The Bowery Mission - Flagship Campus in
New York (NY)

Just because you are the best of the worse, that doesnt make you good. That what the Bowery makes me think. So here are some warnings for anyone thinking about receiving their services: 1. Be extremely careful with any food that you eat there, especially with anything that is bread based or made at a bakery.(Expired Bread, Hard As Rocks Stale Bagels, old pastries are constant). The amount of times that I have seen people getting stomach problems after eating there is huge. Try to get whatever has been actually cooked. They know about these but they dont care. 2. If you are staying at the Lafayette Campus, DO NOT. drink water from the Water Fountain. That entire area near the court district has been designated as Legionares Disease spot. The water is not filtered. LD is a super serious thing around there. Drinking fountain water is banned at many of those buildings but not at the good old Bowery. Gastroenteritis is not cool. 3. If you decide to get enrolled in a program they will play little tricks such as putting you through a bio-psycho-social interview where they will ask you personal questions with the goal of connecting you with some of your traumas to dismantle your ego and present themselves as your route to salvation. After that they will play the good guy salvation poetry and offer you either a long term program full of curfew and restrictions or a short term program (if you have a job) that will require that you agree to some sort of financial restrictions of your salary in order to put your money in some sort of savings account. You will find about manynof the restrictions once you have already wasted a lot of your time. This is done tactically because they know that if they explain the restrictions beforehand you will not even start the process. 4. Do not fall for their "Jesus Poetry". Shelters can be a productive business and adding a religious component works in favor of their institutional goals and their IRS status. There is a "Chapel Service" when you stay overnight there that although in sync with their Jesus Poetry, it will give you the opportunity to decrease the amoun of in-floor time in the Congregated Floors. Less time in those rooms means less potential altercations with other people that staying in a room designed for 36 people where they put up to 60 people. That being said there are many legit churches nearby that you can visit that have interesting programs. Do your research. Presbyterian churches tend to be honorable and some Catholic Churches have programs that follow a more cohrerent moral standard outside of a corporate mentality.f you practice religions such as Islam or Hinduism or any variation of Budhism, there are temples nearby too. 5. Remember that it is a low barrier shelter. There will be pool of people with different backgrounds, some of them will be bad (in some cases you may encounter extrmely evil people) but there are also good people going throug a rough time. Choose your interactions wisely. 6. The frontline staff are not your enemies. They are usually good people with their own set of circumstances trying to make a living. They have a lot of knowledge. Ironically, some of the security guards have more tactical knowledge about services and strategies to survive than the social workers. I hope this helps someone.

I volunteered for a breakfast shift as i was visiting new york and it was a really nice experience, signing up was easy and they explained everything at arrival. Other volunteers were really nice and there was security in case there was any trouble (there was not). It was an easy way to contribute to this community.

God is providing for His children through His Love, Grace and Mercy. So joyful to see our brothers and sisters NEED are met and care for. As a community, let us continue to share God's Undying Love that is freely given. Be Bless.

I recommend this church because here they serve very good and delicious food. They also give away what you really need, such as jackets, shoes, gloves, hats, soap, etc. That's why I give it five stars. The people in charge are very kind and help you with everything.

Volunteered here with my work team and we had a wonderful time! Their mission is heartwarming and the employees at the shelter are so kind. They are so grateful for the support. I can’t wait to go back and volunteer next time I’m in NYC!

I am an alumni of The Bowery Mission’s Life Transformation Program. The Bowery Mission has nothing for the alumni if they need help. I became homeless in 2017 and I had to go back there and it was a nightmare. I was treated like a second class citizen. You now have to pay program fees and still save money if you go back there and stay. A poorly run organization. Nothing for the alumni. I am very disappointed.

Visiting New York City for one week and was really taken aback by the levels of homelessness here. Decided to give my jacket that had kept me warm and dry for 7 years already for somebody who could really do with it here. I arrived and was greeted by a lovely security guard on the door who took in the jacket with no fuss. Would totally recommend donating clothes here if you’re local. Thank you to the Bowery mission for the good work they’re doing.

