12/19/2022
One of the coolest parts of Humans of New York in the early days was HONY For The Holidays where we’d match up people with nowhere to go on Christmas with people who had an extra place at their table. The idea originated from my first year in NYC, when I didn’t know anyone, and didn’t have money to go back home—so I spent Christmas Eve at a 24-hour diner. (I say that only because there is no shame if you don’t have anywhere to go. We all have seasons.) My lovely wife Erin handled the matching and logistics for the initiative, on top of her main gig saving the lives of one gajillion senior dogs at Susie's Senior Dogs. But over the years the Stanton household grew, way led on to way, and alas, the HONY For The Holidays candle flickered out.
But hark, hark! Hear ye angels sing. Our patron saint Mary O has decided to host her own HONY for the Holidays Dinner at Mary O's Irish Pub this year, on Christmas Day. And boy is she excited. Giddy, really. Rarely is Mary not merry. But this is a very merry, very cheery Mary. And she would like to invite anyone who has nowhere to go this Christmas to join her for this magical event. There is currently room for 45 people. That was Mary O’s idea, because: ‘It’s not a round number. And that makes it seem like really something! Ya know?’ She will be cooking herself. I tried to force catering on her, because she’s already baking scones 18 hours a day, but she said: ‘That just wouldn’t be the same. It wouldn’t feel right. Ya know?’
If for any reason you find yourself alone this holiday season, and are in the NYC area, please email a little about yourself and your situation to [email protected]. We’ll try to fit as many people as we can!
