This is a group of self-organized volunteers that routinely camp out on streets across Manhattan late at night (i.e., 11pm -2am), several times a month to hand out supplies to the homeless.
Nothing wrong with helping the needy. But here are the problems I've experienced first-hand, and why this is probably the most tone-deaf and destructive charity to the local communities in Manhattan:
1) Illegal and RECKLESS parking and set-up on public streets:
They come to my block on the Upper East Side with 3-5 large vans, and draw large crowds of homeless people (who are not from the local neighborhood. I know because I would recognize those guys). They set up their vans and food stands literally several FEET OFF the exit of E 59th St highway (why??), thereby blocking the entire street and making it impossible for cars speeding down from the highways to pass through. I've confirmed their reckless parking/set-up is NON-PERMITTED and NYPD had to move them
2) TRASHING THE STREET / USING THE CITY AS A DUMPING GROUND:
They come in from Dobbs Ferry, and use the city as a dumping ground in the name of "doing charity." The organization ends up trashing the whole street with every visit. In the morning after, there are always litter, spilled food and drinks, paper plates and cups, tons of filth on the streets and in front of my apartment building.
3) Invading PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY and causing DISTURBANCES:
I live in a 5-story, typical UES walk up. My street is quiet and lined with other residential buildings. It's a quaint street and people are usually home / in bed by midnight or 1am. These volunteer mofos literally set up their stands OUTSIDE the apartment building doors, directly IN and BLOCKING the walk way of an apartment building - as if the charity OWNS the building. As a result, I have 20-30 homeless people gathering and loitering outside my apt building into the wee hours of the night - and they're not quiet either. There are PLENTY of other more spacious streets/avenues nearby, with commercial buildings that are closed for the night, where they can go.
4) CREATED HOSTILITY IN MY COMMUNITY:
Their operations often invite hostile homeless people who are NOT directly from my local neighborhood. As mentioned above, because Midnight Run chooses to set up their operations right in front of a residential building, homeless men and professional PANHANDLERS often end up loitering RIGHT outside my apt doorway. One mofo who was not homeless, but asking for handouts, even yelled racial slurs as I was trying to enter my building ("Go back to Korea!" (not Korean) while he was standing in my home. And guilting me with such remarks as, "You have a condo while these people are homeless!" also while he was standing in my home.)
5) People running this operation are TARGETING THE WRONG NEIGHBORHOOD andIGNORANT of the homeless epidemic pervading the city:
If you want to help and truly make an IMPACT to a neighborhood, set up your operations somewhere people actually NEED HELP (i.e., South Bronx) - or drop off your supplies or SET UP YOUR OPERATIONS DIRECTLY OUTSIDE A HOMELESS SHELTER, OR A PUBLIC PARK...and NOT an UES residential building .
The other review talks about how great this organization is. But that's only one side of the story. read more