Supper amazing people. Chaplin Jason is loving, caring, and friendly! Harrison gave us a wonderful tour and history of the mission.

There's a black security guard here with dreads and blonde at ends, he is very VERY rude and unprofessional, I don't like how he ALWAYS be skipping the middle row, my friend and I tried talking to him and let him know that it's not okay to do that, he ignored us, I don't be having time sitting here for 2+ hours when I gotta go to work at a certain time. Yah need to talk some sense into him since he's too boujee to a knowledge us and take constructive criticism.

If you snore you should get punched in the face... Selfish not to have nose strips jerks...these women man. Semi clean, I can tell they don't moo or something each day. Never smells like cleaning solutions but ok for a few nights.

Food is great and people are funny made time go faster

I had the opportunity to make this a breakfast stop few weeks ago. I saw folks in lines waiting but not very long. Tickets of colors were handed out and you were called by the color. You go in orderly, languages and bad behavior was not tolerated. They also are ambassadors for homeless people.

I really enjoy going to the valley mission to hear the word and to communicate with the community and they have a lot of positive outreach for the homeless people and people that not homeless just need information but since the pandemic they have truly truly disappointed me I have to say 40 years Thanksgiving holiday on Thanksgiving me and my husband. And after the thing after the holidays and pandemic it seem like we can't get anything from them no clothing no showers a lot of decent meal for the last 3 months we've been eating sandwiches I mean cold hard sandwiches everyday but all I can say is God is good and hope it gets better and the way

I love the fact that every meal or before it is Church for the Homeless and God is the Center of everything here! Scripture is all over the walls in the waiting room! The meals they give plenty of food and it does taste good. One breakfast I was served Malto meal and reminded me of home. Coffee is good in the morning to. I like the fact they have Plastic screens on the tables because of COVID 19 and no one sitting at the table can breathe on another person food it's a nice protection and i love the fact they give out small bibles to. Every day there can be church and get a good sermon which is awesome. And I love the fact they have made their restroom a public one even if they are not in business in serving others food all have to is knock on the door and ask to use it and they allow you to use the restroom. Very nice place and friendly staff.

Please do not donate any money to this organization ! They say they use the money to feed & provide help to the the homeless. Which do they feed the homeless but they also help themselves to a lot of the contributions. I’m here right now in the East Harlem Campus & was told I would have to leave tomorrow because I do not want to put my savings from my savings account into their escrow account. Does it sound like they are helping the homeless ? It’s more like a cult then a program here. But there’s more I’m a graduate of this program i graduated in 2004, and even back then they the counselors would help themselves to the donated clothes for us. I lasted over 20 years without returning here it took a fire & a few other things to bring me back.

This place is truly amazing!!! I am so grateful and thankful for the services that this place offers!!! Not only will you have a place that will give you a hot meal that is actually very good, You will also be treated with so much respect, love and care!!! The volunteer here are always so welcoming and willing to assist in any way. I have recently been going through a very hard time and if it wasn't for this place I would of gone without food. So thank you to all the wonderful people who volunteer here, Keep up the great work!!

This place used to be a true godsend...a gourmet meal three meals a day, AND an excellent service before each meal. Since they merged with NY Rescue Mission the quality of food (and religious services) has suffered. And covid has forced them to stop serving dinner for reasons that make no sense (welcome to American socialism). Still, this is a great place, with a great staff. If you're hungry, visit them for breakfast or lunch. You won't be disappointed

This place is great for anyone in a bind or dealing with a financial crisis. In the winter they have coat drives, homeless people can shower I think 2 days out of the week and at least once a week if you show up early enough and wait there you can get any kind of clothing you may need. But of course the biggest thing is that they serve lunch everyday during the pandemic and the food is actually pretty good, it's normally stuff that's donated by restaurants in the area. Before the pandemic they served breakfast lunch and dinner 365 days a year on Thanksgiving they used to always do Thanksgiving dinner I don't know if they did that during the pandemic. Presumably that stuff will eventually go back to normal. But for now you can get lunch and they usually give people something to take home to supplement the fact that they don't serve dinner right now.

