The call for challenges is now open for the 2020 TOM:Columbia University Makeathon, taking place at the Makerspace in Columbia University February, 21 - 23. Makers are seeking Need-Knowers (individuals living with a disability, support workers, family members, health professionals, anyone with an intimate understanding of a neglected need) to submit a challenge they face on a daily basis. Need-Knowers will be placed into teams with Makers (engineers, designers, allied health professionals, etc.) and together you will develop a solution (prototype) over a weekend marathon of making.

If you are unsure what constitutes a challenge or would like to find out more about the TOM:Columbia University Makeathon, contact maayan@tomglobal.org.

Veterans are encouraged to submit a challenge to join the event. Apply here.

Join us at PS 257 in Brooklyn as we volunteer to help NYC Department of Homeless Services survey and assist our homeless population in the city's annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) count!

Sign up to join our team at PS 257 John Hylan in Brooklyn - or to sign up at another location convenient for you.

You MUST be registered with NYC DHS, but you can easily do so here: nyc.gov/hope

Here's what happens:

10 pm - You'll sign in at your location to link up with a team and receive training. Some locations will also have teams matched up with NYPD officers for added security.

12 midnight - Teams will survey their assigned area, completing forms for each individual they encounter, and offering assistance to individuals who are homeless. Surveys include veteran status of individuals who do not have housing.

3-4 am - Teams will survey their area until complete, which takes until approximately 3 or 4am.

Register here: nyc.gov/hope

Why does HOPE matter?

This is NYC's annual citywide mobilization of more than 2,000 volunteers from different community groups, organizations, and city agencies. It takes all of us to make this important count happen!

Veterans are more likely than our civilian counterparts to experience homelessness, and government resources to solve veteran homelessness can't be put to work without an accurate "point-in-time" count. While HOPE isn't a perfect count, it is the count that funding and resources are based on and will go toward the solutions that will be put to work in the subsequent year.

Join us in Brooklyn, or volunteer at another location near you!

Register here: nyc.gov/hope