New York Says Thank You Foundation is one of the leading U.S.-based disaster relief organizations. Launched in 2003, our mission is to build hope, provide healing to people around the world, and to continually “pay it forward” for the humanity, kindness, and volunteer spirit New Yorkers – and all Americans – experienced on 9/12.
September 11 and the period that followed demonstrated that bravery, generosity, and resourcefulness are keys to the human spirit. Through our unique service model, we empower disaster survivors to “pay forward” this spirit of hope and healing to communities whose hardships may not benefit from the level of resources focused on New York City.
We achieve these results through two main areas of programming that focus, respectively, on the immediate and long-term needs of communities affected by disaster, and activities that use the memory and experience of disaster to inspire hope and promote a culture of service.
For the past several years, we have operated five interrelated programs: 9/11 Anniversary Big Build, Hurricane Sandy First Responder Rebuilding Fund (completed in 2014), National 9/11 Flag Restoration, 9/12 Generation Project (managed by the APEF 2/2015), and Stars of HOPE ® (SOH).
We are focused on 2 numbers going forward into 2016: 1,000,000 and 100,000. Our new ten-year goal is to:
- Empower 1,000,000 families to bring more HOPE into this world by volunteering with their children – from HOME –through Stars of HOPE® Box of HOPE.
- Re-start Build For LIFE and empower 100,000 cancer survivors and their friends and family as volunteers to help rebuild the homes of cancer patients in major disasters.