Most impact reports measure dollars. This one doesn’t—because the biggest barriers we encounter aren’t financial.
At 2EmptyChairs, community impact is not separate from our work—it is the work. Our efforts focus on real barriers, systemic gaps, and the lives of families navigating overlapping crises.
Opening Highlights
In the past year alone:
- Programs with Domestic Violence Railroad (DVRR) impacted ~1,000 women and families.
- Direct advocacy through Her Shoes NYC supported ~12 women and 3 families, including Special Education accommodations.
- Park Slope Pet Food Pantry supported ~45 families in Q1 2026.
- Equality New York (EQNY) advanced LGBTQ rights through initiatives at the state, local, and federal levels.
Other partners—including Hope Alive 845, Purple Leash Project, and Impact Parents—illustrate how impact often cannot be counted, but is felt in lives protected, barriers removed, and systems navigated.
The Reality of the Work
Most systems are not designed for overlapping needs. Real-life crises often involve:
- Personal safety
- Housing instability
- Disability-related support
- Care for animals, including service dogs
Many support systems treat these issues in isolation, forcing individuals to:
- Repeat their story across multiple organizations
- Navigate complex and inconsistent requirements
- Manage coordination while under extreme stress
The gap is not awareness—it’s system design and structural fragmentation.
How We Measure Impact
Traditional financial metrics do not capture the depth of our work. At 2EmptyChairs, we track indicators that reflect reach, depth, and complexity, using numbers where available and qualitative insights where necessary.
Engagement & Support (Reach):
- DVRR: ~1,000 women and families supported
- Her Shoes NYC: ~12 women and 3 families directly advocated for
- Hope Alive 845: Child safety initiatives supported, with privacy prioritized
- Equality New York: LGBTQ rights advocacy at multiple levels
- Park Slope Pet Food Pantry: ~45 families supported in Q1 2026
- Purple Leash Project & Impact Parents: Supported systemic advocacy and pet retention initiatives
Time & Direct Involvement (Depth):
- Hours volunteered for direct advocacy, coordination, and system navigation
- Level of involvement: guidance, advocacy documentation, multi-system support
Coordination & Systems Interaction:
- Collaboration across multiple organizations
- Cross-system coordination between housing, legal, DV, and animal support programs
- Referrals and follow-up to ensure client access
Complexity Indicators:
- Cases with overlapping needs (safety + housing + animal access)
- Multi-step system navigation
- Advocacy within structured systems (housing, legal, policy)
Impact is not defined by what is given—it is defined by what changes. Time, advocacy, and expertise often matter more than dollars.
Case Snapshots
All examples are anonymized and reflect generalized scenarios based on real interactions.
Snapshot 1
Barrier: Inability to leave an unsafe environment due to presence of a pet or service animal
Intervention: Coordinated guidance incorporating domestic violence and animal-related resources
Outcome: Maintained safety while preserving access to the animal (based on available follow-up)
What this reflects: Safety planning must account for the whole context of a person’s life, including pets or service animals. Systems that ignore these variables leave individuals with impossible choices.
Snapshot 2
Barrier: Fragmented access to resources across multiple systems
Intervention: Support in identifying and navigating interconnected services
Outcome: Improved access through reduced fragmentation (based on available follow-up)
What this reflects: Resources alone are insufficient. Coordination across organizations and systems is often the determining factor in whether support is effective.
Snapshot 3
Barrier: Survivor at risk of housing instability due to restrictions related to an emotional support animal (ESA)
Intervention: Advocacy with housing management, including communication with a maintenance company and submission of a formal advocacy letter citing housing and disability protections
Outcome: Resident maintained housing stability while retaining access to their ESA (based on available follow-up)
What this reflects: Housing-related barriers are often influenced by policy interpretation rather than policy itself. Targeted advocacy can shift outcomes when systems are applied incorrectly or inconsistently.
Snapshot 4
Barrier: Family navigating safety concerns across state lines while seeking an Order of Protection through family court
Intervention: Remote advocacy support, including virtual testimony and submission of an advocacy letter
Outcome: Family was able to move forward in the legal process with additional advocacy support (based on available follow-up)
What this reflects: Access to legal protections is not only about eligibility—it is about navigating complex systems. Advocacy support can directly influence whether individuals are able to engage those systems effectively.
What We Are Seeing
Across all areas of our work, patterns repeat:
- Systems are not designed for overlapping needs
- Animals remain an under-addressed factor in crisis planning
- Individuals are expected to coordinate their own support
- Communication and coordination between organizations are inconsistent
- Policies exist, but interpretation and application are uneven
The issue is structural, not personal. Even when organizations care deeply, impact is limited if systems remain siloed.
What Needs to Change
Change requires intentional structural solutions:
- Integration: Connect housing, safety, legal, disability, and animal support systems
- Consistency: Apply policies reliably, not selectively
- Coordination: Organizations must work in tandem rather than in parallel
- Context-Awareness: Support planning must reflect real-world complexity
Without these changes, barriers persist. True impact is measured by whether systems adapt to real-world needs, not just by how many people are served.
Impact is not defined by what is given.
It is defined by what changes.
This is the work behind the work.
Some individuals and families cannot access advocacy or coaching services due to financial barriers. You can change that.
By sponsoring someone through 2EmptyChairs, you can:
- Gift coaching or advocacy sessions to a client in need
- Help a survivor, family, or individual access critical support they otherwise could not afford
- Multiply your impact—your contribution directly supports real-world outcomes, like housing stability, service dog access, and legal advocacy
Pay it forward today: reach out directly to us to get started.