This place is dedicated to helping people in need. They provide free lunch on site seven days a week. Currently breakfast and dinner serving is suspended due too the COVID-19 pandemic. The food is usually pretty good too. I highly recommend this place to anyone dealing with a financial crisis.

I volunteered before the pandemic and they provided free clothing showers and free breakfast lunch and dinner comprised of really great donations from local restaurants and bakeries. They had church services and also provided shelter but the residents had to be drug free and complete a program otherwise they provided referrals. Since Covid they are only serving breakfast and lunch outside to grab and go. Only the missions residents get three meals daily in their dining area and they are not providing church service to the public anymore.

It's a faith base organization that loves helping folks get back on their feet. Whether your in need of social services, a place to eat or even sleep, they're excellent at helping and directing you. You are not alone.

They serve meals to the homeless,plus if u need a shower or clothes they will provide those services. U can also volunteer some time if u like. Great institution great church! Thanks to the staff they r courteous nd respectful to all.

Fantastic staff. Great food. Wonderful preaching and singing. Caring. Kind. Helpful. I attended a celebration of a new book about the Bowery Mission written by pastor Jason Storbakken. I had a wonderful time. This mission is so historic and has helped countless people over the years

When I was homeless, I was living at a shelter that was a few blocks from here. The food at my shelter was vile, so I ate plenty of meals here. The food was hit or miss mainly, but it was always something edible. Sometimes the portions were small, but they feed ALOT of people here. All food is donated and prepared onsite. And never once did I get sick eating the food here, unlike the shelter that I was living at. Some of the clientele were street homeless, so sometimes you had to deal with all those issues. They also distribute clothing a couple of days per week. Its a LONG wait, but it is worth it if you need clothing. I got a few REALLY nice outfits here - all well known name brands. If you tell them that you are looking for work, they will do their best to put an outfit together that you could wear to interviews. For the street homeless, they also provide showers for them once or twice a week. They also have doctors that volunteer their time once a week that provide free care - Medicaid not required. They also provide rehab programs and shelter services. I'm not too familiar with them - Its not a facility that NYC sends people to. Its a Christian organization. NOTE: They ask that you attend the one hour chapel service before each meal, but they don't require you to. However if you don't attend, it will take longer for you to be fed - they send people to the cafeteria row by row. The chapel services are always different, and some are very enjoyable. Sometimes Amish or Mennonite groups will come in from out of state and will sing Christian songs as well as preach. I had strayed from the Lord for years, and the chapel services really helped me to reconnect. For that alone I will always be grateful.

Don't let the other reviews fool you. They know how to put on a show. Favoritism is key here, I can mention more than a few names of people who've generously helped themselves to donations but I'm not going to. This place does not provide any resources to get out of your situation but rather than help, it's a do it on your own and if nothing works out they'll still kick you out (you can't enter the program for 3 months after you've been kicked out). I've watched honest working men get kicked out over addicts that continued to violate the rules. The pastor in the chapel is spiteful and will do anything in his power to get back at anyone who's done something or said anything he doesn't like. The men who are at the front desk are usually part of the program so it depends on who was already rude before you get there or if you're lucky to get an actual competent human being. The food from what I remember was fine until they hired someone who obviously doesn't care about her job or what she serves to the less unfortunate, I've watched her suck her teeth and give a hard time to anyone who has specific dietary requirements being religious or due to diet. If you didn't want the job you shouldn't have taken it. Same to say to a majority or the so called "Godly people here". I hope this place gets exposed for the joke it is.

I mean it is a Spiritual place that reaches out only for men of all ages. They do provide 3 meals a day. Very healthy great food for which I visit often for. The main reach are out to homeless and less fortunate people. Take sanitizer. But keep a lite heart it is the heavenly father's house

I found myself homeless three years ago, from sober housing, to the shelter and drug programs, eating regularly was not possible. The Mission helped make sure that me and others in the same need were taken care of. Three meals a day, a food pantry and the experiences others in this position I found myself in. I'm in my own apartment, am going back to school and have been sober for 3 years and 21 days.