Do For One

A relationship-building program that brings isolated people into greater community life. That knowledge prompts radical personal action to address those needs.

We work toward a future where the world is keenly aware of the problems people with disabilities face. Inclusion replaces exclusion, as communities grow in strength and diversity.

05/14/2026

Click our LINK IN BIO to register for our upcoming info session and come learn about Do For One’s mission, approach to building relationships across societal barriers, and ways to get involved.

Spring Info Session
Monday, May 18th
7-9PM (Doors open at 7pm)
109 East 31st Street, NY, NY

05/08/2026

Many Advocates share that they came to Do For One looking for a way to help out or give back, only to find that they benefit from their one-to-one relationship just as much, if not more, in the most unexpected ways.

Martha has been an Advocate and dear friend to Sandy since 2022.

Martha reflects on how her own view of her role and responsibility in Sandy’s life has shifted over the years.

“At first I thought that if I didn’t see growth or “progress” in Sandy’s life, then I wasn’t being effective in the relationship. I honestly wondered am I even making a difference in her life?

I don’t see it that way anymore. I think God put her in my life to teach ME how to be a good friend and just to keep being present, whether she is doing great or having setbacks, God put her in my life simply to be there for her.”

05/05/2026

Elaina and Alana have very similar names, but they are pronounced slightly differently! 😉

In addition to both being dedicated Do For One Advocates, Elaina and Alana serve as voluntary Core Leaders on our Relationship Support Committee, alongside Megan and Jason (not pictured).

As committee members, they help our staff team to strategically recruit promising Advocates through their own trusted networks, as well as other creative ways.

They also help with facilitating discussions at our Advocate Forums, where Advocates are invited to enjoy a meal and learn from one another’s experiences in small groups (swipe to see more photos from our most recent forum).

This year, Advocates discussed topics like…

- How to establish healthy boundaries in friendships across barriers
- How to navigate tensions related to money in a friendship where one person has access to more resources
- How to support parents of a child with a disability in a way that feels sustainable, but still meaningful

Each year, Do For One hosts 15 group learning opportunities including

- Advocate Forums
- Lecture Nights
- Leadership training sessions
- & Info sessions

This Spring, we are aiming to raise $20K to cover all hospitality costs for our training events in 2026, accounting for $7K of the $20K goal. We cannot do this work without your support. Link in bio to GIVE! 💛

04/28/2026

Six years ago almost to this date, Jason and Gene were introduced through Do For One.

Gene, the Partner (left), is a gifted poet, and a few years ago, he decided to write one together with his Advocate, Jason (right).

Jason writes,

“God says do unto others as you want done unto you
How many times have I been forgotten?
Gene and I connected cause God has taught
me to notice those unseen in the room.
He asked me one Sunday to
come speak to his group.
I was honored he was letting me into his troop
I helped him grab the food and stepping back
to see him at work made me smile.
We got to talk, hang, and because of him,
I was allowed to give teaching and preaching a trial.
It meant so much to me and something I’ve
thought about for a while.
Out of that came so many other blessings that
he’ll never know.
He has allowed my walk of faith to be so
heightened
And my view of others to be righteously
tightened
That day was a deposit of what God taught me.

Gene writes,

“Jason is my Do For One,
Friend.
Our fun never ends.
We love to hang out and just talk.
Sometimes we go for a scenic walk.
Or, we just sit on a park bench and pray.
We share our lives when skies are sunny, and when skies are gray.
We both love to be funny, and, look at the brighter side.
Our sacrificial hearts are open wide.
We love to talk about food.
It gets us in a great mood.”

04/22/2026

Catherine, the Partner on the left, and Marina, the Advocate on the right, recently enjoyed a picnic in Central Park with Marina’s puppy.

From the first time Catherine met Marina, she felt comfortable opening up to her about some of her dreams as well as her challenges.

Catherine said,

“Marina is a lovely person. She is so understanding, and she understands when I share with her about my loneliness. I love getting together with her and her dog Roxanne.” ❤️🐕🐾

04/13/2026

This past weekend, many of our Board, staff, affiliates, and core leaders got together to take a deep look into Do For One’s impact over the last decade, to dream about the future of Do For One together, and to lift our longings to God in prayer.

We meditated on a passage from Galatians 5:22:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Against such things there is no law.”

We reflected on this question in response:

“What fruit has this work actually produced in us?

