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This year, the Volunteer Spirit Awards will also serve as Volunteer New York!’s 75th anniversary celebration. By honoring Volunteer New York! with the 2025 Legacy Award, we celebrate not just the organization itself, but the thousands of volunteers, partners, staff, and supporters who have fueled our mission over the past 75 years. This signature event will be the largest public celebration of our anniversary, and a moment to reflect on the collective power of volunteerism that continues to inspire, uplift, and strengthen our communities.
Volunteer New York!’s mission is to mobilize the communities of Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam Counties to address its greatest challenges. We envision a community that is vibrant, resilient, and equitable, and believe volunteerism and civic engagement are critical strategies to achieve this vision. Last year alone, Volunteer New York! mobilized more than 35,000 volunteers, who contributed over 457,000 hours of service to 300 local nonprofits — an economic value of $16.9 million reinvested into our community. The Legacy Award recognizes this impact and our ongoing commitment to strengthening our communities through service and civic engagement. With a new strategic plan and the search for our next Executive Director underway, this 75th anniversary is as much about looking toward our future as it is about celebrating our past.
We believe that volunteerism can be a catalyst for positive change and a force that brings people together to solve our most pressing issues. Through all of our programs, Volunteer New York! connects individuals to causes, communities, and each other — fostering purpose and belonging. As society’s challenges grow increasingly complex, volunteerism remains both a solution and a bridge, uniting diverse people to address urgent needs and strengthening the very fabric of our neighborhoods.
As we look ahead to the next 75 years, we are committed to creating even more vital pathways for volunteering and civic engagement, ensuring that nonprofits and communities have the people power to strengthen their neighborhoods. The Legacy Award is a tribute to everyone who has played a role in this journey — and an invitation to join us in shaping the future. Because the best way to honor our past is to keep moving forward, together.
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