work ▁first " ▁program ▁secure ▁permanent ▁housing ▁and ▁employ ment ▁and ▁become ▁tax pay ing ▁members ▁of ▁their ▁communities , ▁ful fill ing ▁the ▁group ' s ▁mission ▁to ▁break ▁the ▁cycles ▁of ▁hom eless ness , ▁add iction ▁and ▁criminal ▁rec id iv ism . ▁ ▁Orig ins ▁The ▁Do e ▁Fund ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁by ▁George ▁Mc Donald ▁during ▁a ▁sharp ▁rise ▁in ▁hom eless ness ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁ ▁Mc Donald , ▁an ▁executive ▁in ▁the ▁private ▁sector ▁at ▁that ▁time , ▁began ▁by ▁distrib uting ▁food ▁to ▁hom eless ▁people ▁on ▁the ▁floor ▁of ▁Grand ▁Central ▁Terminal ▁for ▁ 7 0 0 ▁consecutive ▁night s . ▁Mc Donald ▁later ▁re called ▁people ▁telling ▁him ▁"' … this ▁is ▁a ▁great ▁sand wich , ▁but ▁I ▁really ▁wish ▁I ▁had ▁a ▁room ▁to ▁stay ▁in ▁and ▁a ▁job ▁to ▁pay ▁for ▁it .' ▁People ▁wanted ▁to ▁work , ▁and ▁I ▁wanted ▁to ▁help ." ▁George ▁Mc Donald ' s ▁conv iction ▁that ▁paid ▁work ▁and ▁personal ▁responsibility ▁could ▁turn ▁lives ▁around ▁became ▁the ▁foundation ▁for ▁The ▁Do e ▁Fund ' s ▁" work ▁first " ▁philosophy . ▁He ▁and ▁his ▁wife , ▁Har ri et ▁K arr - Mc Donald , ▁developed ▁The ▁Do e ▁Fund ' s ▁key ▁programs ▁based ▁on ▁their ▁belief ▁that ▁most ▁hom eless ▁individuals ▁will ▁se ize ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁change ▁their ▁lives ▁if ▁given ▁the ▁opportunity . ▁ ▁Le ad ership ▁and ▁early ▁history ▁George ▁Mc Donald