For students like Daniel Diaz ’13TCB, solving New York City’s homelessness problem begins with hope – the annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) program, to be precise. “It’s tragic to see men and women sleeping on the streets of the city,” explained Diaz. “That’s why the Night of Hope is so important, providing students like myself with an opportunity to roll up my sleeves and make a difference.” Created by New York City’s Department of Homeless Services, the HOPE initiative sends thousands of volunteers across the five boroughs to conduct a street survey of New York’s unsheltered population. This survey is necessary to help ensure funding for homeless services, and hundreds of St. John’s University students have signed up to do their part. “Throughout the night, we comb the streets of a particular neighborhood to find those in need,” Diaz continued. “We meet individuals who are sleeping in parks, streets or a variety of other public places, so we mark that down and inform these people of how they can receive help from street outreach programs.” Night of Hope is particularly unique because it humanizes the homelessness statistic. Instead of merely dealing in numbers, students meet and get to know the individuals who they are serving. “Without a doubt, it feels great to know that we’re helping to reduce the number of people sleeping outdoors,” said Diaz. “But when you meet these individuals face-to-face, you forget about the raw numbers and start thinking solely about that unique person. That’s a big reason why the initiative has such a powerful effect on participants like myself.” You can help ensure that our students can continue to take advantage of service opportunities like this by making a gift to St. John’s today. The generosity of our alumni and friends makes it possible for students to carry their commitment of helping others into their personal and professional communities.