Each year, Veronique, a member of The Fortune Society’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, volunteers for the New York City Homeless Outreach Population Estimate. This critical outreach effort aims to identify and connect unsheltered people with resources in their communities. This year, it will take place on March 10, from 12 AM to 3 AM.  

During the outreach, volunteers canvas streets, subway stations, parks and other public spaces across the city to locate unsheltered individuals and acknowledge their presence in the community.  

Veronique learned about the outreach initiative in 2018, during her time in graduate school, and has volunteered every year since. She shared that, because of her previous experience with homelessness, she feels compelled to help others in her community who face the same challenges.

In 2025, Robin Hood released a Poverty Tracker Report analyzing the racial wealth gap in New York City. The report stated that the racial wealth gap in NYC is extreme, with the median total wealth held by white New Yorkers at $320,000, compared to $2,800 held by Black New Yorkers and $0 held by Latino New Yorkers.  

As a community representative for the NYC Homeless Outreach Population Estimate, Veronique shared that these statistics remain at the forefront of her mind during her time volunteering and drive her continued passion for this project.

Veronique explained that, for anyone newly interested in volunteering, there are opportunities to prepare ahead of the outreach event. All volunteers receive a script and important information on speaking to people respectfully and on the most effective way to approach someone who may be sleeping.  

Veronique also noted the importance of understanding that not everyone the volunteers approach is interested in connecting with services. Instead, it is most important to acknowledge everyone they come across while canvassing.

Veronique’s dedication to New York City’s Homeless Outreach Population Estimate highlights how lived experience and compassion can drive real change. As New Yorkers continue to face the challenges of homelessness and inequality, volunteers like Veronique remind us that meaningful progress begins with empathy and connection. Supporting these outreach efforts is a step toward building a more inclusive and caring city for everyone.