Mission

The Bowery Mission & Kids With A Promise is called to minister in New York City to men, women, and children caught in the cycles of poverty, hopelessness and dependencies of many kinds, and to see their lives transformed to hope, joy, lasting productivity and eternal life through the power of Jesus Christ.

What We Do

Our goal is to be the most effective provider of compassionate care and life transformation for hurting people in New York City.

The Bowery Mission has served homeless and hungry New Yorkers since 1879, when its neighborhood came to define the term “skid row.” Our children’s programs, called Kids With A Promise, serve at-risk youth and began in 1894 by giving the children of recent immigrants the chance to escape the tenements in the summer.

Today, The Bowery Mission & Kids With A Promise is a results-oriented organization that is recognized as one of New York City’s most effective.

By the Numbers:

This year, our donors and volunteers helped The Bowery Mission provide more than 356,000 meals, 34,000 bags of groceries, 72,100 nights of shelter and 45,300 articles of clothing, as well as showers, haircuts, 500 professional doctor’s appointments and 100 eye examinations at our in-house clinic.

Meals, shelter and services are all an invitation to our residential recovery programs, where lives are transformed from hopelessness to hope. Three programs house 180 men and women who are regaining sobriety, reconnecting with family and faith, pursuing educational goals, and preparing for work and independent living.

Last summer, Kids With A Promise provided 886 at-risk kids with the chance to go to summer camp and experience growth in an environment far removed from the inner city's toughness. We also provide mentoring and educational opportunities to more than 100 children year-round.

Our work is privately funded by the generous donations and in-kind gifts of caring individuals, and supported by the efforts of thousands of volunteers.