Poverty is relentless, and so is our fight. For January's Poverty Awareness Month, we celebrate poverty fighters who are building a city where your starting point in life doesn’t define your future.
Co-lead members of the Undo Poverty Flushing collaborative—a Robin Hood Mobility LABs grantee
Chef Torrisi transforms his culinary success into a force for good, partnering with Robin Hood to fight poverty through charitable dinners, supporting grantees, and tackling food insecurity in NYC.
Chef Rich Torrisi (left) and Robin Hood Founder Paul Tudor Jones (right)
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Stephen Grimaldi leads NY Common Pantry in the fight against hunger, providing food, resources, and dignity to struggling New Yorkers. With poverty rising, their work offers hope and a path forward.
Stephen Grimaldi, Executive Director of New York Common Pantry
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Bryan leads Decoded Futures, a groundbreaking effort connecting NYC nonprofits with AI tools to fight poverty, ensuring underserved communities shape tech solutions that create lasting opportunities.
Bryan Lozano (left) Director of Tech:NYC Foundation, with Bethany Crystal (right) Program Director, and Jackie Moe (center) Project Manager
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Brianna and Shaun lead Breaking Ground's efforts to fight homelessness, blending personal empathy, resilience, and innovative outreach to help New Yorkers transition from streets to stability.
Shaun Aluko (left) Brianna Oyeyemi (right) of Breaking Ground
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Nara and Jin of The Child Center of NY lead transformative efforts to break cycles of poverty, advocating for equity and building holistic, multilingual support systems that empower families and stren
Jin Li (left) and Nara Youn (right) of The Child Center of NY—an Undo Poverty Flushing co-lead and Robin Hood Mobility LABs grantee
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Diana oversees 16 shelters, guiding teams to help families escape poverty, secure housing, and rebuild stability—turning trauma into triumph for 900+ families each year in New York City.
Diana Santos, Chief Program Officer at Win
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Yang Zeng leads the Queens Public Library in Flushing. From ESL classes to job training, the library is more than a repository of knowledge, it's a way to build pathways out of poverty.
Yeng Zeng (center) Director, Ebru Yenal (left) Manager of Job & Business Academy, and Jeffery Lambert (right) Director of Strategic Planning and Operations at Queens Public Library, Flushing—an Undo Poverty Flushing co-lead and Robin Hood Mobility Labs grantee
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Growing up on food stamps inspired Anthony to launch Groupr, a grocery delivery service tailored to SNAP families in NYC, saving time and restoring agency to low-income households.
Anthony Grullon, a Blue Ridge Labs at Robin Hood Entrepreneur-in-Residence and Founder of Groupr
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Sisters Caroline and Marie lead St. John's Bread & Life, providing millions of meals annually. Amid rising food insecurity, their mission is clear: empower families and never turn anyone away.
Sister Caroline Tweedy (right) Executive Director, and Sister Marie Sorenson (left) Associate Executive Director, St. John's Bread & Life
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Marylind and Sindy fight poverty daily at WHEDco, connecting families to food, housing, and resources while pushing for the change that's needed to address the rising needs in the South Bronx.
Marylind Soriano (left) Senior Case Manager, and Sindy Rivera (right) Benefits Task Supervisor of WHEDco
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Through Social Creatures' Bonded by Baby program, Allie found the strength and resources to fight postpartum depression, secure housing, and give her daughter the life every child deserves.
Allie Jones and her daughter Rory, participants of Social Creatures' Bonded by Baby program, and 2024 Robin Hood Hero
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Gabriel Hisugan fights poverty by empowering NYC youth through education and socioemotional support, unlocking opportunities and building future leaders who will uplift their families and communities.
Gabriel Hisugan, Program Manager at Asian Americans for Equality—an Undo Poverty Flushing co-lead and Robin Hood Mobility Labs grantee
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Jessica, a DREAM Charter teacher, empowers Faith, a driven South Bronx student, to overcome pandemic learning loss, proving the right teacher can be the one voice that makes all the difference.
Jessica Collins (right) DREAM Charter teacher, and Faith (left) fifth grade student
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Through Robin Hood's partnership with Amazon, Agata Skora and Rudy Cazares helped deliver dignity, self-care, and essentials, advancing the shared mission of alleviating poverty in New York City.
Rudy Cazares (left), President & CEO of an Amazon Delivery Service provider, and Agata Skora (right), a Senior Product Manager with Amazon Logistics at Amazon Local Good
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Mitch, with his colleagues Marilla and Emma, drive CPC’s fight against poverty, empowering immigrant and low-income families in Flushing, Queens with culturally competent services and support systems.
