“I began as an accidental witness. I was running a preschool...

“I began as an accidental witness. I was running a preschool program, and I went to Church Street for some bureaucratic thing—I needed a piece of paper. And I just happened to walk in the wrong door. And in that room I saw homeless families waiting to be processed. Some were sleeping on plastic chairs. There were babies sleeping on bare mattresses. Some didn’t have diapers. I ran to the store and bought bread, peanut butter, and apple juice for everyone. Then I used the three quarters left in my pocket to call The New York Times and The Red Cross. Ever since then, I’ve been an advocate for the homeless.”

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Gretchen Buchenholz heads the Association to Benefit Children. Founded in 1986, ABC aims to ‘amplify the voices of defenseless children by combating the debilitating effects of poverty and championing the right of every child to a joyful and nurturing childhood.’