Who Were Jayson Conner and Jeffrey Newman? Couple Who Dedicated Lives to Homeless Died Days Apart

The deaths of New York charity founders Jayson Conner, 48, and Jeffrey Newman, 58, within four days of each other have left volunteers, donors and the homeless community mourning two men whose lives became synonymous with compassion.

The married couple devoted years to helping people experiencing homelessness through a grassroots initiative that distributed thousands of backpacks filled with essential supplies across New York City.

Their deaths have prompted an outpouring of tributes celebrating not only their humanitarian work but also the enduring partnership that inspired it.

Who Were Jayson Conner and Jeffrey Newman?

Conner and Newman founded Together Helping Others and its flagship initiative, Backpacks for the Street, which provided backpacks filled with food, clothing, toiletries, blankets and other everyday essentials to people experiencing homelessness across New York City.

According to The New York Times, the couple launched the charity in 2018 after recognising that many unhoused people lacked even a sturdy backpack to carry their belongings.

What began as a small volunteer effort grew into a citywide outreach programme that had distributed more than 180,000 backpacks by 2026.

The organisation brought together dozens of volunteers who regularly assembled and hand-delivered supplies throughout the city.

Alongside meeting practical needs, Conner and Newman encouraged volunteers to engage with recipients respectfully, offering conversation and compassion as well as essential items.

'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 labour of love.'

For Conner, the charity's mission was deeply personal. Before meeting Newman, he had spent nearly two years experiencing homelessness and addiction, an experience that fuelled his determination to help others facing similar hardships.

Newman brought decades of media and communications experience to the organisation, having worked for ABC News before becoming the founding president and chief executive of Out.com.

Together, the couple transformed a simple idea into one of New York City's best-known grassroots efforts supporting people experiencing homelessness.

The Couple Died Four Days Apart

The tragedy unfolded on what should have been a day of celebration. Conner died after suffering a cardiac arrest on 29 June, Newman announced in a Facebook post. The date also marked the couple's 22nd wedding anniversary.

Instead of celebrating the milestone at their favourite restaurant, Newman wrote that he was making arrangements he had never imagined facing.

'To say that I am in shock, devastated, and heartbroken would be an understatement,' he wrote.

'He was the love of my life. He was my person. He accepted me for who I am, flaws and all, and loved me unconditionally. We were partners in every possible sense,' Newman added.

He later wrote: 'I don't have the words to express the depth of this loss. My heart is broken, and I don't know how to imagine life without him.'

Just four days later, on 2 July, Newman also died, according to his brother, Glenn Newman. His family has not publicly disclosed a cause of death.

Tributes Poured In for the Couple

The back-to-back deaths sent shockwaves through the charity's volunteers, friends and supporters, many of whom had worked alongside the couple for years.

Artist and activist Kris Kashtanova was among those paying tribute, writing that both friends had died within days of each other.

Messages that followed praised the couple's generosity, compassion and unwavering commitment to helping vulnerable New Yorkers.

Conner and Newman's work inspired an extensive volunteer network while touching thousands of lives through simple acts of kindness.

Supporters have since vowed to continue the Backpacks for the Street programme, ensuring the couple's mission to serve people experiencing homelessness lives on.