A couple in New York City, recognized for their extensive work aiding the homeless, died within four days of each other, sending shockwaves through the community they served.
Jayson Conner, 48, died of a heart attack in their Manhattan home on June 28. Jeffrey Newman, 58, passed away just four days later. The cause of Newman's death has not yet been released.
Conner and Newman were the driving force behind "Backpacks For The Street," a charitable initiative that began in 2018. The couple, through their nonprofit Together Helping Others, organized volunteers to pack and distribute thousands of backpacks filled with essential items to individuals experiencing homelessness in New York City.
By 2026, they had distributed over 180,000 packs. Volunteers would gather weekly in Queens to assemble more than 100 backpacks, which were then transported via a moving van for distribution across Manhattan. Items included flashlights, beef jerky, and wool socks.
"We take what we do very seriously," Newman told ABC News in 2020. "We're not making little goody bags- we're really thinking out what it is people need the most. It's a labor of love."
Conner's personal history, including experiences with sexual abuse, drug addiction, and homelessness, fueled his commitment to the project. "It was soul crushing," he was quoted as saying on their website. "You never know where you'll find respite day after day, or if you'll eat or find warmth."
Kristina Kashtanova, a volunteer who worked with the couple, described their impact. "It was fascinating to see how well they managed to communicate with people on the streets," she told the New York Times. "They taught me how to be a better human and how to talk to people who were so different from me."
Following their deaths, Kashtanova and other volunteers are working to ensure the continuation of the backpack distribution efforts. "We're working to find a way to make sure their legacy lives on in their name," said Tara Randall Newman, Newman's niece, who highlighted the couple's legacy through their charity work.
Newman's niece also expressed the profound shock and grief of their family. "To say my family is in shock would be an understatement. To lose both of them so close together is unthinkable," she wrote on Facebook. "All I want to say is this, hold people close, live and love wholly, you don't know if you'll get a next time."
She described their legacy as their charity, "where they helped thousands of people not only physically but with compassion and empathy."
Conner is survived by his daughter, Jewlia Conner, and son, Andrew. Newman is survived by his brother Glenn, Ric, his sister Beth, and his parents.
