On Thursday, August 10th, Volunteers of America-Greater New York rang The Closing Bell® of the New York Stock Exchange to recognize our annual Operation Backpack® campaign. For more than 20 years, VOA-GNY has provided a new backpack and the grade-specific school supplies to every child living in a New York City homeless or domestic violence shelter through Operation Backpack®. This year’s campaign is currently underway and is aiming to provide backpacks to a record number of students. Due to the end of the pandemic eviction moratorium, the arrival of thousands of asylum-seekers, and skyrocketing rent prices, New York is experiencing a family homelessness crisis reaching levels not seen since the Great Depression.
23,000 students experiencing homelessness will need backpacks and school supplies this year—53% more than last year.
To raise awareness of the ongoing campaign, Ericia Antoine, Assistant Vice President of Corporate Engagement and Special Events, rang The Closing Bell®. In attendance were VOA-GNY staff, board members, and honored guests, including Praxedes Arias, Associate, Human Resources, Cerberus Capital Management; Eric Lichtenstein, Assistant Vice President, Head of Hospitality, Cerberus; and Ross Weinberg, First Vice-President – Investments, The Geller-Weinberg Group of Wells Fargo Advisors.
Also in attendance from Volunteers of America-Greater New York were Susan Axelrod, Member, Board of Directors; Nick Brasse, Chief of Staff; Rochelle Heinrichs, Director of Communications; Liat Kaplan, Digital Communications Manager; Anton Nimblett, Program Director; Christelle Padmore, Program Director; and Robert Wolk, Vice Chair, Board of Directors.
Learn more about this year’s campaign and how you can get involved.