A Forest Hills bar is holding a fundraiser March 5 to benefit Backpacks for the Street, a non-profit group formed by two locals that provides essentials for the homeless.

Austin Public, located at 70-28 Austin St., plans to raise money through a raffle at the bar next week. The bar is a big supporter of the flourishing non-profit, which has handed out more than 2,000 backpacks—containing toiletries, hygiene products, food, blankets and more—to the homeless since it was founded in March 2018.

Jeffrey Newman, 52, and his husband Jayson Conner, 42, formed the organization—officially called Together Helping Others– after volunteering at a food pantry in Greenpoint for eight years. The pair was recently granted 501c3 status and plan to develop the organization into a full-service non-profit. Continue Reading ›