Our New Yorker of the Week is using the power of music to warm the hearts of people who are homeless, as NY1's John Schiumo reports.
Tavis Eaton is a singer who’s leading a movement beyond song.
For Tavis, being a front man is also about using his voice to send a message.
Especially when it comes to helping those without a home.
"Growing up in New York, I see the homeless population escalate," Eaton said. "Just walking down Broadway, every block there is a homeless person. It just made me want to do something."
So, Tavis took music and turned it into action.
The Brooklyn native founded "Hoodies for the Homeless."
If you want to see his band perform, you need to donate a hoodie.
"To use that voice to make change or enlighten people about a problem," Eaton said. "Having a voice gives you a little bit of a power to go out there and speak for people that don't have a voice."
The band — 'Push Method' — has collected more than 2,000 hoodies.
Tavis and his volunteers make sure to give every piece of clothing away.
"It definitely touched our hearts and it's something that I'm super proud of and it feels so good to put a smile on their faces even when it's freezing cold out," said Desiree Wichmann, a volunteer and the general manager at The Hoodie Shop.
"A lot of times our population is forgotten," said Program Director for Coalition for the Homeless, Juan De La Cruz. "I think a lot of times we walk by our neighbors and we are not realizing that they are in need. So it’s always great to be able to get them a little bit more than we do on a normal daily basis."
The band has performed in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
And Tavis hopes to one day tour the country collecting hoodies.
"When you can pull a hoodie over your head and kind of pull it tight, in a weird way it feels like a roof over you, you know? It's a little bit of protection," he said. "That's where we're starting and hopefully that can move up into something bigger."
And so, for giving warmth to those who need it, Tavis Eaton is our New Yorker of the Week.
For more information about the Hoodies for the Homeless initiative visit the band's website.
And if you know someone who would make a good New Yorker of the Week, let us know.
You can send us your nominations to New Yorker of the Week, 75 9th Avenue, 6th Floor, NY NY 10011. Or email us at nyer@ny1.com.