Heart, Love & Soul

10/21/2026

Several months ago, our case manager, Liana, connected with Wheels for Workers 716 , a Western New York organization that refurbishes donated bicycles and redistributes them to individuals who need reliable transportation.

Last week, Wheels for Workers 716 delivered nine newly refurbished bicycles, along with helmets and locks, for us to distribute to guests who need transportation to and from work.

Reliable transportation is essential to maintaining employment, yet it remains a significant obstacle for many people. A bicycle can offer an affordable, practical means of getting to work and meeting other daily responsibilities.

At Daybreak, we recognize that overcoming hardship often requires addressing more than one need. Partnerships with organizations like Wheels for Workers 716 allow us to connect our guests with resources that address practical challenges and support their efforts to achieve greater stability and independence.

We are grateful to Wheels for Workers 716 for this contribution and for helping make reliable transportation more accessible to our guests.

Read more about this partnership in Niagara Frontier Publications:
https://www.wnypapers.com/news/article/current/2026/10/19/167325/wheels-for-workers-donates-bicycles-to-heart-love-soul

10/07/2026

On Monday, the Niagara County Department of Health Immunization Program returned to Heart & Soul for our annual flu shot clinic, providing our guests with free flu shots and important information to help them stay healthy throughout flu season.

This has become a valued annual tradition at HLS, and we are grateful for the team’s continued commitment to making preventive health care accessible to the people we serve.

Thank you, friends, for another wonderful clinic! We'll see you next year!

10/05/2026

Did you see us in the Sentinel this week?

We were grateful to welcome the team from National Grid to Heart, Love & Soul as part of National Grid’s Global Week of Service!

On Sept. 28, National Grid employees spent time at HLS helping with landscaping and tackling other projects around our campus. Their hard work made a real difference and helped us keep our space welcoming for the people we serve every day.

National Grid employees volunteered at nearly 90 events across Massachusetts and New York throughout the week, giving their time and talents to strengthen communities.

Thank you, National Grid, for choosing to spend part of your Week of Service with Heart, Love & Soul. We’re grateful for your partnership and all you do for our community!

10/02/2026

SNAP is changing. But what could those changes mean for food pantries—and for Heart, Love & Soul?

The rules surrounding SNAP can be complicated, and changes are taking effect at different times. NPR recently published an article explaining the latest changes and what they could mean for people who rely on SNAP.

We wanted to take the conversation a step further:

Why might someone who receives SNAP still need a food pantry? And what could changes to SNAP mean for the people who rely on HLS for food?

We break it down in our latest article, including what SNAP is, why SNAP and food pantries often work together, and what we’ll be watching as these changes take effect.

Read the full article:
https://heartloveandsoul.org/snap-is-changing-what-could-it-mean-for-heart-love-soul/

You may have seen recent stories about changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP. The changes are complicated, they are taking effect at different times, and the rules can be difficult to follow. NPR recently published an article explaining the latest changes to....

09/25/2026

We’re proud to introduce two members of the Heart, Love & Soul leadership team who are helping move our organization forward: Krista, Development Director, and Michael, Director of Communications, Advocacy & External Affairs.

▸ Krista | Development Director

Krista serves as Development Director at Heart, Love & Soul and is the co-founder of Highland Clubhouse. She was part of the Open Buffalo Emerging Leaders Class of 2018 and received a Changemaker 30 Under 30 Award in 2017.

Krista holds a Master’s in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College and a Bachelor of Arts from Western State College of Colorado. Her passion is educating, engaging, and empowering young people through culturally relevant teaching and innovative civic learning projects.

At Heart, Love & Soul, Krista brings that passion to building relationships with donors, partners, and the community — helping cultivate the support that allows us to continue serving our guests and advancing our mission.

▸ Michael | Director of Communications, Advocacy & External Affairs

Michael joined Heart, Love & Soul in late 2023 as our Marketing and Communications Manager. Since then, his role has grown alongside the organization, leading to his promotion to Director of Communications, Advocacy & External Affairs.

Before joining HLS, Michael led corporate marketing teams, served in public relations within the SUNY system, and contributed to a range of communications, marketing, and community engagement initiatives.

In his new role, Michael will represent Heart, Love & Soul throughout the community — speaking to organizations, businesses, schools, churches, and community groups; connecting with civic and community partners; and helping people better understand the realities of poverty and homelessness and the work being done to address them.

Please join us in congratulating Krista and Michael on their leadership roles at Heart, Love & Soul!

09/18/2026

It’s the eve of a VERY special week here at Heart, Love & Soul… National Security Officer Appreciation Week 2026!

And we thought it was time to introduce you to the two men who help keep our guests, volunteers, and staff safe all year long.

Meet Brandon (aka “Bear”) and Kevin (aka… “Kevin”).

They’re our very own security team — but around here, they’re also everyone’s best friends, unofficial greeters, safety and protocol experts, and, most importantly, they can always direct you to where Terri hides the baked goods in the walk-in freezer.

