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Jayson Conner, 48, and Jeffrey Newman, 58, Die; Gave Thousands of Backpacks to Those in Need
Jayson Conner, 48, and Jeffrey Newman, 58, Die; Gave Thousands of Backpacks to Those in Need
The couple, who died within a few days of each other, provided needed supplies, like socks and wet wipes, to people living on New York City’s streets.
Jeffrey Newman, left, and Jayson Conner in an undated photo. The couple, who had long lived in Queens before recently moving to Manhattan, started a nonprofit that distributed more than 180,000 backpacks filled with essentials to unhoused people. Jewlia Conner
By Clay Risen
July 11, 2026
Jayson Conner and Jeffrey Newman, a couple who spent years walking the streets of New York and handing out tens of thousands of backpacks filled with supplies — toiletries, socks, notebooks — to people in need, died within days of each other. ... Mr. Conner, 48, died from a heart attack at their home in Manhattan on June 28, his daughter, Jewlia Conner, said. ... Mr. Newman, 58, died four days later, on July 2, according to his brother Glenn, who did not provide a location or cause.
Mr. Conner and Mr. Newman began their efforts in 2018 with a few armfuls of backpacks. By 2026, they and almost 40 volunteers had distributed more than 180,000 packs to people living on the streets of Manhattan.
Once a week, a few dozen people would gather at a rental space in Queens, and Mr. Conner and Mr. Newman would lead them in organizing items into more than 100 backpacks that were loaded onto a moving van.
They would then drive the van to Manhattan, and, over the next several days, the volunteers would fan out, backpacks slung over their shoulders. Mr. Conner and Mr. Newman trained the volunteers on the best way to approach and engage with people who might be experiencing extreme physical or emotional pain — or might just want to talk to a friendly face.
Mr. Conner, left, in 2021. He and Mr. Newman trained their organization’s volunteers on how to approach unhoused people who might be experiencing extreme physical or emotional pain — or might just want to talk to a friendly face. Roselle Chen/Reuters
{snip}
The couple, who died within a few days of each other, provided needed supplies, like socks and wet wipes, to people living on New York City’s streets.
Jeffrey Newman, left, and Jayson Conner in an undated photo. The couple, who had long lived in Queens before recently moving to Manhattan, started a nonprofit that distributed more than 180,000 backpacks filled with essentials to unhoused people. Jewlia Conner
By Clay Risen
July 11, 2026
Jayson Conner and Jeffrey Newman, a couple who spent years walking the streets of New York and handing out tens of thousands of backpacks filled with supplies — toiletries, socks, notebooks — to people in need, died within days of each other. ... Mr. Conner, 48, died from a heart attack at their home in Manhattan on June 28, his daughter, Jewlia Conner, said. ... Mr. Newman, 58, died four days later, on July 2, according to his brother Glenn, who did not provide a location or cause.
Mr. Conner and Mr. Newman began their efforts in 2018 with a few armfuls of backpacks. By 2026, they and almost 40 volunteers had distributed more than 180,000 packs to people living on the streets of Manhattan.
Once a week, a few dozen people would gather at a rental space in Queens, and Mr. Conner and Mr. Newman would lead them in organizing items into more than 100 backpacks that were loaded onto a moving van.
They would then drive the van to Manhattan, and, over the next several days, the volunteers would fan out, backpacks slung over their shoulders. Mr. Conner and Mr. Newman trained the volunteers on the best way to approach and engage with people who might be experiencing extreme physical or emotional pain — or might just want to talk to a friendly face.
Mr. Conner, left, in 2021. He and Mr. Newman trained their organization’s volunteers on how to approach unhoused people who might be experiencing extreme physical or emotional pain — or might just want to talk to a friendly face. Roselle Chen/Reuters
{snip}
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