Sidewalk Samaritan

08/01/2026

07/25/2026

if you are interested in volunteering let me know! send me a message and I can add you onto the group to keep you updated on the dates/locations of upcoming handouts - we can always use more hands!

07/24/2026

Usually, Emily goes on Thursdays Rutgers Presbyterian Church Community Programs
location to hand out clothing, socks, underwear, and other essentials. But this evening felt especially meaningful. We had the honor of working first with the The WaterWheel Foundation from Phish , who reached out to us to see if they could coordinate an event while on tour in NYC. Seeing so many hands gathered in one room, all moved by generosity and care, was truly heartwarming. Volunteers arrived creating toiletry kits that we later handed out to people waiting in line for food at the church. At the same time, others stepped into the kitchen to help pack food bags, while more volunteers joined Emily outside, making sure people received clothing, underwear, socks , sleeping bags—and, just as importantly, that they were met with compassion, dignity, and a listening ear.
It was the kind of evening that stays with you: people coming together through laughter, the love of music, and a shared desire to care for others. Together, they assembled more than 300 toiletry kits! Thank you so very much for including us in The WaterWheel Foundation web of generosity. We are deeply grateful, incredibly moved, and honestly left speechless.

Bombas The WaterWheel Foundation
Phish Rutgers Presbyterian Church Community Programs

07/22/2026

We are VERY excited to be working with https://www.waterwheelfoundation.org/
and the Phish community on Thursday, volunteers making toiletry kits while Sidewalk also does a handout at Rutgers ! Thank you to all who signed up to volunteer

The WaterWheel Foundation has been inspiring the Phish Community to Create Positive Change Locally and on Tour Since 1997. Celebrating 25 Years!

07/21/2026

For two mornings in a row, on her way to work, Emily noticed a young man asleep on the sidewalk across from the men’s shelter. By the second morning, she couldn’t just walk by. She came prepared—with a sleeping bag, socks, a change of clothes, and a few McDonald’s gift cards for the restaurant just a block away. When she introduced herself and sat with him, she learned his name was Andrew. He told her he had a bed at the shelter, but he had recently been transferred to another location. As he explained it, his voice broke. The men at the new place weren’t kind to him. He missed his old bed. So instead of going back, he returned to the only place that still felt familiar, sitting outside the shelter he knew until he started to sleep on the sidewalk. Emily knew that if he stayed away, he would miss meals—and eventually, someone else would be given his bed.
But in that moment, all she could do was make sure that if she found him there again the next morning, he would at least be a little warmer, a little more fed, and a little less alone.

McDonald's

07/21/2026

With Timberland – I just made it onto their weekly engagement list by being one of their top engagers 🎉 Thank you to Timberland for their many donations!

07/19/2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=QbPtsKgfC84&fbclid=IwY2xjawTI_gVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeG3ftTr9TNpjh2stZANC2_udAdrlMuVaqz4xKz8TaeyknhLq5wOQEKnyTnoY_aem_SYFCK1p_hVMRD70J2pdcwg

We had such a fun time collaborating with Kostis Maraveyas as part ...

07/17/2026

Today reminded us why every act of kindness matters.

Emily started her day thinking she was simply going to work. Early on, she received a message that a patient wanted to see her and had something to give her. She assumed it was paperwork. Instead, the patient was standing there with a bag of shoes.

Sidewalk had recently shared that our supply of adult sneakers was running very low. Someone saw that post, listened, and showed up.

Later that day, Emily received a text from a work contact who knew about Sidewalk and the clothing we provide for patients being discharged from the emergency room to the streets, so they do not have to leave in hospital gowns. He had just passed a man in a hospital gown and reached out in case she had anything to spare.

That man was Mac. EMS had brought him in after he was beaten and someone called for help, worried he might have a concussion. Emily found him socks, shorts, and a clean T-shirt. Another man nearby, who was also experiencing homelessness who Emily helped that morning, noticed her helping and came over to help Mac put on the shorts.

Then Emily remembered the bag of shoes that had been donated that very same day. Because someone responded to a need, Mac did not have to walk around in socks.

He still needed to pick up medication, but he could barely walk and the pharmacy was several blocks away. So Emily hailed a cab and went with him. When security hesitated to let him inside, she explained. Mac got his medication. He was also given a sleeping bag after pointing to the place in the park where he planned to sleep that night.

It was a web of generosity: a social media post, a donated pair of sneakers, a message from someone paying attention, a stranger helping another stranger, and one person making sure Mac was seen, clothed, and cared for.

This is what community looks like. This is why we do what we do.

If you have adult-sized sneakers, please reach out. You never know whose life your kindness may touch.

Bombas


🦋

07/16/2026

7/23 we are looking forward to all of the people who signed up to make toiletry kits, and then be with us to handout supplies and food! the sign up for 20 people is full with a wait list - it will be one heck of a night

Your willingness to donate your time and efforts is very much appreciated and it reflects a shared commitment to making a positive impact in the communities we visit while on tour with Phish.