ANNUAL REPORT
20
24
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty in the Bronx – A Letter from POTS’ Executive Director
Every morning, as I walk through the doors of our newly expanded headquarters, I am reminded of how much can grow from a foundation of dignity, compassion, and community. What began over forty years ago as a small soup kitchen has become a place of transformation. It is a place where our neighbors find support, our team members find purpose, and our larger community finds renewed hope.
The highlight of 2024 was the completion and opening of our expanded headquarters. This effort is part of our ongoing commitment to serve more clients, enhance the quality of our services, and create a space that is both welcoming and efficient for everyone who requires our help. More than a physical change, this expansion delivers on our belief that every person deserves to be treated with kindness, respect, and care, especially if they find themselves in a vulnerable time in their life.
The transformation began with the removal of the building next door, where POTS first opened its doors more than forty years ago. In its place, we added 5,000 square feet of new space. We can now offer over three million meals each year, give clients the opportunity to select their own groceries from our pantry, and provide greater privacy for case management and mentoring to pave the way for better futures.
In addition to our main site, our second location on the Grand Concourse, which opened in 2023, now houses our Legal Clinic and the offices of our Development, Finance, and Communications teams. It also includes a large classroom where clients can build job readiness skills, learn English, and take steps towards financial independence.
Throughout 2024, we continued to strengthen our partnerships with other nonprofit organizations and partners to step up our service delivery model, to increase the options we offer, and, to use our platform to advocate for better policies and programs for our community.
As we celebrated these milestones, we also witnessed a growing need. The rising costs of food, childcare, and rent have placed a tremendous burden on families in The Bronx. Most adults in our borough continue to struggle to make ends meet.
Despite these challenges, POTS continues to move forward, trusting in our model. We are inspired by the courage and perseverance of those who walk through our doors and despite the news about the world, we continue to see families and individuals escaping poverty and finding stability each year.
Thank you for being part of this journey. I invite you to explore this report, learn more about the progress we have made, and consider how you can join us in building a more just and hopeful future for all.
With gratitude,
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
OUR MISSION
POTS is a loving community in the Bronx striving to serve all who come to our doors. From meeting immediate needs to offering long-term comprehensive services, we partner with each individual to empower them to reach their potential.
Community Need
The Bronx is the borough with the lowest median income and the highest unemployment rate in New York City—and one of the highest in the state. Nearly 7% of Bronx residents are unemployed, and more than 63% of households are rent-burdened, spending over a third of their income on housing. For many, that number climbs as high as 90%, leaving little for food, healthcare, or other essentials.
Public benefits such as SNAP and housing vouchers are difficult to access and rarely sufficient to meet the true cost of living. As a result, many neighbors first come to POTS in crisis—seeking food for their families or urgent help avoiding eviction.
In 2024, 22% of all eviction filings in New York State were in the Bronx, despite the borough accounting for just 7% of the state’s population.
At POTS, we meet people where they are. Our team works to understand each person’s story and offer holistic support that honors their dignity. With kindness, respect, and compassion, we address urgent needs and walk alongside our clients on the path to a more stable, secure future.
POTS’ Programs
Dignity & Wellness Services offers clients in need a shower program, haircuts, a secure mailing address, and access to dental and medical care and substance abuse counseling.
Food Security Services provide anyone who comes to our door with pantry service (groceries and other nutritional food) and a community kitchen, which serves delicious, nutritious lunch year-round.
Long-Term Stability Services helps clients in their journey from crisis to stability by offering coordinated services tailored to the individual and their family, including case management, a legal clinic focused on avoiding evictions, a workforce development program, and a mentorship program.
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty
Beyond crisis response, POTS tackles systemic barriers through a comprehensive look at a person’s challenges to connect them with available resources on site and through referrals. Our holistic approach does not just meet immediate needs; it equips individuals and families with the tools to build a more secure future.
Our Impact in 2024
POTS provides comprehensive services to low-income New Yorkers, including emergency food assistance, legal services, workforce development, stability mentorship, and health and hygiene services.
In 2024, our programs delivered:
Food Security Program
3.2 million meals delivered in our Community Dining Room and Food Pantry
Workforce Development
150 job placements and dozens of clients completed workforce-training programs in our new facilities.
Case Management & Mentorship
Case managers filed 2,067 SNAP Applications netting $9.3 million in benefits. 275 mentor-supported households met 396 of their stability goals.
Dignity & Wellness
5,255 showers to 589 people, 2,878 haircuts to 974 clients, 860 individuals received secure mail service and we confirmed 55 placements in detox/rehab/mental-health treatment.
POTS puts its clients first
Our clients’ stories, filled with resilience, hope, and determination, offer a firsthand perspective on the challenges they face and the ways in which POTS has been able to make a meaningful difference in their lives.
This is the story of Antonieta:
Antonieta, a devoted mother of three, had built a stable life and looked to the future with optimism. With determination and self-reliance, she was preparing to launch her own delivery business by purchasing a truck. Her two older children, ages 15 and 16, were thriving, and she was expecting her third child. Antonieta was focused on her goals and committed to her family’s stability through hard work and faith.