Emma Wong (left), Marilla Li (center), and Mitchel Wu (right) of Chinese-American Planning Council—an Undo Poverty Flushing co-lead and Robin Hood Mobility LABs grantee
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For 24 years, David has led Henry Street Settlement's fight against poverty, delivering life-changing support and building resilient communities through trust, innovation, and opportunity.
David Garza, CEO of Henry Street Settlement
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Gabriel, a Bronx native and Robin Hood Hero, overcame systemic barriers to graduate college, serve in the military, and build generational wealth, thanks to Robin Hood's investment in CUNY ACE.
Gabriel MacDonna, a CUNY ACE (Accelerate, Complete, Engage) participant, and 2024 Robin Hood Hero
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With bold actions like the proposal to expand the Empire State Child Tax Credit, Governor Hochul and Robin Hood CEO Richard Buery are ensuring every New York child has a chance to thrive.
Robin Hood CEO Richard Buery (left) with New York State Governor Kathy Hochul (right) during the Empire State Child Tax Credit expansion press conference on Jan. 6, 2025 at Vanderbilt YMCA in Midtown New York.
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At KIPP, Brandon and Milly empower students like Kaleb with critical skills and confidence, using education to help break barriers and unlock opportunities for brighter futures.
Brandon Gobourne (left) Director of ES Science, Technology and Engineering, Milly Garcia (center) KIPP Star Harlem Elementary School Teacher, and Kaleb (right) 4th grade student at KIPP NYC—a Robin Hood Learning & Technology Fund grantee
As CEO of City Harvest, Jilly Stephens fights poverty daily—rescuing food, aiding families, and championing policies to make NYC a place where no one has to choose between rent and a meal.
Jilly Stephens, CEO of City Harvest
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Beam Center empowers NYC's underserved youth with creative tools, mentorship, and real-world skills, breaking cycles of poverty. With Robin Hood, they're empowering youth, one project at a time.
Izzi Stevenson (right) Apprenticeships Director at Beam Center, and Angeline (left) a student apprentice at Beam Center
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Filmmakers Daniel Nalladurai & Helena Kincaid-Nalladurai spotlight NYC's rising cost of living, sharing stories from Flushing, Queens families, inspiring action to protect the city's most vulnerable.
Helena Kincaid-Nalladurai (left) and Daniel Nalladurai (right), filmmakers at Sixty First Productions and directors of the Undo Poverty Flushing's "The Cost of Living" documentary
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By teaching AI literacy to NYC kids in underserved communities, Azi is closing the digital divide and unlocking opportunity—helping every child see their potential as a creator and problem solver.
Azadeh "Azi" Jamalian, PhD, CEO and Founder of The GIANT Room—a Robin Hood Learning & Technology Fund grantee
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From being Rising Leaders Collective members to serving on event committees, running races, volunteering, and even fundraising through their birthdays, Alexis and Sean are relentless poverty fighters.
Robin Hood Rising Leaders Collective members Alexis Allen (left) and Sean Allen (right)
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Cinthya Vásquez, Founder of WeSuap and BRL Entrepreneur-in-Residence, is breaking through financial barriers by empowering New Yorkers to "suap" their skills for resources.
Cinthya Vásquez, a Blue Ridge Labs at Robin Hood Entrepreneur-in-Residence and Founder of WeSuap
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Through AI innovation, Playlab helps educators like Wyman, Nkomo, and Ed to redefine education and empower teachers who are not just shaping students—they’re shaping futures.
Nkomo Morris and Ed Castro of NYC Public Schools; Wyman Khuu of Playlab—a Robin Hood Learning & Technology Fund grantee
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John King’s journey from loss and poverty to SUNY Chancellor drives his mission to expand education for incarcerated individuals, breaking cycles of poverty and creating second chances.
John King, Jr., Robin Hood Board Member, SUNY Chancellor, and 2024 Robin Hood Hero
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Nathalia's work as a preschool teacher embodies the fight against poverty and the need for affordable child care—nurturing students, supporting families, and creating lasting change in her community.
Nathalia Daza, Lead Preschool Teacher, Grand Street Settlement
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Sam and his family's gift to Robin Hood unlocked $90M for a state-of-the-art library and 174 affordable homes, tackling homelessness and educational inequity while honoring his parents' legacy to NYC.
Samuel Rosenblatt (center) and his sisters Jill Gordon (left) and Sarah Goos (right) at the ribbon cutting of the Joseph & Sheila Rosenblatt Building in Inwood
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