Tag Archives: new york cares

Breakfast at St. John the Divine

20 Jul

What: Serving breakfast to homeless and hungry

Where: St. John the Divine, Morningside Heights, through New York Cares

When: Sunday, 9-11am

I had never been to St. John the Divine before this Sunday, and was shocked when I arrived at the address and saw an enormous, beautifully ornate cathedral in the middle of Morningside Heights. I arrived right on time, and the kitchen was already bustling with volunteers and church staff, so be prepared to dive right in (after washing your hands and putting on an apron, hairnet and gloves, of course). Some people were doling out bowls of fruit cocktail, others were cutting bread. My task was to pour cans of orange juice into a big jug, ice it down, and then fill up cups. Obviously this wasn’t brain surgery; it was, however, the perfect job for an early Sunday morning after a very late Saturday night. While some people were finishing the breakfast preparations, others were  starting on lunch, which is served at 12:30pm, and making take-away brown bag meals for later.

While filling up the juice, a regular volunteer gave me a few tips about the people who come for breakfast; some of them are HIV positive, others may be sick with a flu. It’s important to remember to keep everything covered; after filling a tray of juice cups, I had to stack another tray of juice on top. This way, if someone sneezes or coughs into the juice, at least the entire supply isnt contaminated, just one tray. If you’re given the job of serving the bread, feel around with your hand before breakfast starts to see which breads are soft; some people can’t chew hard or crusty breads because they have no teeth, or what’s left of them aren’t in great shape. Also, know which bread has raisins: it’s a hot ticket item. Unfortunately, a lot of them have illnesses that go untreated, because they don’t have access to healthcare or money for a medication they may need. This particular morning, a man fainted while we were getting ready to serve. They gave him some juice and a cold compress until the ambulance arrived; a lot of people said that he probably had diabetes but didn’t know, and had a drop in blood sugar that caused him to faint. Maybe he was just hungry, or the heat got to him. I’ll probably never know.

As breakfast starts, tables are called up to the buffet line one at a time and everyone is served before anyone is called up for seconds. This morning the menu consisted of scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage, assorted breads and bagels with jam and butter, hot oatmeal, and fruit cocktail. Not too shabby. It made me want to reconsider my own breakfast choices, which usually consists of Cheerios or a buttered roll from the coffee guy on the corner. After everyone is done eating, you’ll help break down the buffet stations and clean some dishes. A Sunday morning well spent, and I was in Sheep’s Meadow with my copy of New York Magazine before noon. Other things to know:

-Try to arrive a little early, before things start to get hectic. Wear sneakers-you’ll be in a kitchen.

-St. John the Divine has a rich history dating back to the nineteenth century, and has been host to many important services and performances, from Martin Luther King Jr. to Duke Ellington to the Big Apple Circus. You may want to take a peak inside the church itself after you’re done volunteering; it’s pretty spectacular. I posted some not-so-good iPhone pictures below.

– My New York Cares team leader, Debbie, was really accomodating and allowed me to sign in for a volunteer day that was already full online. She, along with the entire staff and fellow volunteers, are extremely helpful and friendly, so don’t hesitate to ask questions.

-Your patrons may ask for more than they are supposed to get,or try to barter more of their favorites onto their plate (ie-“How about instead of eggs, I get 6 sausages instead of 2?”). This isn’t allowed, as there is a certain amount of food that is supposed to feed everyone. Kindly tell them no. And Don’t Feel Bad; everyone who is there knows the rules.

-Hungry? A Seinfeld fan? Head over to 112th and Broadway (the cathedral is on 111th and Amsterdam), and check out Tom’s Restaurant, the iconic diner from Seinfeld. The sign is the same, but the inside has undergone major remodeling since the show. But don’t get too excited-it’s just a diner, not Le Bernardin.

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Visions – Services for the Blind

26 Jun

What: Arts and Crafts with blind and visually impaired persons

Where: Visions Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Chelsea, through New York Cares

When: Wednesday, 6:15-8:15pm

When you first arrive at Visions on 23rd Street, you’ll wait in the lobby for the rest of the group to get there (there were about 8 or 9 volunteers the night I went). You’ll then head down to the Arts & Crafts room, where the Visions clients will be waiting or arriving shortly after you (we had 10 clients this particular night). There are 3 communal tables; volunteers will be paired with clients, to assist them with the project of the day. Since this is an on-going program at Visions, and many of the clients come each week, some people will have projects from previous weeks to finish before starting a new one; some that I saw were jewelry boxes, small hemp-like tapestries, and painted wood crafts. At the end of the class, you’ll assist in cleaning up the scraps of fabric, glue, or whatever else you were using, and make sure that all of your partner’s work is labeled with their name.

