About Us
Who We Are
(In)visible Women NYC is a non-profit organization based in the United Nations International School in Manhattan. Our organization started in October 2017. It is run and operated by high school students who have a passion for bettering our community, specifically those who feel that we cannot turn a blind eye to the disadvantaged homeless women around us.
What do we do?
We are centered around helping homeless women in the New York community. Here, thousands of women suffer from homelessness. From job discrimination to lack of affordable housing to child care, women in unstable living conditions face so many challenges. These issues make the everyday life of homeless women immensely difficult and we are committed to providing them with the necessities to help them adjust to shelter life and look to a brighter, safer future. In addition, we strive to prevent readmission into the New York shelter system, as this is a cause for overcrowding among other issues. We host fundraisers, including public storytelling events, bake sales, and raffles and use those proceeds to help meet the needs of a local transitional women's shelter, The Dwelling Place.
Why (In)visible Women?
Walking around New York City, people pass by the homeless as if they are just part of the surroundings. Hardly anyone pauses to give thought to the plight that these women face every moment of their lives. Nobody turns their head or asks how they can help. Those without homes are virtually invisible. They are thought of as dirty substance abusers. We are here to clear the stigma so that people can finally concentrate on how we, as members of a community can help.
Of course we recognize that people of all gender identities experience homelessness, yet we have chosen to support specifically homeless women because they are the most vulnerable population. In New York, a majority of homeless women would rather sleep on the streets than join a shelter because they are harassed and often their special needs are not catered to. Many women have been left as single mothers, or as victims of domestic abuse. These is only a scarce number of shelters specifically for women in the five boroughs and we have chosen to support these.