“These organizations reflect the leadership, creativity, and expertise that drive meaningful change in child welfare,” said Alan Yu, Executive Director of New Yorkers For Children. “Through the Community Catalyst Fund, we have paired unrestricted funding with practical supports that help leaders strengthen their organizations to ensure that they can better serve children and families across New York City.”

“Young people impacted by foster care need better support networks and resources to help guide them reach their full potential,” said Angelina Soll, Program Officer, Foster Youth at the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.We’re proud to partner with New Yorkers For Children to strengthen grassroots organizations helping youth grow, learn and find a sense of belonging and autonomy.”

Each member of the cohort will receive a total investment of $150,000 over two years ($75,000 per year), along with customized technical assistance, peer learning opportunities, and organizational capacity-building support. Together, these resources are intended to help participating organizations strengthen internal systems, respond to community needs, and position themselves for continued growth beyond the grant period.

Beyond financial support, cohort members will participate in a structured learning community emphasizing peer exchange, individualized coaching, and responsive technical assistance. The program focuses on strengthening internal infrastructure—such as board governance, fundraising, communications, and leadership coaching—so organizations are positioned to sustain and scale their work long after the grant period ends.

“Participating in the Community Catalyst Fund will significantly benefit Hearts to Homes”, commented Mary Theresa McCombe, Executive Director of Hearts to Homes Furnishings.  “We are proud of our progress in supporting aging-out foster care youth but recognize there is so much more to be done. Collaborating with the other participating organizations will help us address critical needs more effectively and foster meaningful growth for young people transitioning to complete independence.  We thank NYFC and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation for taking leadership in making this investment in our ability to serve our community more effectively.”

The Community Catalyst Fund builds on NYFC’s three decades of experience providing direct support to young people while also piloting and scaling innovative approaches that strengthen the broader ecosystem. By centering flexible funding, peer learning, and capacity-building supports, the fund amplifies the work of local leaders who are deeply rooted in their communities and bring culturally grounded perspectives to their work. Through this cohort, New Yorkers For Children continues to advance a future in which every young person impacted by the child welfare system has access to the resources, relationships, and opportunities they need to thrive.

We also would like to introduce two additional new board members who have joined our board after being long-time supporters.

Marissa Mack currently serves as Managing Director on the Not-For-Profit Commercial Banking Team at Webster Bank. In this role, she strategically connects nonprofit organizations with essential banking resources, while providing guidance on sustainable growth, partnerships, and marketing initiatives to support her team’s objectives. Marissa has been committed to supporting the nonprofit sector for several years and has worked with various New York City–based organizations to build strategic partnerships and foster growth.

Lisa Kirschner is the Director of Research and current Chairperson of the Investment Committee at Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC. RBA is an investment manager focusing on longer-term investment strategies that combine top-down, macroeconomic analysis and quantitatively-driven portfolio construction. Lisa’s previous board experience includes several theatre arts organizations, one of which was youth-focused.

We are so grateful to have Marissa and Lisa join our Board and are honored to have their leadership and dedication.

Finally, thank you to three outgoing board members, Dan Suzuki, Christine Trizano, and Ameena Makhdoomi, who are stepping off our board after many years of service.  Each has been instrumental to the growth of Hearts to Homes. We are indebted to them for sharing their time, treasure and talents on behalf of the youth we serve.

Being the amazing person that she is, Monica continued her education, graduated from Borough of Manhattan Community College with her associate degree and now works as a patient dining associate at NY Presbyterian.

Monica: I wanted to begin by expressing my sincere gratitude for experiencing Hearts to Homes. I am incredibly thankful for the chance to accomplish this once in my lifetime, despite everything I have experienced while in foster care.

This was one of the many things that lifted my spirits. Helping each other really helps the world to be better as a whole.

In reality, this entire process began as procrastination. When I was eighteen, I didn’t immediately apply for apartments on the waiting list. However, a few years later, when I eventually gave in, I received a call quickly. That phone call was one of those rare moments you only get to have once.

I was connected to Hearts to Homes through my agency. I was given a listing of several types of furniture and other things for my apartment that I could select from. Because Hearts to Homes donors care about us, we have brand-new furnishings.

To be honest, if this program didn’t exist, I wouldn’t be standing here. If I hadn’t gone through the program, the small amount of stress that was attached to me while moving would have been a whole lot more stressful.

I want to let you guys know that I am very, very, very, very grateful for donors helping us. You know that really means a lot. We don’t know what’s the next step. I thought that I was just going to get an apartment and that was pretty much it. I would have to spend my money on furniture. I didn’t know what I was going to walk into, so when I received help and I got my form and checked off what furnishings I needed, my apartment was filled with over 25 boxes of different stuff. And I couldn’t believe it.

You know they came and were like “come outside, do you have a shopping cart, or anything?” They had a van. I’m like “Yeah, sure,” and I was just expecting like small little things and then they were just loading up the cart and we just made several trips. And I was like “Oh my gosh, this is a lot!” I even received a shopping cart while bringing my shopping cart!

And they gave me so much things…like so so much things. I literally did not need it to come out of my pocket for anything and that just made me feel so good. To know that somebody, they still, they care, you know. That really really made me feel good, because, you know, I was just going to age out and I was going to receive help, but I received help on help on help. Like so much help! So, thanks.

