Philip is a Seattle native, but a New Yorker at heart. He comes to helpNYC with a philanthropic fire to help change the way our communities view and manage homelessness while working to address the underlying causes that lead to people experiencing homelessness in their lives.

He has worked with the Upper Manhattan Mutual Aid, The West Harlem Development Corporation and is a founding member of Uptown Wagons, a group of community members that does a weekly late-night food and PPE distribution to people experiencing homelessness in Harlem.

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Furwa J. Hussain is a Program Director for Muslims Against Hunger and has over 10 years of community service within the many diverse communities of NYC. She is extremely passionate about creating sustainable solutions within various sectors including education, food sustainability, mental health and housing. Currently she serves as a Board Member for Habitat for Humanity Young Professionals. She is a published author and advocates against the stigma around South Asian Mental illness through her literary work. In her free time you can find her tending to her hydroponic gardens, with a good book and hot cup of tea.

Emmanuel Martinez, has lived in the Bronx for over 25 years, residing in the North west Section of the Bronx. After graduating from John F Kennedy High School, he was accepted to the State University of New York in Cortland New York, being the first in his family to attend a university. While at SUNY Cortland, he joined Pi Kappa Phi, a national fraternity which focused on community engagement, civic duty, and more important building our youth to become future leaders.

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Charlotte Masters is a dedicated public health professional based in Brooklyn, New York. She is pursuing a Master of Social Work from Fordham University, following a BBA in International Business from The American Business School of Paris in France. Following experience in a client facing role with the homeless population, Charlotte hopes to direct her diverse educational and professional background to providing more robust options for those in need.

Joshua Parkin is a Community Leader, fierce Mental Health Advocate, and a Mental Health Peer Specialist. Josh retired in 2019 with more than twenty years in the entertainment industry spanning from Broadway to around the world touring as a union stage manager, stagehand, and audio engineer. He is an alumni of the New York City shelter system. Josh lives an active lifestyle in Recovery and brings the message of hope to his neighbors in need through his work at helpNYC. He has served as a Director on several national and international Boards of Directors, worked with LGBT Youth and has participated in some of the biggest events that have changed society. Josh was born in Maine and calls New York City home.

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The Reverend Cassandra G. Perry is the Executive Director of the 163rd Street Improvement Council. She also serves as Associate Pastor of the Williams Institutional CME Church, and is an Adjunct Professor at New York Theological Seminary. After studying in Spain and at the University of Oxford in England, she graduated from Duke University as an Angier B. Duke Scholar. She earned an MBA in International Marketing from the Garvin School of International Management in Glendale, AZ; then worked in the private sector for companies such as Honeywell, Pfizer, and Goldman-Sachs.

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