had four affiliate partnerships, including current affiliates Operation Exodus and St. Paul’s House, a small but committed cadre of volunteers, and one staff person: Yvonne Dodd, one of Redeemer’s first employees and the visionary behind Hope for New York.

From the beginning, Hope for New York’s model was not to start new initiatives that offered direct social services, but to act as a connector and catalyst between the church and non-profits in New York City already effectively serving the poor and marginalized. In other words, the idea was to resource and strengthen the work of the experts, not to reinvent the wheel.

As we celebrate our 20th anniversary this year, we thank God for His blessings and provision. Since 1992, we’ve grown from four affiliate partnerships, including current affiliate partners Operation Exodus and St. Paul’s House, to nearly 40; from one church partnership to three partnerships with Redeemer, Apostles Church, and Trinity Baptist Church; and from distributing a little over $1,000 in grants during fiscal year 1993 to $1.2 million in fiscal year 2012.

Over the past 20 years, due in a large part to the consistent and sacrificial generosity of Redeemer congregants, Hope for New York has distributed $7.7 million to start, expand, and strengthen non-profit organizations serving New Yorkers in need in neighborhoods all over Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx.

We are expectant about what God will do in the future through our work, and we remain prayerfully committed to our original mission of partnering with the church to strengthening organizations that are compassionately and sustainably serving the poor and marginalized of our city. Our vision is a New York in which individuals and families and neighborhoods and boroughs experience renewal and flourishing through the demonstration of Christ’s love, and we can’t wait to see what God has in store for the next 20 years.

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Articles in this Issue

		New City Catechism New City Catechism Team
		Mentoring Info Session for HFNY
		Why Sidewalks, Plazas, & Bike Lanes Matter to God Amilee Watkins
		The Scandal of Generosity Daniel Lee
		Sharing God’s Mercy Through Food Sorena Shin Harmanson
		Downtown to Begin Worship Services October 21st John Lin
		City to City Sunday: Introducing the International Intensive Class of 2012