On Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, something extraordinary happened at The Bowery Mission in Lower Manhattan. More than 50 Global Citizens from across New York City came together for a day of service that proved a simple truth: efforts to end extreme poverty begin in our own communities.
This wasn't just another volunteer day. It was a rallying cry ahead of the 2025 Global Citizen Festival in Central Park, where Global Citizens will gather on Sept. 27 to witness performances from Cardi B, Shakira, Tyla, Ayra Starr, Mariah the Scientist, Camilo and Elyanna while world leaders announce new commitments to defeat poverty and defend the planet.
The volunteer day at The Bowery Mission embodied Global Citizen's core belief that when everyday people take action, extraordinary change follows. Participants served meals, organized clothing donations, and prepared food while earning points toward festival tickets through concrete community action.
Service Meets Global Citizenship
The partnership between Global Citizen and The Bowery Mission, supported by Goodera, represents more than charity: it's community-building, dignity-restoration, and poverty alleviation in action. For over 150 years, The Bowery Mission has been a beacon of hope in Lower Manhattan, providing essential services to those experiencing homelessness and poverty, serving hundreds of meals daily, and creating pathways to permanent housing and employment.
As part of Global Citizen's 2025 campaign to mobilize 40,000 volunteers worldwide, this event demonstrated how taking practical action in our communities earns Global Citizens points toward festival tickets while creating real impact for those who need it most. The message was clear: grassroots service isn't separate from global advocacy, it's the foundation of the movement to end extreme poverty.
A Day of Impact
Global Citizens volunteered across multiple shifts at The Bowery Mission, participating in meal service and food preparation activities. Volunteer roles included breakfast service, lunch preparation, clothing room operations, afternoon meal prep, and dinner service.
Throughout the day, Global Citizen volunteers served 687 people across breakfast, lunch, and dinner services, while also prepping approximately 650 meals. The volunteer shifts ensured consistent meal provision and food preparation support for The Bowery Mission's ongoing operations.
Global Citizen volunteers prepare meals at The Bowery Mission on September 13, 2025, as part of a day of service supporting New Yorkers in need. Image: Supplied
Volunteers work together to pack meals at The Bowery Mission, linking local action with the movement to end extreme poverty. Image: Supplied
Hugh Evans, CEO of Global Citizen, helps pack meals alongside volunteers during the Global Citizen Day of Service at The Bowery Mission in New York City. Image: Supplied
Connecting Local Action to Global Action
Each participating Global Citizen earned points toward free tickets to the 2025 Global Citizen Festival through their volunteer service. Tickets were distributed on-site throughout the day to ensure accessibility for all participants, including those without smartphone access or reliable internet. This approach links direct community service with participation in Global Citizen's larger advocacy platform, where festival attendees witness policy commitments from world leaders alongside musical performances.
The volunteer day provided participants with direct experience in community service within the broader context of Global Citizen's mission to end extreme poverty. Volunteers who served at The Bowery Mission will attend the Central Park festival having participated in the type of local action that Global Citizen positions as essential to global change.
Building Toward the Festival
The Sept. 13 volunteer day built momentum toward the 2025 Global Citizen Festival in Central Park, where 60,000 Global Citizens are expected to gather. The festival represents the culmination of various actions taken by participants throughout the year, including volunteer service, such as the Bowery Mission event.
Global Citizen's model connects individual acts of service with larger policy advocacy. When participants take action through volunteering, advocacy campaigns, or other initiatives, the organization leverages this engagement to demonstrate public support for policy changes that address the underlying drivers of poverty.
Pathways for Continued Engagement
The Bowery Mission continues to offer volunteer opportunities for those interested in ongoing community service. Global Citizen provides various ways for participants to advocate for policy changes addressing poverty worldwide, including future volunteer shifts that allow people to earn festival tickets while creating community impact.
The Sept. 13 event exemplified Global Citizen's approach: connecting everyday people with concrete actions that contribute to the broader movement to end extreme poverty. Whether through local volunteering or global advocacy, the organization offers multiple pathways for people to create change.
The volunteer day at The Bowery Mission demonstrated how community service can serve as both a direct impact and a foundation for larger advocacy efforts. As Global Citizen continues its campaign to mobilize volunteers globally, events like this connect local action with the organization's mission to end extreme poverty through coordinated citizen engagement.
The 2025 Global Citizen Festival will bring together participants from events like the Bowery Mission volunteer day, creating a platform where local service connects with global policy advocacy. When Global Citizens gather in Central Park, they will include volunteers who have taken concrete action in their communities as part of the broader movement for change.
Join us as we come together for a day of inspiring performances, impactful conversations, and collective action for a better world. For more information, download the Global Citizen app and follow us on social media.
See you on Sept. 27 — let’s make history together!