All jokes aside, we are incredibly grateful for Brandon and Kevin and everything they do for Heart, Love & Soul. They’re here day after day, looking out for the people we serve and the people who make HLS possible.

So as we head into National Security Officer Appreciation Week, help us give a big HLS THANK YOU to Bear and Kevin! We love you guys!

PS- A special shoutout to Security Solutions of Niagara, LLC! You are a wonderful partner to Heart, Love & Soul. Thank you for these two — we’re lucky to have them!

Security Solutions of Niagara, LLC

09/15/2026

At Heart, Love & Soul, our work doesn’t stop at our doors.

Our Street Outreach Case Managers, Kristen and Bryant, head out in the Heart, Love & Soul van to meet people where they are throughout our community. They bring food, water, supplies, resources, and, just as importantly, a familiar and caring face that people know they can count on.

Through our growing Outreach Program, Kristen and Bryant provide outreach backpacks filled with everyday essentials like toothbrushes and toothpaste, hats and gloves, tissues, paper and pens, and more. As the seasons change, so do the backpacks. In the winter, they’re stocked with items like hand warmers and other cold-weather necessities.

Here, Kristen and Bryant are pictured preparing supplies before heading out for an outreach morning. We are incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful team on our Daybreak staff, and we’re grateful to everyone in our community who helps make this work possible.

👉 Want to help stock our outreach backpacks?

We have an Amazon Wish List with items that can go directly toward supporting our outreach efforts. Every contribution helps us put essential supplies into the hands of someone who needs them.

🛒 Shop our Amazon Wish List: https://a.co/0bjTp9Nw

Keep an eye out for more from Kristen and Bryant as we sit down with them to hear their stories, learn about the people they encounter, and share more about the relationships they’ve built through outreach.

09/11/2026

No joke on our board today.

Instead, we’re taking a moment to remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001.

We will always remember.

09/09/2026

Our friends and partners at the Homeless Alliance of Western New York (HAWNY) recently shared the results of the 2026 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, and we wanted to share them with our community.

Every winter, staff and volunteers from Heart, Love & Soul participate in the PIT Count alongside organizations throughout Western New York. Conducted on one night each January, the PIT Count provides a snapshot of how many people are experiencing homelessness across our region.

The 2026 PIT Count, conducted on January 22, found 2,188 people experiencing homelessness across Western New York — a 24% increase from the previous year and the highest number recorded in the region since official PIT data collection began in 2005.

The PIT Count is more than a number. Every person counted represents someone in our community who is experiencing homelessness and needs access to safe housing, food, supportive services, and a path toward stability.

We are proud to participate in this important effort! Thank you to our friends at HAWNY for coordinating the PIT Count and for the work you do year-round to bring our community together to address homelessness. It’s wonderful to see you shining in our local media today!

We encourage you to read their full report below to learn more about what the 2026 PIT Count tells us about homelessness across Western New York.

📊 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐅𝐘𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞.

The latest data shows that homelessness continues to rise across Western New York, and it is affecting people who have never experienced homelessness before at unprecedented rates.

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝:

🏠 𝟕𝟔.𝟗% of people entering the homeless response system were experiencing homelessness for the first time.

📈 An estimated 𝟖,𝟔𝟎𝟐 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 across Erie, Niagara, Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties in FY2025 — an 𝟖.𝟐% 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐅𝐘𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 data.

💰 𝟒𝟗.𝟓% of WNY renters are spending at least 30% of their income on rent, a level the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines housing as cost-burdened.

🚪 𝟑𝟒% of clients identified eviction as the primary reason they became homeless.

🏡 At the same time, 𝟏,𝟔𝟗𝟒 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 to permanent housing.

The numbers tell a clear story: our homeless response system is helping people regain housing, but the affordable housing crisis is pushing more people into homelessness faster than the community can assist them.

Understanding the data and seeing what homelessness in our community actually looks like is the first step toward building solutions for our neighbors who need them most.

📰 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘱 - tinyurl.com/7uvn3vt2

📊 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦 𝘍𝘠2025 𝘏𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘧 - tinyurl.com/ykxafyfj

09/08/2026

Meet our guest and friend, Marcus! If you’ve spent any time in our Daybreak spaces, you’ve probably seen him around. Marcus has a big personality and is always happy to strike a pose when the camera comes out!

There’s a great reason to celebrate: a new job!

After working on his resume and submitting applications right here in our computer lab, Marcus landed a new opportunity. We couldn’t be more proud of all the work that went into reaching this goal.

In these photos, Marcus is pictured with Carol, our Executive Administrator (making her HLS social media debut!), and lending a hand to our guest Brian as he does some research.

Congratulations, Marcus! Thank you for being part of the HLS family and for bringing your energy, personality, and friendship into our Heart, Love & Soul community. We’re cheering you on!