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  July 2014 - New York 
Volunteer Opportunities
for Families 
 

9/11 National Day of Service & Remembrance Handmade Commemorative Cards 

DOROT
 

Date/Time: This is an ongoing summer opportunity. To participate in the 9/11 Postcard Competition, please mail cards to DOROT by Tuesday, July 29. We will continue to accept cards until Monday, September 8

 

Location: Mail finished cards and a Volunteer Return Form to:
DOROT
Attn: Card Making Project
171 West 85th Street
New York, NY 10024

For 9/11 National Day of Service & Remembrance, DOROT aims to send over 1,000
handmade cards to local military personnel and first responders from NYC police precincts and fire departments to commemorate the day. Our hope is that the cards thank our men and women in military service and local first responders for their service to our country and our city. For more information, please visit www.DOROTUSA.org/911DayOfService

Tips for 9/11 Day of Service cards: 

  • Cards should have 9/11 National Day of Service & Remembrance printed inside or on the cover
  • Cards should have a positive, uplifting theme
  • Cards may reflect patriotic values
  • Please "sign" the back of the card with your first name, age and/or the name of your group and where you are from. DOROT receives cards from all over the country  

Ages: Everyone can participate 

 

Time Commitment: Varies

 

Contact: Kelsey Donovan, kdonovan@dorotusa.org, 212.769.2850

www.dorotusa.org  

 

Island Ambassador  

Governor's Island Alliance

   

Date/Time: Various dates and times

 

Location: Governor's Island, click for information on getting to the island

Volunteers can serve as Island Ambassadors, welcoming the public to the island, helping orient visitors, and informing them about the island's past, present, and future. Volunteers work with children and other visitors at the island's Harbor Discovery Area. Volunteer forms can be filled out online at governorsislandalliance.org/volunteer

 

Ages: Ages 14 and up (ages 17 and up may assist with the free kayaking program)

 

Time Commitment: Varies, this is an ongoing volunteer position

 

Contact: Christine Hsu, Christine@governorsislandalliance.org, 646.820.7556

www.governorsislandalliance.org 

 

 

Pitch In - Pick Up  

Central Park Conservancy

 

Date/Time: At your convenience 

 

Location: Stop by one of our Visitor Centers and get a jump on cleaning Central Park!

Spend meaningful time lending a hand in your community by helping Central Park Conservancy's staff keep the Park clean and green. With 843 acres and 40 million visitors, there's a lot that goes into maintaining New York City's "backyard." Every stray napkin and forgotten water bottle adds up. So Central Park needs your help, whether you have an hour or an afternoon, to pitch in and pick up. Stop by one of the Conservancy's Visitor Centers listed below, sign out a volunteer name tag, choose either a trash-grabber or sweeper, and get to work! 

  • Charles A. Dana Discovery Center
  • Belvedere Castle
  • Chess and Checkers House
  • North Meadow Recreation Center 

Ages: Everyone can participate but children under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult

 

Time Commitment: Varies

 

Contact: Click here for more information about the Pitch In, Pick Up volunteer program www.centralparknyc.org

 

 

Make "Cool Ties" to keep our troops cool  

Operation Gratitude  

 

Date/Time: At your convenience

 

Location: Mail donated items, along with a donation form to:   

Operation Gratitude/California Army National Guard

17330 Victory Boulevard

Van Nuys, CA 91406

Attn: Receiving (800) 651-8031

Operation Gratitude annually sends 150,000+ care packages filled with snacks, entertainment, hygiene and hand-made items, plus personal letters of appreciation to Veterans, First Responders, Wounded Warriors, Care Givers and to individually named U.S. Service Members deployed overseas. Their mission is to lift the spirits and meet the evolving needs of our Active Duty and Veteran communities, and provide volunteer opportunities for all Americans to express their appreciation to members of our Military.
Operation Gratitude encourages people to knit scarves and hats for donation in winter, but in summer, their focus is on helping troops stay cool. Their website provides step by step instructions on how to make a "cool tie" which is a type of bandana filled with water-absorbent polymers that troops tie around their neck to help keep body temperature down in hot climates.  It's also always a nice idea to include some hand-written notes of support and encouragement to show our troops how much their sacrifice means to us.   

