New York, New York (January 23, 2025) – The New York Junior League (NYJL) celebrated the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Day of Service by making 40 HomeNow Kits for families transitioning from homeless shelters to apartments. The NYJL selected this project to honor King’s commitment to fighting housing inequality, recognizing it as a core component of racial justice and equity.
For the second time, the NYJL partnered with the NYC Department of Social Services (DSS) to provide HomeNow Kits for their clients. Each year, DSS helps tens of thousands of New Yorkers obtain permanent housing or remain stably housed. In fiscal year 2024 alone, over 18,500 households moved from shelters to permanent housing.
In the weeks leading up to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service, NYJL volunteers fundraised in-kind and monetary donations to create the kits, which included cleaning supplies and housewares, sheets and towels, along with handwritten notes welcoming families to their new homes. The HomeNow kits, which were sorted and packaged by volunteers on January 22, contain the essentials for a new home, but their impact goes far beyond the items themselves – ensuring families are given the best start possible to their next chapter.
“DSS is grateful for the ongoing partnership with the New York Junior League. The HomeNow Kits offered meaningful supports for 40 families moving out of the shelter system, marking their successful transition into permanent housing. The donation of these kits helps our clients feel welcome in their new home as we continue to bolster efforts to ensure long-term housing stability for vulnerable New Yorkers and we celebrate Dr. King’s vision of a more diverse and just society,” said DSS Chief Strategy Officer Christopher Gonzalez.
The HomeNow Kits align with the NYJL’s ongoing advocacy efforts at both the state and city levels, particularly in the areas of poverty relief and domestic violence. By providing essential items for families in transition, the kits directly support efforts to combat poverty and address the root causes of family homelessness, with domestic violence being a primary driver of homelessness in New York City.
“By partnering with the Department of Social Services and creating these HomeNow Kits, we honor Dr. King's legacy and reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that every New Yorker has the dignity of a safe, stable home,” said NYJL President Jeri Powell. “This project not only provides essential items for families transitioning from homelessness, but also serves as a reminder that the fight for housing equity is central to racial justice.”
Visit www.nyjl.org to learn how to get involved with or support the organization’s community programming.
About the New York Junior League
Since 1901, the New York Junior League (NYJL) has responded to New York City’s most pressing socioeconomic challenges. Powered by more than 2,500 women volunteers, the NYJL works with more than 60 community-based organizations to advance children’s social-emotional learning and to provide life skills programs to youth and adults who are navigating periods of difficult transition. Bringing their diverse experiences and talents, trained NYJL volunteers engage women and children in health, education, and arts workshops specially customized to their needs. The NYJL advocates with state and city government for women- and children-centered policies and develops volunteers’ leadership skills for service in the NYJL and on other nonprofit boards, all while cultivating a community that reinforces women’s personal relationships and collective power as drivers of positive change. The NYJL also responds to community partners’ requests for immediate support and invests funds and volunteers’ time in restoring public parks and community spaces to create welcoming environments conducive to fitness, health, recreation, and socialization.

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