Five years ago, when I was living in New York City, I had the idea to create a non-profit organization called Faces in Between. As a psychiatrist working in a very busy emergency room in Manhattan, I met and treated homeless individuals every day. My idea in founding Faces in Between was to create a “face” and a “voice” for homeless persons, who otherwise tend to be ignored and treated as less than human by our society. However, after founding the organization, my life took a very different turn and I ended up moving to Virginia in 2017. I thought that was going to be the end of Faces in Between. And then one of the board members, Danielle Levin reached out to me and asked if I would be okay with her taking on leadership of the organization. I answered with a resounding yes, and that was the beginning of her amazing journey with the organization.
Faces in Between’s current mission statement:
Faces in between is a community outreach non-profit organization based out of NYC. We aim to provide platforms and resources for individuals living in economically disadvantaged situations in effort to reduce the associated stigmas and foster healthy connections between community members. We are dedicated to developing programs in an effort to increase the well-being and health of our society.
Since becoming President of Faces in Between, Danielle Levin has gone above and beyond anything that I could have imagined to positively impact the homeless community. Some of her accomplishments include:
- Won the Gorman Public Health Humanitarian Award, after obtaining her Masters in Public Health at Columbia University in 2020.
- Started a speaker series which has reached hundreds.
- Facilitated the distribution of 4,000+ self care items for homeless individuals.
- Launched an after school program (SNACC) to address food insecurity.
- Coordinated the distribution of 10,500+ meals in response to COVID-19.
- Contributed to policy development by consulting for New York State Representatives on how to more effectively respond to community needs.
I could not be more proud of Danielle and everything that she has accomplished. And I know that this is really just the beginning!
It truly warms my heart and brings me the utmost joy that a little idea that I had five years ago has grown into an amazing organization that has touched the lives of thousands of individuals. Thank you, Danielle, for all that you have done. I know that you will continue to touch lives and change the narrative!
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