2026 marks the ninth year of AHRC NYC’s community engagement as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. While service and outreach continue throughout the year, people supported in our programs and dedicated staff prepared most intensively for the collective day of action on January 19th, a moment that brought many months of planning, care, and commitment together.
This year’s Day of Service was hosted across five sites:
- Joseph T. Weingold Day Services in Queens
- Staten Island, hosted at Build the Dream Incubator
- Word Up Community Bookstore, in partnership with AHRC Fisher Day Services, in Manhattan
- Wendy Siegel Day Services in Brooklyn
- Norfolk Day Services on the Lower East Side
Each site welcomed approximately 20–30 volunteers, including people supported through Day Services and Residential Services, families, staff, representatives from elected officials’ offices, donors such as Wegmans, local school groups, and returning volunteers.
Volunteers gathered more than 2,000 pounds of nonperishable food and distributed it to local food pantries and community fridges across all five boroughs.
In addition, volunteers prepared and delivered more than 500 fresh sandwiches, placing them in community fridges and handing them directly to people experiencing homelessness during the cold winter months. Winter clothing and essential items were delivered to local shelters, providing warmth and dignity during the harshest season.
Partnership with Legislators and the Private Sector
Preparations included decorating and delivering donation boxes across the community, including to the offices of elected officials Council Member Amanda Farias, Council Member Shekar Krishnan, Council Member Julie Won, Council Member Chi Ossé, Senator Julia Salazar, Assembly Member Lincoln Restler, Assembly Member Mercedes Narcisse, and Assembly Member Jennifer Gutiérrez.
We are grateful for the generosity of our supporters.
Monetary donations were received from Friedlander Group, Siegel Group, and the law firm Hardin, Kundla, McKeon, Poletto. In-kind contributions were provided by Driscoll Foods, Premier, NBC Universal, HSBC andWegmans. Blankets of Love donated more than 500 hand-crocheted blankets, scarves, hats, and gloves. White & Case donated hot meals to be shared at Word Up Community Bookshop in Harlem, in partnership with Fisher Day Services. Citymeals on Wheels once again supported the event by identifying delivery routes to homebound seniors. The printing team at Kings Highway Day Services printed MLK Day t-shirts for all hosting locations featuring logo designs created by the people we support. Jose Espana, Quality Assurance Manager with Day Services, and David Huang were extremely helpful in disseminating various donations across the boroughs.
Many non-hosting AHRC NYC programs have engaged people supported in creating various items such as:
- Crocheted winter items (Cyril Weinberg Day Services)
- Labels for children’s toys (Dorothy and Michael Styler Day Services)
- Care packages and cards (Walter and Evelyn Redfield Day Services)
- Community food collections (EBS-Brooklyn, Dorothy and Michael Styler Day Services, Howie & Bill Stone Center, Betty Pendler Day Services),
Some of the same creative activities will continue throughout the year. Food collection at AHRC NYC Headquarters is also ongoing.
