News + Events/November-December 2025
Thanksgiving is near and with it begins the countdowns for holiday shopping and gifting. It’s a busy time for us as well, as we ensure that the families who need our gifts the most this year can access our clinics and receive the care and relief they so urgently require.
The money we raise through Giving Tuesday on December 2 and our annual appeal during the last weeks of this year will go toward providing the essential medical, behavioral, dental, life skills and social support services needed by our patients to heal and rebuild their lives. Donations will also support free shuttle transportation to our clinic and supply food and clothing as well as personal and baby care needs as part of our “more than healthcare” model.
For 159 years, The Floating Hospital has been anchored in the conviction that healthcare is a fundamental human right, accessible to everyone. Now, more than ever, your support is critical to ensuring that we can continue to be a place of refuge and recovery for the families who need it most. Please donate what you can here.
Coats, toys and pjs, oh my!
We are in the season of peace, gratitude and giving, and it would not be the holidays around here without the joyous moments generated during our Candy Cane Lane week, taking place December 8 through December 12. We have already received generous pledges and gifts from Rise Light and Power, Dow Jones, Ronald McDonald House, Dreamwear, Common Point Queens, Paddistudio, the Lamont family, Gregoria Malaspina and the Montrose, Pennsylvania community.
In addition to our Amazon wishlist donors, young patients in temporary housing will be the beneficiaries of toy drives by Jet Blue, United Federal Credit Union, Alliant Insurance, the Allen-Stevenson School, and Blackbarn Restaurant. United Federal Credit Union and Jet Blue will also be joining us during the event with staff and team volunteers.
Donations of new toys, books, gift cards, coats, winter gear, socks, sleepwear and slippers for adults and children are all needed. We will accept drop-offs at the Community Outreach Center on Tuesdays through Fridays from 10am-4pm. For our teen patients, we are in particular need of gift cards.
This week of dreams coming true for kids and families, who have lost their homes and much more, would not be possible without the kind volunteers who help make it happen. Anyone interested in volunteering for the event should contact either Cynthia Davis at cdavis@thefloatnghospital.org or 718-784-2240, ext. 273, or Joan Brancaccio at volunteer@thefloatinghospital.org.
Davis can be contacted as well for pick-up of larger donations and other questions. An Amazon wish list has been set up for direct gift donations.
On an international stage
The Floating Hospital is honored to be one of 80 Action for Women’s Health awardees worldwide, chosen from some 4,000 applicants, to expand women's health solutions, and to push them further than we could alone (see our president’s year-end letter for more information). Being part of this select group means our programs can scale, our community grows, and the women we serve will have more pathways forward and necessities to thrive.
We have joined a global cohort of changemakers delivering innovative, scalable, and equitable solutions for women's health. We cannot wait to move forward with more resources, funded by Pivotal and managed by Lever for Change, and renewed focus on the communities who've trusted us from the start.
Read more about Action for Women’s Health here.
In the long run
Our second team of Waverunners crushed the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon along with their fundraising goals. We congratulate Wakim Andre, Shannon Bennett, Abiola Oke, Lily Round and Ashley Sandberg for their successful races.
And you can continue supporting them with donations until November 24 through our marathon webpage.
We are grateful to the New York Road Runners Club for inviting us to participate in the marathon as a charity partner again this year.