Jose Cruz is delivering the change he wants to see in the world — one hug at a time.
The bear of a Brooklynite is the mastermind behind the one-man “World Needs Love Tour,” a viral mission to spread kindness and support to New Yorkers — something he knows the greatest city in the world could use more of, after years of personal mental health struggles.
With his straightforward, positive message, the 32-year-old has captured the hearts of passersby in Big Apple hotspots like the Brooklyn Bridge and Times Square — holding signs with handwritten exhortations of encouragement and hugging grateful Gothamites, like Marisol Rodriguez.
“This world is so full of hate, rage and violence,” Rodriguez, 59, of the Bronx, told The Post after receiving an embrace from Cruz on a recent walk across the iconic span. “So, when I read his sign, I was truly touched and felt loved and appreciated.
“I thought, ‘Wow, there are still people out there who care,’” she continued, “and Cruz is one of those people.”
The magnanimous millennial hits the pavement for several hours a day, at least three times a week, during the early evening rush hour and on weekends when the foot traffic is high — and when, he said, the need for mini morale boosts is even higher.
Cruz was inspired by his own private battles — triggered by the pandemic, and still lingering years later.
“I had this feeling of anxiousness and a fear of the unknown — I didn’t know what was going to happen to me and my family,” he told The Post.
As the COVID-19 virus ran rampant, he found himself becoming more secluded from the outside world, unable to connect with friends or even go to the grocery store without severe uneasiness.
His efforts are a much-needed push to uplift the melancholy of Gotham, where the majority of residents rate their quality of life as “significantly worse” than pre-pandemic times, per a recent poll of New Yorkers.
Outside the city limits, adults, nationwide, are grappling with severe stress and anxiety spurred, in part, by social unrest, financial uncertainty and job insecurity, according to a May 2025 survey via the American Psychiatric Association.
Then, of course, there’s chronic loneliness, trendily known as the “alone-virus.”
It’s the plague of unpleasant solitude. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared loneliness a public health threat on the scale of “smoking 15 cigarettes a day,” and linked it to more than 100 deaths every hour — that’s over 871, 000 deaths each year. Cruz, who admits he’s just an everyday guy with no formal psychiatric training, is doing his part to turn the tide with his hugs — and his signs.
“My favorite quote that I’ve shared is, ‘Your current situation is not your final destination,” said the altruist.
He doesn’t get paid or sponsored to post up on bridges, highways and byways with his words of wisdom. It’s just a selfless service that he’s offered neighbors, commuters and tourists since August 2022, when social distancing orders were still enforced — a mission funded by his day job, which he asked not to disclose.
“I didn’t have a six-foot barrier with people on the street who wanted to come up to talk to me or hug me,” Cruz chuckled, recalling the tour’s beginnings. “I felt safe. I knew that their need for human connection was real.”
While there’s no shortage of men and women broadcasting various messages on city streets — touting everything from the hottest new restaurants to a single’s search for her spouse to Doomsday forewarnings — the masses are magnetized to Cruz’s heartfelt prompts.
“People of all ages, from 5-year-olds just learning how to read to seniors, stop and read my messages,” said Cruz, who’s often showered with gratitude for his good deeds, both online and in-person. “Being in the city, where things never stop, it’s important to people to take a quick break for some inspiration and acknowledgment.”
That’s what his “tour” is all about, said the Brooklynite.
“Even though I haven’t made it around the world yet, people from all over — Australia, France, Venezuela — see my signs, take photos and share them on social media,” said Cruz.
“It’s cool to come across Instagram posts captioned ‘NYC trip,’ and there’s a shot of the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty and me holding my sign,” added the living landmark.
“It means the world that I’m making the world a better place.”
