Planning Navigation
Target completion: Day of run
If you know Manhattan like the back of your hand, then you don't need the maps we've attached here. But you still need to read this section.
- Stop lists are provided to you in email, approximately two days before the run. Your stop list is very specific. Please stick to it. That means go to each of the stops on the list in the order in which they're given. That order may not always be the most logical way to navigate the streets of Manhattan, but it is set in order to be fair to all those receiving goods on the street. (So, for instance, someone at a stop at the end of a list on Friday is the first one on a list on Saturday.)
- Arrive at your first stop in the city at about 10:00 pm, and continue until the food runs out (typically between midnight and 1 am). Earlier arrival is certainly possible on weekdays, but much earlier and you'll get to the stops before the street folks have settled down for the night. And after 2 am, most folks are hunkered down and less interested in being woken up to try on clothes, though leaving lunches next to sleeping people is still appropriate.
- Obey traffic rules and avoid parking near private residences. See Neighborliness .
- Here are a series of maps to supplement Google Maps. They can be useful for navigating the streets, with one-way streets indicated:
- Weather. Bad weather doesn't negate the needs of the homeless for food, blankets and clothes. In fact, those needs tend to intensify. Some guidelines regarding weather:
- If conditions are too hazardous to drive a van, then find a four-wheel-drive vehicle and load whatever you can. We try not to cancel except in truly hazardous conditions. Please consult the office at least 48 hours in advance if the forecast is worrisome.
- You'll likely need to reduce the size of your group, and in most cases will want to leave the teenagers at home and take adults only.
- Pare down your supplies to the items that take up less space. Bring bag meals, hats, gloves, socks, t-shirts and underwear, and try to include a few coats and blankets for the most urgent cases.