A local gay couple known for their charitable work has passed away. The couple had spent years distributing backpacks filled with essentials to houseless people in Manhattan. Their effort, which began in 2018, eventually grew to include a team of 40 volunteers and resulted in over 180,000 backpacks being handed out.

The couple's deaths occurred within days of each other, with one partner passing away on June 28 and the other on July 2. The cause of the second partner's death has not been publicly disclosed. Further details about the couple and their charitable work are available from The New York Times and other sources.