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I’m Back and Ready for New York Cares Day

1 Oct

After a few weeks vacation, I’m back in New York. I missed the September 20th volunteer project sign-up on New York Cares website, so I’m running low on ideas this week for volunteer opportunities; if there’s someplace you’d like to see me volunteer and write about, please comment below with your suggestions!

Meanwhile, I’m getting ready for New York Cares Day on October 17th. New York Cares will mobilize 8,000 volunteers and dispatch them throughout the 5 boroughs. According to their website, “The Department of Education lost $180 million from its budget last year, forcing schools to cut or postpone revitalization and upkeep projects.1”

This day of service will help to make up for lost funding by enlisting the citizens of New York to paint, plant, and organize public schools across the city. In addition, this is a huge fundraising push for New York Cares; money raised will go towards supporting their year-round projects, many of which address the needs of public schools and their students. I’ve created a team for the day, Give and Get NYC, made up of friends and coworkers. We’ll be at an elementary school in Brooklyn from 9:30am – 3:30pm, helping to create a brighter and safer learning enviornment by doing a number of projects ranging from painting bookcases to planting bulbs in the school’s garden. I’m really looking forward to getting my hands dirty for the day and transforming the school for these kids. Fingers crossed for awesome weather and sun!

If you’d like to join me and my team on New York Cares Day, or sign up as an individual, there are still 8 days left before registration ends on the 9th. You can go to the New York Cares Day website and click ‘Join a Team’ on the left, and find Give and Get NYC in the list. Alternatively, you can sign up as an individual and be placed in an area that is in need of more volunteers; they are still 1,000 volunteers short of their 8,000 goal.  You will need to pay a $20 registration fee, which is used to offset the cost of supplies and materials for the day (i.e. paint, rollers, flowers, etc). If you’re unable to help out but still want to make a contribution, you can visit my team’s homepage and make a donation by clicking here.

If you have questions or comments, please leave them here or email me: info@giveandgetnyc.org

Art Explorers at Nazareth Housing

4 Aug

What: Hang out with kids, do some arts and crafts

Where: Nazareth Housing, East Village, through New York Cares

When: Thursday, 5:45-730pm

This project took place in the E. 4th Street building, one of three locations Nazareth Housing operates in the East Village. This is where the youth programs are held in addition to other services, such as educational workshops for adults and computer literacy classes. While the parents were taking a class in financial planning, the volunteers were supposed to be hanging out with their children; doing arts & crafts, playing cards, talking. The purpose of this project is not only to help the parents, but also to keep the kids entertained and out of trouble. Mostly ages 3-9, the children here are often unhappy, because of their living situation (or lack thereof). You’re here to have a good time with them and make them feel good. Doesn’t sound  too hard. I’ll have to go again when there’s actually kids there.

This project  was unfortunately a bust. There was a mix up in the scheduling of a field trip, and the kids weren’t there the day I volunteered. I was disappointed, but even more so after talking with the New York Cares team leader Muthu, who talked up the program so much I thought it may be better than Disney World. Maybe. He was a wealth of volunteer information, spewing out names of organizations and places to volunteer with kids for about a half an hour. Hopefully one day I’ll get to speak with him more about what he’s done at Nazareth and beyond, but for now, I can tell you what I learned..

According to their website, “Nazareth Housing is committed to the promotion of housing stability and economic independence among poor families and youth of New York City, through the provision of: transitional shelter, homelessness prevention services, self-sufficiency education, supportive housing, youth programming.”. A lot of the residents who live here are single mothers and children, coming from volatile relationships involving domestic abuse. They often come with a bag on their back and nothing else; this is one reason that Nazareth always has food out. At any time of day or night, you can get a meal, no questions asked.

Currently, Nazareth Housing oversees 40 units of permanent housing and thirteen units of transitional housing. The great thing about this organization is the sense of order they restore in people’s lives. They offer a safe haven for those who can no longer afford to live in their home,be it for financial reasons or for their own personal safety. They then receive free services to help them get back on their feet and living independently; meanwhile, their children are offered educational programs,social outings, and other enriching activities to ensure that they too can grow and learn in Nazareth. The end result is a person or family who is able to retain and remain in their own stable housing. Nazareth Housing is not a glorified handout; it’s an opportunity to get your life back.

But there is so much MORE to know-you should really read their website and find out. Here’s some other things to know:

-If you sign up for this particular project, feel free to bring a deck of cards, a boardgame, crayons, anything. You can take it home with you or leave it behind for future use; either way, it’ll give the kids a greater variety of fun things they can do with you for 2 hours.

-Don’t have time to go volunteer, but really want to help Nazareth Housing? They have a wishlist of donations you can choose from and it can all be done online. Alternatively, they also take used furniture and household goods. But don’t just drop off your old Ikea couch in front of their door and speed off; check out the details here, make a phone call to the program assistant. Don’t donate anything you wouldn’t give to a friend; they don’t need your beer-stained futon from college any more than you do.

-You’re probably hungry aren’t you. After volunteering for two hours right at dinner time, you’re gonna be hungry. I can tell. After you’re done, head over to Pommes Frites on 2nd Ave between St. Marks and 7th. Belgium fries with your choice of 25 dippings sauces and mayo’s. You’ll never look at french fries the same way again…unless you go back for seconds.

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Sports Explorers with 24K

1 Jun

What: Providing a recreational outlet for kids, playing games

Where: P.S. 24, Sunset Park Brooklyn, through New York Cares

When: Saturday, 11:25am-1:00pm
When you first arrive at P.S. 24, you’ll head upstairs to the gym and jump right in and start playing with the kids. The day that I volunteered was one of the first beautiful days of summer, so attendance was low- about 12 kids, all boys, all 8 years old, give or take a year or two (I heard that there are usually about 20-25) We played floor hockey for the first hour, and dodgeball the second hour. If there was nicer equipment locked up somewhere safe for the weekend, we didn’t have the key; the styrofoam hockey sticks were patched together with packing tape, and there were only 3 dodgeballs.

This activity took place at PS 24,  The Dual Language School for International Studies: “780 students from pre-K to grade five attend this barrier-free school, with 45 percent of students receiving services as English Language Learners (ELL), 20 percent qualifying for special education, and 87 percent qualifying for free or reduced lunch.” This is a pretty accurate description of the cross-section of kids that attended the Sports Explorers, which provides a place for these kids to come and play in a safe environment with adult supervision. Other things to know:

– This program is suspended until school restarts in September, but the Sports Explorers program isn’t only at PS 24; check the New York Cares website for other locations.

– Wear sneakers and clothing suitable for sports activities.

– This is a good activity to do if you miss the good ol’ days of ducking and diving in gym class; not only did I break a sweat, but I won a game of dodgeball. So what if the other team was made up of 9 year olds?

– Like any other activity with kids, be prepared to mediate squabbles and come with a thick skin. No one wanted me on their team because I’m a girl (until I proved myself in dodgeball), and I’m pretty sure that one of the boys kept calling me “Ta-Ta’s”. Kids say the darn’dest things…

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