Like it’s a huge step to be on your own.  There’s no more foster family. You’re doing this by yourself now. So, I appreciate it. Thank you so much!

Maximine reached out to H2H Executive Director Mary Theresa McCombe to thank her and got yet another surprise. Mary Theresa asked if the sisters would like some cozy blankets, made specifically for them by a special donor.

Cynthia found out about Hearts to Homes when her boss at Marketsmith, Monica Smith, put out an email about filling an apartment registry for a former foster youth. Though she thought H2H was a wonderful organization, Cynthia didn’t have the means to contribute financially, and she wanted to find another way to help. She was moved when Mary Theresa spoke at Marketsmith, and recalls with emotion, “The one line that stood out to me, is ‘[these kids] never had anything of their own that was brand new.’”

From there she had an idea – she could contribute unique blankets for the youth receiving assistance from Hearts to Homes! Cynthia had been crocheting since grammar school, where she learned from a friend, and had made many baby and full-sized blankets for almost everyone in her life. She even calls crocheting her therapy. Cynthia had always wanted to support foster children, and this was the perfect way for her to do it, utilizing her talents to create something comforting and personal.

To make it even more special, she thought, “Everyone is so quick to give secondhand or hand- me-downs too…What if I let these kids pick out their own color for their own room so they can say ‘someone made this for me’?”

So after connecting with Mary Theresa, who offered the blankets to Maximine and Michelle, the plan was in motion. Michelle picked a lovely coral blue for her color, and Maximine says her choice of baby pink was obvious: “My favorite color is color is pink – my whole room is pink, so of course I’m going to go with pink!”

When the sisters received their blankets, they were surprised at how fast they came and loved how soft and warm they were. The apartment can get chilly in the winter months, and they were grateful for the comfort. The loved the colors, and Maximine, in particular, was inspired by the blankets – in a lovely coincidence, she used to crochet in middle school, making little hats, and she says, “It got me thinking, hmm, maybe I should go back to that as a hobby!”

Maximine continues, “I’m inspired by her giving to people – if you like doing something that makes you feel happy, and then to be able to give it to other people to make them feel happy? That’s a great thing that I also look forward to doing.”

And Cynthia is happy with how this little idea to give back in the way she could turned into something tangible. “I wanted these girls to know that someone cares about them. I’m happy if I can make someone feel loved. That’s what we are supposed to be doing in life.”

Cynthia hopes each youth enjoys the blankets as much as she enjoys making them – because she is not finished with her crocheted donations. She recently worked on a few more blankets, in pink, white, and blue, and they will find a home with other former foster youth who would love something cozy to snuggle into this February.

2024 by the numbers

The average age of someone referred to H2H for furnishing assistance is 21, which has been consistent throughout our 8 years of operations. In addition, referred youth are primarily female-identifying. This year, 135 women, 42 men, and 6 non-binary individuals were referred for our services.

The majority of the youth we assisted found housing in New York City: 65 young people in Manhattan, 50 in Brooklyn, 42 in the Bronx, 17 in Queens, and 1 in Staten Island. Additionally, we helped 5 former foster youth in Suffolk County, 1 in Westchester County, 1 in Orange County, 1 in Connecticut, and 1 in North Carolina. We’ve also been seeing a trend in youth moving to supportive housing. What was once 1 in 10 referrals is now 1 in 3! The majority of youth do still find a home in public housing (64%), while only 4% of young adults are able to afford market rate housing.

Education is important, so we are happy to say we helped 9 recent college grads furnish their first independent homes. It is well-documented that finishing college is a herculean task for those in foster care, so a big congratulations to these incredible young people who were successful in completing their degrees! We also worked with 27 individuals who aged out of care while working toward their degree. Another 19 were referred after finished their GED, and 88 were referred after finishing high school. Hearts to Homes also furnished apartments for 3 people who had completed trade certificates and 18 who were working on their GED. 19 of the youth we assisted were focusing on working or parenting instead of current education goals.

As we speak about the young people we assist, we would be remiss to not acknowledge the impact that H2H furnishings can have on young families. 63 individuals referred to H2H in 2024 were parents (4 dads and 59 moms). In total, 65 infants, toddlers, and young children had their primary living space transformed into a warm and comfortable home.

Twenty-five organizations made these referrals happen. Our thanks to these incredible organizations for helping young adults in need make a smoother transition to independence: Abbott House, Children’s Aid Society, CASA-NYC, Cayuga Centers, Catholic Guardian Society, Cardinal McCloskey Community Services, The Children’s Village, Family and Children’s Association, Forestdale, Inc., Good Shepherd Services, Graham Windham, Coalition for Hispanic Family Services, HeartShare St. Vincent’s Services, The Jewish Board, JCCA, Little Flower Children & Family Services, Lawyers for Children, Lutheran Social Services on New York, Martin de Porres Youth & Family Services, MercyFirst, The New York Foundling, Rising Ground, SCO Family of Services, Seaman’s Society for Children & Families, and St. Dominic’s Family Services.

None of this would be possible without the generosity of hundreds of individuals and dozens of corporations, organizations, and foundations. Our board of directors, our volunteers and our staff are also instrumental in keeping operations running efficiently and in ensuring the success of our special events.

We thank everyone who played a part in an impactful 2024 and look forward to empowering even more young people in 2025!