A HIKE TO FIGHT HOMELESSNESS

CEO Josiah Haken, Senior Director of Development Dan Sadlier, and City Relief board members take the first annual trip to climb Kilimanjaro this February 2026.

With the goal of raising 100K, the City Relief team looks to climb the highest mountain in Africa in solidarity with their unhoused friends and City Relief guests that are facing their own hurdles, barriers, and mountains on a daily basis. Our team knows that no one chooses homelessness. Thus, this climb and its proceeds will go to City Relief, providing food, clothing, and individualized care plans helping the homeless of NYC and New Jersey find housing.

The fundraiser is achieved by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, a dormant volcano located in Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania.

JOSIAH HAKEN

This February, I’ll be returning to the continent of my birth to climb Mount Kilimanjaro — nearly 200,000 steps to the summit. But I’m not doing it just for the challenge.

Every day, people experiencing homelessness walk thousands of steps — not for adventure, but in search of food, safety, and dignity. They sleep outside, often in the cold, with no shelter, no safety net, and no community to fall back on. On this climb, I’ll be sleeping on the ground in a tent — a small taste of what far too many endure every night in cities across America.

I’m climbing to raise support for City Relief, which walks alongside our unhoused neighbors in NYC and NJ with compassion, practical help, and hope.

Every step I take is for someone struggling to walk through life without the resources and community so many of us take for granted.

Would you consider supporting my climb — by giving a few cents per step or simply making a gift of any amount? Your generosity will help more people reach their own mountaintop: a place to call home.

TEAM MEMBERS

  • Josiah Haken

    Josiah Haken is the CEO of City Relief, a nonprofit organization that connects people experiencing homelessness and poverty to the resources they need to thrive. With 15 years of hands-on outreach and leadership experience, Josiah has helped shape one of the most innovative and compassionate models of street-level engagement in the country.

    His insights on homelessness, poverty, and public policy have been featured in national publications, including The Washington Post, New York Daily News, and FoxNews.com, where he advocates for systemic change through stories rooted in dignity and truth.

  • Mark Reitsma

    Mark joined Regency Wealth Management as a Partner in 2010.

    Mark has held active roles as a Trustee / Board Member with various Non-Profit Boards throughout the years including Christian Health, Eastern Christian School Association, & the Bergen County Chapter of the New Canaan Society.  He has a strong passion for helping those struggling with poverty and homelessness which is why he is currently serving in his 14th year as a Board Member of City Relief where he previously served as Vice-Chairman.

     When not working or volunteering, Mark enjoys music, outdoor activities, travel, & spending time with his wife Pamela and their five children.

  • Deon Minnaar

    Deon Minnaar chairs the finance committee at City Relief. He is a professional services veteran with over 30 years' experience leading large complex global programs for several fortune 500 companies and is excited to take this climb for the hundreds of unhoused neighbors he has served over the years.

  • Dan Sadlier

    Dan Sadlier is Husband to Amanda, Father of 6, Pastor at Mosaic Church NYC, and currently serves as the Senior director of development @cityrelief. Dan has a strong belief that our ability to care for and learn from our most vulnerable neighbors is pivotal to carrying out the gospel of Jesus and becoming more like Christ.