 

Ages: Everyone can participate 

 

Time Commitment: Varies

 

Contact: LoreneM@socal.rr.com  

http://opgrat.wordpress.com/ 

 

 

Operation Backpack  

Volunteers of America

 

Date/Time: At your convenience - please drop off all donations before August 9

 

Location: Drop off backpacks at any local Duane Reade retail drugstore
Operation Backpack provides backpacks filled with grade-specific supplies to children living in New York City's homeless and domestic violence shelters. Last year, with the help of nearly 150 companies, community groups, and the general public, Volunteers of America distributed a record-breaking 16,100 backpacks to these children. This year, the need is greater than ever. You can start a donation drive in your building, workplace, house of worship or club, or simply fill a few backpacks with your family for donation. The Volunteers of America website provides a list of needed supplies, posters you can download for a donation drive, and other information.

 

Ages: Everyone can participate 

 

Time Commitment: Varies

 

Contact: Colleen Magri, cmagri@voa-gny.org, 212.496.4307
www.voa-gny.org/Get-Involved/Operation-Backpack  

 

 

Kids for Wish Kids  

Make a Wish Foundation of Metro New York

 

Date/Time: At your convenience 

 

The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro New York  grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. Children in kindergarten through 12th grade can participate in Kids for Wish Kids, a program that develops project ideas to fundraise for Make-A-Wish. Take part on your own or recruit others to help. Volunteers don't need to raise enough to sponsor a whole wish, but every little bit helps a wish come true. A bake sale, pajama days, car wash, read-a-thon, or penny drives are all great ways to start raising money. Make-A-Wish will provide balloons, buttons, banners, and other MAW items to sell.    

 

Ages: Kids ages 5-18 

 

Time Commitment: Varies, depending on your project 

 

Contact: Kathie Lombardi at 516.944.6212 x141
www.metrony.wish.org 

 

 

Food Packing- Give Laugh Groove 2014  

Feed My Starving Children (FMSC)

 

Date/Time: Monday, July 14 and Tuesday July 15, various shifts

 

Location: The Green Building, 452 Union Street, Brooklyn
Feed My Starving Children is a non-profit Christian organization committed to feeding God's children hungry in body and spirit. The approach is simple: children and adults hand-pack meals specifically formulated for malnourished children, and we ship the meals to nearly 70 countries around the world. We invite you to join us in being a part of the hunger solution through this Feed My Starving Children MobilePack. This is an opportunity to learn about hunger related issues, raise funds to cover the cost of meals, and pack meals for the hungry. Through this powerful event, we can impact the lives of thousands of children.    

 

Ages: The minimum age to volunteer at FMSC is 5 years old. Additional FMSC age requirements can be found online 

 

Time Commitment: Two hour shifts

 

Contact: Registration is available online
www.givelaughgroove.com 

 

 

The Village Temple Soup Kitchen  

Congregation B'Nai Israel of New York

 

Date/Time: Any Saturday morning, 9:30am-noon

 

Location: The Village Temple, 33 East 12th Street, New York
The Village Temple Soup Kitchen has been proudly serving free meals to the homeless and needy every Saturday since 1987. Some of our guests live in the neighborhood, some come from other areas of the city, and many join us on a regular basis and have become friends. We take great pride in preparing a wonderful hot soup together with sandwiches, fruit, hot/cold drinks and dessert. The Soup Kitchen operations are funded by grants and contributions, and supported by food generously donated weekly from local businesses. We also receive food from City Harvest and the Food Bank for New York. Everyone who works here is a volunteer. Whether a member of the temple or a neighbor, our volunteers are a multi-generational group. Food preparation takes place every Saturday morning between 9:30 am and 12:00 pm. While a driver picks up donated food from local restaurants, bakeries and stores, the rotating group of soupmakers and volunteers chop vegetables and make sandwiches. A child who is old enough to place an apple in a paper lunch bag is welcome to experience the joy of helping others. When the 150+ brown bag lunches of sandwich, fruit and dessert are all assembled, it's time to set up the tables.

 

Ages: Everyone can participate 

 

Time Commitment: Two and one half hours.

 

Contact: J. Dean Chavooshian,  212.255.6063. You are welcome to join us on any Saturday morning - you don't need a reservation - simply show up!
www.villagetemple.org/index.php/community-2013/tikkun-olam-social-action/soup-kitchen.html 

 

 

 

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This list was compiled by Doing Good Together (www.doinggoodtogether.org)
 When calling to volunteer for any of the opportunities listed above, please let the coordinator know you found it through this listing. You are encouraged to ask any questions you may have of the sponsoring organization before committing to a project.
Disclaimer: This list is provided as a service to families. Inclusion of organizations in this listing does not imply affiliation, endorsement or quality assurance on the part of Doing Good Together. Doing Good Together bears no responsibility whatsoever for the activities and actions of the listed organizations. 
                                                                            

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