It’s hard to miss them. Backpacks of every color sit in a massive pile in a rented U-Haul van, stuffed with individually packed Ziplocs containing socks, hygiene and first aid kits, water, toothpaste, sunblock, pens and paper, beef jerky, nutrition bars and tuna.

A business card tucked inside every front pocket reads: “Backpacks for the Street: Bringing Dignity and Compassion to the Homeless.”

By now the vehicle, its driver Jeffrey Newman and the volunteers who distribute backpacks for Newman and his husband and business partner, Jayson Conner, are well known sights for those they serve: people who are experiencing homelessness and poverty on the streets of New York City.