Christina Lee, Head Photography Editor

On Saturday afternoons from 2 to 4 p.m., Brian Moore ’26 is stationed on the New Haven Green, equipped with snacks, cold water and an extensive database of free community resources guides. 

Link New Haven is a new, student-led initiative aimed at directing New Haven residents to community resources such as shelter registration, public housing referrals and soup kitchens. Each weekend, members of the initiative set up a table on the Green to serve as a resource desk where residents can approach their table with inquiries about resources they need. 

Moore came up with the idea for Link in the summer after his freshman year as a President’s Public Service Fellow. Moore worked in outreach for the Literacy Volunteers of Greater New Haven, when he was exposed to a swathe of community resources aimed at servicing basic needs.

“I noticed there’s an informational deficit between social providers and folks in desperate need of social services,” Moore said. “How can we as students tap into that?”

Looking to bridge that gap, Moore set out to create a resource database compiling all available resources related to housing, healthcare and hunger.

Though Link began as Moore’s passion project, the initiative has since expanded into a nine-person team after Moore recruited his friends to help compile the database. Together, the Link team created readable and concise resource guides targeting specific social service areas such as employment and legal aid, for example.

Link members are also equipped with flyers made by GetConnectedNewHaven.com. The flyers list the addresses and contacts of community centers offering services in medical care, clothing and shelters.

Since they began tabling in mid-July, Link has provided around 25 in-depth consultations for residents, with conversations ranging from five minutes to half an hour. 

The hope is that a consistent presence at the Green will build community and establish familiarity with residents passing by, Moore explained. 

“It’s difficult, often, for people to navigate an entire system alone,” Head of Health and Medical Resources Michael Zhao ’26 said. “So what we’re doing is holding their hand and showing them where to go, what people to reach out to, in order to ameliorate the process.”

Within the first hour of tabling this Saturday, three New Haveners stopped by for in-depth consultations. 

Two table attendees inquired about warming centers and public housing, pointing to a growing need for shelter options as colder months are approaching. Others came to the table with questions about food stamps, open pantries and employment resources. 

New Havener Aniyah Thompson expressed a sense of accomplishment after working together with Moore and Zhao at the table to create an email account and set up an appointment with a social worker. 

Thompson, who has previously received services from Columbus House and the Amistad Catholic Workers’ House, explained that Link’s physical presence on the Green offered a fresh approach. 

“I felt like I had somewhere to go. It felt like something got done,” Thompson said. “[They] helped me with care assessment. And I forgot all about care assessment.”

As the organization is still in its infancy, the greatest challenge has been figuring out how to move forward. 

“I get advice pointing in every direction,” said Moore. “I have ideas for how the future can best look like, but really everything we do is informed by our experience.” 

As of right now, Moore covers the majority of the club’s expenses — the cost of snacks, for example — out of pocket. As a newly registered Dwight Hall Provisional Membership Group, Moore looks forward to receiving financial support soon.

The New Haven Green is located at 250 Temple St.