The Urban Outreach Center of NYC

What The Urban Outreach Center of NYC does

The Urban Outreach Center of NYC is a nonprofit social services organization founded in 1990 (originally as the Homeless Outreach and Advocacy Program, renamed in 2014) that provides food, basic necessities, and social service connections to low-income and food-insecure New Yorkers, primarily in East Harlem and the Upper East Side. From a single facility at 1745 1st Avenue in Manhattan — opened in October 2020 — the center operates the first supermarket-style food pantry on the East Side of Manhattan, where guests choose their own food rather than receiving pre-packed boxes, supported operationally by refurbished iPad Mini devices for appointment-based guest check-in. The center also runs a weekly Tuesday Community Dinner, mail distribution for guests transitioning out of homelessness, and clothing and hygiene item distribution, collectively reaching over 65,000 people per year and distributing 2,000,000+ meals annually.

The organization's business model is donation- and grant-funded rather than revenue-generating. Programs are delivered free of charge to guests; funding comes from individual donations, corporate and foundation grants (including a $100,000 pledge from the Henrik Lundqvist Foundation / Garden of Dreams in 2021 and a $10,320 grant from the Siegel Family Endowment in 2022), in-kind food and product donations sourced through the NYC Food Assistance Collaborative (Food Bank of NYC, City Harvest, United Way of NYC, NYC HRA), and recurring faith-community partnerships such as the Archdiocesan Cathedral Philoptochos Society. Its GTM motion is community-led: donor stewardship, volunteer engagement (including corporate service days), and earned media (ABC 7, amNY, Patch, Gotham Gazette, Morning Brew) are used to sustain funding and volunteer supply for the direct-service operation. The organization is led by Executive Director Dr. Jordan Tarwater with a small staff of 1-10 employees and an eight-member Board of Directors chaired by Eva Vega-Olds.

Name

The Urban Outreach Center of NYC

Legal name

The Urban Outreach Center of NYC

Website

https://uocnyc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Urban Outreach Center of NYC is a nonprofit food pantry and social services provider founded in 1990 that runs a supermarket-style food pantry, weekly community dinner, mail distribution, and clothing/hygiene distribution from its Upper East Side facility, serving over 65,000 low-income and food-insecure New Yorkers annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (624210), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Food pantry services
• Humanitarian aid
• Homeless assistance
• Social services
• Community outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The organization relies on individual donor contributions to support food pantry operations, emergency financial assistance, and program delivery. EIN: 82-0642308.
2. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Corporate donors and foundations provide significant funding. Notable examples include Henrik Lundqvist Foundation and Garden of Dreams pledge of $100,000 to fight food insecurity.
3. In-Kind Food Donations: Receives food donations from the NYC Food Assistance Collaborative including Food Bank of NYC, City Harvest, United Way of NYC, and NYC HRA. Also receives donations from local restaurants, grocery stores, and food-rescue groups.
4. In-Kind Product Donations: Receives clothing, hygiene products, and other essential items through Amazon Wishlist, YouGiveGoods drives, and community donations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Urban Outreach Center of NYC provides free direct services to homeless and low-income New Yorkers, including a food pantry, community dinner program, mail distribution service for individuals without stable addresses, and clothing/hygiene item distribution. The organization also connects clients with broader social services resources, operating as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN: 82-0642308) since 1990, originally founded as the Homeless Outreach and Advocacy Program.

Product overview

The Urban Outreach Center of NYC operates as a single, unified nonprofit service organization offering a portfolio of programs centered on ending food insecurity in East Harlem and the Upper East Side. The core offerings consist of a Farmer's Market-Style Food Pantry (the flagship supermarket-style food distribution service), a Tuesday Night Community Dinner program, Mail Distribution services for transitional support, and Clothing and Hygiene item distribution. These programs work together to provide comprehensive support to vulnerable New Yorkers, combining food assistance with social services connections in a dignity-centered environment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Pantry Program Free food distribution program providing groceries and food items to homeless and low-income individuals in New York City.
• Community Dinner Program Free communal meal service providing hot dinners to homeless and low-income individuals at the organization's Manhattan location.
• Mail Distribution Service Mail and message service for individuals without stable addresses, enabling homeless clients to receive correspondence and important documents.
• Clothing and Hygiene Distribution Free distribution of clothing, hygiene items, and basic personal care supplies to homeless and low-income individuals.
• Social Services Connections Referral and connection service linking clients with broader social services resources including housing, healthcare, and benefits enrollment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 65,000 vulnerable New Yorkers served each year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Archdiocesan Cathedral Philoptochos SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2024Longstanding partnership dating back to the 1980s when they originated the weekly meal for homeless individuals that evolved into the Tuesday Community Dinner. Currently supports weekly healthy, restaurant-quality three-course dinner serving 200+ food-insecure neighbors through donations and volunteerism.
• Food Bank of New York CitycoreOthersPart of the NYC Food Assistance Collaborative providing food supply support to the center.
• City HarvestcoreOthersPart of the NYC Food Assistance Collaborative rescuing and distributing food to support the center's operations.
• United Way of NYCcoreOthersPart of the NYC Food Assistance Collaborative providing food assistance program support.
• NYC HRA (Human Resources Administration)coreOthersPart of the NYC Food Assistance Collaborative providing government support for food assistance programs.
• Grace Foods USAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonated groceries to the Urban Outreach Center as part of community outreach efforts, feeding essential workers and donating to charities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Project Renewal: NYC nonprofit delivering services for homeless and low-income individuals including meals, healthcare, and workforce programs. Comparable as a multi-service provider to the same NYC demographic.
• City Harvest: NYC's largest food rescue organization, sourcing surplus food and distributing to hundreds of community partners including UOC. Directly comparable as a NYC-focused food-insecurity nonprofit with similar donor base and beneficiary populations.
• Coalition for the Homeless: NYC's oldest homeless advocacy and direct-service nonprofit, providing food, shelter, and case management. Comparable in serving the same vulnerable populations in Manhattan.
• New York Common Pantry: Direct-service NYC food pantry and social services organization with choice-based pantry model in East Harlem. Closely comparable service design — choice-based pantry, social services connections, and similar Manhattan footprint.
• The Bowery Mission: NYC nonprofit providing meals, shelter, and social services to homeless and low-income New Yorkers. Directly comparable mission and beneficiary overlap, though operates shelter services UOC does not.

Broad incumbents

• Henry Street Settlement: Long-standing Lower East Side settlement house offering social services, arts, and education to vulnerable populations. Comparable breadth of community-based programs, though broader in mission than UOC.
• Catholic Charities of New York: Faith-based social services network operating food pantries, shelters, and case management across NYC. Comparable in service scope and beneficiary base, though multi-site and significantly larger.
• Food Bank for New York City: The largest hunger-relief nonprofit in NYC, operating citywide pantry and meal programs. Comparable as a major NYC food assistance incumbent, but operates at significantly greater scale and as a wholesale food distributor.

Emerging players

• God's Love We Deliver: NYC nonprofit providing medically tailored home-delivered meals to people living with serious illness. Adjacent comparable as a NYC meal-delivery social services nonprofit, though focused on a specific clinical population.

Regional players

• Hunger Free NYC: NYC-focused anti-hunger advocacy and SNAP enrollment organization. Comparable mission of addressing food insecurity in NYC, though primarily an advocacy/enrollment entity rather than direct food distributor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-urban-outreach-center-of-nyc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Urban Outreach Center of NYC