Mentor A Promise

  Photo Credit: RomanR - stock.adobe.com The 2025-2026 school year begins on Thursday, September 4, 2025. Even for the more fortunate members of our fair city, back-to-school can be a hectic time, complete with last-minute purchases of pencils, pens, notebooks and other school supplies as well as new outfits that will fit your growing children. However, these things are luxuries some New Yorkers simply can’t afford, potentially jeopardizing their academic performance. For those who would like to help, this blog post will discuss how you can help homeless New York City students prepare for the new school year.  How Important Are School Supplies for Homeless New York City Students?  It may sound like a cliché, but having a solid educational foundation can open many doors for people of all backgrounds, not just the privileged. We might not think about pencils, notebooks and other school supplies as such, but they are crucial to academic success. Possessing the necessary scho...

  Photo Credit: kieferpix - stock.adobe.com While we at Mentor A Promise endeavor for political neutrality, we must acknowledge that even though every New York politician vows to combat homelessness, the crisis has only worsened. This collective failing has eroded trust between those experiencing homelessness and city officials. This blog post will discuss whether homeless New Yorkers should trust the city government, how trust can be rebuilt and the benefits of proactive measures.  Why Don’t Homeless New Yorkers Trust the City Government?  We would like to acknowledge the vast amount of financial and human capital dedicated to curbing homelessness. In January of this year, Mayor Eric Adams announced $650 million in new allocations to reduce street homelessness and mental illness. The Homelessness Prevention Administration works alongside the Department of Homeless Services, NYCHA and numerous other private and public agencies to turn the proverbial tide. And yet, as Sha...

  Photo Credit: Syda Productions - stock.adobe.com If you are anything like the good folks at Mentor A Promise and its network of partner organizations - and we suspect you are, constant reader - you are concerned with the plight of your fellow New Yorkers, especially those experiencing homelessness. One kind act you may perform is helping to provide for their needs. However, you may wish to contribute in a non-pecuniary fashion - say, a care package. This blog post will discuss what you should include in a care package for homeless New Yorkers as well as the message it sends to its recipient and the community at large.  Should I Give Care Packages To Homeless New Yorkers?  The short answer, of course, is an emphatic YES. Nonetheless, we want to stress that these care packages should be the products of genuine compassion and a desire to end suffering. You should not be performing these otherwise kind acts for money and notoriety - also known as “clout” - on social media p...

Photo Credit: FollowTheFlow - stock.adobe.com  To most outside observers, regaining safe, reliable housing seems like the end of the story. However, to continue to belabor this metaphor, this positive development is only the close of one chapter in a much longer narrative. Remaining healthy and housed is a neverending struggle. As such, many of those without the proper support network are at risk of returning to the streets and/or shelters. This blog post will discuss how often formerly unhoused New Yorkers relapse into homelessness, why this might happen and what can be done to prevent this.  Why Do New Yorkers Relapse Into Homelessness?  Homelessness, like many other chronic conditions, is akin to a disease, not a moral failing. Just as those struggling with alcoholism or drug addiction may relapse multiple times before treatment takes hold, homelessness is a cycle. This is especially true if the underlying traumas are not adequately addressed. As such, many of the same...

Photo Credit: BillionPhotos.com - stock.adobe.com Writers and thinkers from Yuvi Noah Harari, author of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind , to Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher series, have posited the theory that homo sapiens survived prehistory while other human species went extinct due to our species’ ability to tell stories and engage in other artistic forms. This blog post will discuss how Art can heal homeless New Yorkers as well as where they may express themselves.  Does Art Have Healing Properties for Homeless New Yorkers?  With all the threats facing humanity, Art can seem like a luxury. However, throughout human history, Art has brought solace, toppled tyrants and given voice to the voiceless. Free expression is every bit as critical to our survival as nourishing food, clean water, suitable clothing and a safe, reliable place to lay our heads at night. This applies even to those experiencing homelessness.  How Does Art Heal Homeless New Yorkers? Aside ...

Photo Credit: SerPhoto - stock.adobe.com For many children, summer break is a time of excitement and exploration, free from the demands of school and extracurricular activities. But for the less fortunate children of New York City and elsewhere, the summer is a period of anxiety and deprivation. Without the breakfasts and lunches provided to them by their schools, these children will experience food insecurity and, yes, even hunger. This blog post will discuss summertime hunger among homeless New York City children, its prevalence, its impact on developing minds and bodies and how we can assist this vulnerable population.  How Common Is Summertime Hunger Among Homeless Children in New York City?  Before we delve into the numbers, the authors of this blog post would like to state that hunger is not exclusive to the summer months, nor is it constrained merely to young people who lack a safe, reliable place to sleep at night. Indeed, many New Yorkers from low income families expe...

  Photo Credit: guy2men - stock.adobe.com If you are at all like the authors of this blog post, your heart breaks when you see someone braving traffic just to beg a few meager dollars from indifferent passersby. You may have reached for your wallet but stopped when you remembered that old refrain, which we shall not repeat here. But is there any truth to it? This blog post will examine whether you should ever hand a homeless person money on the streets of New York City.  Is It Wrong to Give Money to a Homeless Person?  According to one school of thought, which includes the late Pope Francis, it is not wrong to give homeless people money directly and it is none of our business how it is spent. To give the other argument some credit, it is true that around 38 percent of homeless people abuse alcohol and approximately 26 percent abuse other substances. [ 1 ] These illnesses may not be readily apparent. However, the overwhelming majority of this population, which includes tho...

  Photo Credit: New Africa - stock.adobe.com Some of those reading this blog post might have been the recipients of hand-me-downs passed along from older siblings who’d outgrown them. While there is nothing wrong with frugality, giving a child clothes that are ill-fitting, uncomfortable, warped, stained or clearly used can negatively affect said child’s self-esteem and their social standing. Indeed, this is one of the ways in which homeless individuals stand out from their peers. This blog post will discuss whether good, clean clothes can help the homeless in New York City.  Do Homeless New Yorkers Benefit from Good, Clean Clothes?  Along with food, water and shelter, clothing is a basic necessity. The right clothes can keep you warm in the winter and comfortable in the summer. But the benefits go much deeper than that. Homeless people are often stigmatized for their appearance, including their worn and heavily used clothing. This is especially true of homeless children, ...