Her plans were abruptly interrupted when complications arose during her pregnancy. She was in excruciating pain, contracted COVID-19, and was forced to stop working. Doctors warned that continuing the pregnancy would endanger both her and her unborn child. After undergoing an emergency C-section, her daughter Victoria was born premature and in critical condition. For two months, Victoria underwent intensive rehabilitation, facing serious nutritional and health challenges. The stress of caring for a medically fragile infant while watching her financial situation spiral became unbearable. She fell behind on rent, utilities, and even became the victim of a scam that stole what little money she had left.
Antonieta found her way to POTS after hearing about us at her local church. At a time when she was facing eviction, food insecurity, and unemployment, she turned to POTS for help and began rebuilding her life. From access to the food pantry to ongoing legal support to keep her home, Antonieta worked with POTS’ Staff to navigate public benefits for the first time in her life.
“I want to thank all of those who have supported POTS and more than anything ask them to continue helping others who are facing similar situations. I hope that God continues to give you strength.”
Jennessy Alonzo, Legal Advocate Supervisor says: “Clients like Antonieta come to us in distress. It is our job to understand them and help them. As part of the legal team, we focus on keeping them housed, but we are always listening to our clients to make sure they take advantage of the array of services provided at POTS”
Antonieta´s strength of character, grounded in her faith and love for her children, continues to carry her forward. Her story is a powerful reminder of why consistent, compassionate support matters. Because of it, families like hers have the chance not just to survive but to hope, to heal, and to thrive. POTS is here for Antonieta and we will continue to work with her with the aim of seeing her find the stable conditions she needs to go back to dream big and secure a better future for her family.
Insights from the 2024 POTS’ Impact Forum: Pathways to Financial Empowerment for Underserved Communities in NYC
In our 2024 POTS’ Impact Forum, we explored how to build pathways to financial empowerment for low-income New Yorkers. With no one-size-fits-all solution to economic stability, our panelists shared concrete actions advancing workforce development, employment, and entrepreneurship across underserved communities.
Speakers from the NYC Department of Small Business Services and the NYC Employment and Training Coalition reflected on post-pandemic challenges, promising strategies, and future opportunities to support New Yorkers striving for financial independence.
We were especially proud to include insights from POTS’ Community Advisory Committee, representing the voices and lived experiences of the clients we serve.
Catch the full conversation here and be inspired by the work being done to uplift our communities.
Financials
Thanks to the support of our donors, we maintained a strong financial position throughout 2024. Our commitment to using donated funds efficiently has paid off in terms of low management and fundraising costs.
REVENUE
| Individuals & Community Groups | $1,525,048 | |
| Government | $1,873,080 | |
| Foundations & Corporations | $3,578,870 | |
| Special Events | $1,073,378 | |
| In-kind | $2,035,143 | |
| Other | $415,080 | |
| TOTAL REVENUES | $10,500,599 |
EXPENSES
| Food security program | $4,237,809 | |
| Long Term Stability Program | $3,508,126 | |
| Dignity and Wellness Program | $487,730 | |
| Management and general | $510,758 | |
| Fundraising | $1,112,870 | |
| TOTAL EXPENSES | $9,857,293 |
PART OF THE SOLUTION AND AFFILIATE AUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION
| ASSETS | 2023 |
|---|---|
| ASSETS | 2024 |
| Cash and cash equivalent | $2,600,267 |
| Restricted cash | $334,941 |
| Investments | $4,383,352 |
| Contributions and grants receivable | $2,167,398 |
| Prepaid expenses and other assets | $148,649 |
| Right of use assets, operating leases | $2,851,154 |
| Property and equipment, net | $10,251,674 |
| ASSETS | $22,737,518 |
| LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS | 2021 |
|---|---|
| LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS | 2024 |
| LIABILITIES | |
| Accounts payable and accrued expenses | $305,341 |
| Deferred revenue | $367,396 |
| Operating lease liabilities | $3,025,535 |
| LIABILITIES | $3,698,272 |
| NET ASSETS | 2021 |
|---|---|
| NET ASSETS | 2024 |
| Undesignated | $17,161,842 |
| Board designated for capital campaign | $503,000 |
| Total net assets without donor restrictions | $17,664,842 |
| With donor restrictions | $1,374,404 |
| NET ASSETS | $19,039,246 |
| LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS | $22,737,518 |
PART OF THE SOLUTION AND AFFILIATE AUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES
| OPERATING REVENUE WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS | |
|---|---|
| REVENUE | 2024 |
| Contributions | $1,525,048 |
| Government Grants | $1,873,080 |
| Foundations and corporate contributions | $3,578,870 |
| Special events, net of expenses | $1,073,378 |
| In-kind contributions | $2,035,143 |
| Investment income | $341,632 |
| Miscellaneous income | $73,448 |
| TOTAL OPERATING REVENUE | $10,500,599 |
| Expenses | |
|---|---|
| EXPENSES | |
| Food security program | $4,237,809 |
| Long Term Stability Program | $3,508,126 |
| Dignity and Wellness Program | $487,730 |
| Management and general | $510,758 |
| Fundraising | $1,112,870 |
| EXPENSES | $9,857,293 |
| CHANGE IN NET ASSETS | |
|---|---|
| CHANGE IN NET ASSETS | |
| Change in net assets | $643,306 |