Not in our programs, but in ourselves?”

More than longing for impressive data, a higher number of matches each year, more donations, or more recognition…we long to be a community of people marked by love, growing in the fruits of spirit not only in our work but in our personal lives.

04/01/2026

People often ask us, “How do you measure your impact?”  We often say that we measure not so much by outcome, but by the Good Fruit we witness.

When Martina’s daughter Paris (Partner) was invited to be a witness at her Advocate Seulgi’s wedding, Martina eloquently put words to the deeper, often intangible, impact that was unfolding:  “Do For One’s human-centered, heart-centered truth is palpable and manifests in the extraordinary people that participate in and grow lasting friendships together.”

This is what we mean by Good Fruit.  The most meaningful results cannot be captured in a pie chart. Good Fruit is found in the quieter, harder-to-quantify transformations such as personal growth and the slow building of a more just and compassionate world.

“We all love and adore her (Seulgi) and her husband, David. Their friendship to Paris has given us a beautiful gift that continues to give and to grow.”

- Martina (Paris’s mother)

03/17/2026

We have a NEW DATE for our info session that was unfortunately postponed last night!

Click our LINK IN BIO to register for our upcoming info session and come learn about Do For One’s mission, approach to building relationships across societal barriers, and ways to get involved.

Winter Info Session (Rescheduled)
Monday, March 23rd
7-9PM (Doors open at 7pm)
109 East 31st Street, NY, NY

hope humanity advocacy friendship relationships nonprofitsupport

03/12/2026

Last Saturday marked the launch of our 4th year offering Lead For One, our leadership level course designed to equip people to build freely given relationships for our marginalized and isolated neighbors in contexts both within AND outside of Do For One.

We believe that relationship-building across barriers doesn’t have to be confined to one program alone. It can ripple outward through collaboration and shared learning.

Within our 2026 cohort are leaders representing different organizations, local congregations, and community initiatives.

Collectively, they come from a wide range of vocational backgrounds including social work, human services, teaching, advocacy, non-profit management, raising a child with a disability, and more. All are seeking to address issues of social isolation through relationship building.

Swipe through for photos from this year’s cohort, and previous cohorts!

02/27/2026

One of the fastest-growing uses of artificial intelligence today is companionship, arriving amid what many now call a loneliness epidemic. This convergence creates a troubling dynamic, in which technology appears to offer an easier, more controllable substitute for the vulnerability of real human relationships.

This week, Andrew gave a lecture exploring the dangers of AI companionship and the risks it poses to isolated and marginalized people, but also from what it reveals about the indispensable nature of person-to-person relationships.

He concluded with a simple but powerful reminder:  “We don’t need better machines, we need each other.”

Now consider the contrast between what artificial intelligence promises and what real friendship actually provides…

Shanquette is a fiercely loving mother who was also born with a physical disability. She recently shared that one of the most surprising gifts of being matched through Do For One with Kim has been the impact it has had on her son.

At first, Shanquette simply hoped to get out of the house more.

Fast forward two years, and the two women (plus Stefan) have shared all kinds of adventures together.

When Stefan sees his mom spending time with Kim,
whether it’s fishing off NYC piers,
flying kites in Central Park,
or simply sharing life over a meal,
he no longer sees her as a struggling, isolated mom.

He sees her as someone fully capable of friendship.

02/19/2026

Belinda, Judy’s Advocate, says, “I’ve learned how to listen with more than just my ears…

If you know Judy, she usually smiles really sweetly and nods her head.

Judy doesn’t say too many words - maybe like yes’s and no’s and agreements here and there.

But the first time we drove to church together, a gospel song came on that she knew and she sang every word.

She listens really intently and cares very deeply for her friends.”

Though Judy and Belinda knew each other for a long time through their church community, it wasn’t until a year ago when, through Do For One, they had the chance to get together at Judy’s home. Since then, the two have become close, committed friends both within and outside of church.

Judy, the Partner, says,

“I like spending time with her. She makes me happy.
We worked on a puzzle. We drink hot chocolate.
I helped at the church party.”

Belinda says,

“The work of Do For One can be slow, but it goes really deep. You can help change the trajectory of someone’s life just by being their friend.”

Address

455 Main Street
New York, NY
10044

Telephone

+13476690513

Website

http://DoForOne.org/

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