Since 1983, the Youth Service Opportunities Project (YSOP) has engaged youth and adults in serving people in need. This past school year 3,400 middle school, high school and college students and adults participated in over 100 programs serving 360,000 homeless and hungry people in New York City and Washington, DC.YSOP is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, started by Quakers in 1983. Programs are run on a non-sectarian basis and draw participants from public and independent schools, religious and community youth groups. In YSOP programs in New York City and Washington, DC participants spend a day, weekend, or a week assisting agencies serving people who are poor, hungry and homeless in soup kitchens, drop-in centers, food pantries, clothing and furniture banks, and recreational programs for homeless children.