Rodney Hakes taps into his more innovative side when he is at Housing Works' Upper West Side thrift store.

"I work in the financial sector, which is very analytical, lots of Excel spreadsheets,” Hakes said. “When I get to come here, what I found is merchandising the housewares gets to be more of a creative outlet for me."

Hakes volunteers at the store every week to benefit Housing Works. The nonprofit, which was founded during the HIV/AIDS pandemic, provides medical care, housing and a voice to struggling New Yorkers.

"People were being kicked out of their homes for having or their apartments for having AIDS,” Hakes said. “And from that — then, they created this advocacy."

The Hell's Kitchen resident, who is gay, says he lost people to HIV/AIDS.

"It really hit my community the hardest early on,” Hakes said. “Working with this organization to provide services to people who suffer from it, means everything to me."

Hakes has been volunteering on and off for the last 20 years. He’s worked at the nonprofit's thrift stores in Chelsea, Hell's Kitchen, and now the Upper West Side. He sticks price tags on new inventory and rearranges the shelves, among other tasks.

"We really try to make these thrift shops the best they can be so that we have happy customers,” Hakes said. “And through that, we raise more money, which helps the cause."

Hakes is such a seasoned volunteer that he was elected to be a volunteer representative on the nonprofit's board of directors.

"I can see firsthand what's working in the store and what's not,” he said. “And if I can provide any sort of insight in that respect, it's useful to them."

It's work that goes much further than just selling old dishes and cabinets.

"There's still an ongoing issue with health care in this country and the city, and homelessness,” Hakes said. “And so the mission of this organization is even more important than it's ever been."

For selling secondhand items to give struggling New Yorkers a second chance, Rodney Hakes is our New Yorker of the Week.