You’ll notice that not all of the Visions clients are completely blind; the woman I was working with could make out shapes and colors, but was still highly visually impaired. You can gauge your partner with simple questions, asking if they want to use the glue or if they’d like you to do it instead. Everyone was very nice, and don’t think that asking if they need you do something is condescending: you’re there to help them when they need it. The project we had the night I was there involved gluing tiny googly-eyes to foam shapes; it was a bit tricky to hand-off the eyes to Shannon, my partner, but we got the hang of it and finished our project with time to spare, allowing us to also decorate a woven hat with fabric and beads. Keep in mind that in addition to helping with the art projects, you’re also there to socialize and talk with the clients in class. Other things to know:

-This is a good activity for people looking for an on-going project that allows you to form a special bond with the clients you’re helping. Most of the volunteers had been there before and knew the clients in the class, and seemed to have nice, friendly relationships with them.

-Don’t get overwhelmed in the Arts & Crafts room; its got a lot of stuff thrown all over the place. I’m thinking that there was probably some kind of method to its madness, but I couldn’t find anything I needed. That’s what your super-nice, New York Cares team leader is for. Just ask.

-There was a dog in this class, and many others in the building; obviously, they were well-behaved seeing eye dogs, but if you have an allergy or are scared of dogs, you may want to skip this project or call ahead.

-Visions has many other volunteer opportunities for people of all ages, assisting in recreational programs, reading to clients, and more. Click here to check out their website for more information.

-This particular Arts & Crafts program has ended, but the summer session begins on July 21 and will run for 8 weeks. Click here to search for it on the New York Cares website, keyword ‘Creative Expressions’.

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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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Dancing with Seniors.. kind of.

17 May

What: Roseland Dance with seniors

Where: Jewish Home & Hospital for the Aged, Upper West Side, thru New York Cares

When: Thursday, 630-815pm

When you first arrive at the Jewish Home and Hospital, you’ll be directed to the auditorium upstairs where you will meet the other volunteers and a few staff members. After a briefing about how to handle the residents (Alzheimer’s is prevalent here, so you’ll be given a few tips), you set off to one of the various wings to go get anyone who wants to dance and escort them down to the auditorium. Most of the residents (about 90% that I saw) are wheelchair-bound, and unable to go anywhere on their own. Because of this, the dance consists mainly of volunteers pushing residents around in a circle to the beat of the music. You can dance while you push, and even take a break every now and then to dance in place in front of your partner or with another volunteer. If you don’t have a dance partner, you can dance solo or take a seat next to one of the residents and keep them company while they listen to the music. Around 8 you’ll bring the residents back to their floors, bid them a good night, and be on your way.

Let me stress something very important that I learned quickly upon my arrival: Know where you’re going before you get there. I was completely unaware of the diminished mental and physical capacities of the residents here until I turned the corner and saw for myself. When I was growing up,and even now, I loved listening to my mom tell stories about the senior center she used to run in Brooklyn in the 1970’s. She spent her days and sometimes nights hosting dances with retired competitive dancers (who often wore their old costumes), and even ‘A Night at the Races’, where the seniors bet on video-taped horse races from years prior. They danced the Foxtrot with precision and played a nasty game of Bingo. They were mobile and aware of their surroundings. So naturally, I assumed that the ‘Roseland Dance’ I signed up for would be just like that. I was sadly mistaken. My first dance partner stared at a book on her lap the majority of the time while I danced my heart out behind her.  There were a few residents who danced or clapped in their chairs a little, and the only two men there used walkers and took a turn or two around the floor. This all would’ve been perfectly fine had I been prepared for it, but I wasn’t. Not in the least. Something a little online research would’ve told me, but I neglected to look into where I was going beyond getting subway directions on HopStop. I’ll be prepared next time, and now, so will you. Some other things to know:

– This is a very family-friendly activity. Bring the kids. There were two mothers who brought their young daughters to volunteer with them; they add a lot of positive energy and the residents seemed to enjoy watching them dance.

– Be prepared for what you’re going to see: this is mainly a long-term care facility. It’s a sad place. No one is pretending it’s not, and that’s why you’re there- to spread a little joy through music and dance, if only for an hour or so.

-You don’t need to know how to dance, just how to smile.

-I want to mention Lew, the New York Cares team leader, who has been doing Roseland for the past 9 years. It takes a big heart to do what he does every week, and it was inspirational to see someone so dedicated to bringing happiness into an otherwise dismal place. Lew also organizes a Senior Prom every year for the residents, which is on June 11th this year. You can read about it here in an article by the NY Times, and sign up to volunteer on the NY Cares website.

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