January 2020 - NYC

 
 
Book Events
Brooklyn Book Bodega

Date/Time(s):
Friday, January 10, 10am - noon
Sunday, January 12 - three shifts:
  • 10am - 12:30pm
  • 11:30am - 2pm
  • 1:30 - 3:30pm 
Location: Brooklyn Navy Yard, Building 77, 141 Flushing Avenue

Ages: Families are welcome to volunteer together

Time Commitment: Two or two and one-half hours

On January 10 Brooklyn Book Bodega will be organizing and stamping books in preparation for our events at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Then, on January 12, the first Brooklyn Book Bodega event of the new year will be held. Responsibilities include checking in guests, checking out guests, setting up books, helping guests with browsing and assisting with miscellaneous tasks. The Brooklyn Book Bodega increases the number of 100+ book homes in Brooklyn. Research shows that households with 100+ books boost life outcomes for children and adolescents. Our vision is to create a vibrant and welcoming community that encourages children and adolescents from diverse backgrounds to engage with each other over a shared passion for reading while building their personal libraries.


 
Serve a Hot Meal to the Homeless
Manhattan Church of Christ

Date/Time(s):
  • Saturday, January 11, 18 and 25, 9am - 1pm
  • Monday, January 20 - MLK Day, 9am - 1pm 
Location: Manhattan Church of Christ, 48 East 80th Street

Ages: All ages, families are encouraged to volunteer together.

Time Commitment: Varies, four to five hours.

Volunteers help set up, prepare and serve meals, then break down and clean up. All shifts are family-friendly, and involve a set-up team to set tables and decorate, a service team to run trays of food back and forth to the guests, and a break down & clean up team.

Contact:  [email protected]. Volunteers should email Rev. Carl Garrison to sign up. Registration is also available online.
www.manhattanchurch.org

 
MulchFest 2020 - TreeCycle!
City of New York Parks & Recreation

Date/Time: December 26 to January 11 - special Chipping Saturdays on January 4 and January 11, 10am - 2 pm.

Location(s): Various locations, search by zip code here.

Ages: Everyone is welcome to participate

Time Commitment: Varies

Join the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, the Department of Sanitation and GreeNYC to recycle your Christmas trees into wood chips. These wood chips are used to nourish trees and plants on streets and gardens citywide. More than 30,000 trees were recycled last year. You can bring your tree to a chipping location on either Chipping Saturday, January 4 or 11, or to a drop-off location and the city will recycle it for you later. The Sanitation Department also conducts curbside collections. See website for chipping and drop-off locations. Please remember to remove all lights and ornaments.

Contact:  If you'd like to volunteer at MulchFest, you may register to join the Green Team and MillionTreesNYC volunteer group. See website for details.
https://www.nycgovparks.org/highlights/festivals/mulchfest

 
MLK Day of Services
UJA Federation - NY/ Time For Good Initiative

Date/Time: Monday, January 20 - Various times and locations across NYC

Location(s): Variety of locations, depending on project

Ages: There will be projects for families with children of all ages

Time Commitment: Varies, depending on project

On January 20th, join thousands of New Yorkers and sign up to participate in UJA-Federation/Time for Good sponsored MLK Day of Service volunteer opportunities. There are dozens of ways to give back to the community, in many locations across New York, Westchester and Long Island.  
 
Projects include:
  • Painting a community mural
  • Serving lunch to seniors
  • Gardening activities
  • Making care packages for seniors
  • Assembling food packages
  • And many more!

 
MLK Weekend of Service 2020
Repair the World

Date/Time: Various dates and time.

Location: Locations throughout New York City

Ages: Most projects are open to all ages

Time Commitment: Varies

We honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy and commitment to racial and economic equity. Today, we hold these values in mind as we join together to serve our communities. Together we amplify work that is being done and move towards repairing the world. You can also fill out our group interest form if you know you're bringing a class or group! 
 
Family friendly volunteer opportunities include:
  • Package winter care kits for The Campaign Against Hunger
  • Package high nutrient meals with Muslims Against Hunger
  • Package school supply kits for Brooklyn Community Services (BCS)
  • Assemble hygiene kits and paint a mural at Temple Beth Elohim
Contact: Kate Thomas [email protected]. Explore our project offerings for families in Brooklyn and Harlem at our MLK Day website. Registration is available online.
https://werepair.org/

 
MLK Weekend Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer New York!

Date/Time: Saturday, January 18, various times

Location(s): Click here for project locations

Ages: Many opportunities are family-friendly; check individual opportunities for specific age requirements.

Time Commitment: Varies, depending on the opportunity

The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service is a day intended to empower individuals, strengthen communities, bridge barriers, create solutions to social problems, and move us closer to Dr. King's vision of a "Beloved Community." MLK Day 2020 will be the 10th year Volunteer New York! has hosted this community-wide action day, which has united thousands of volunteers to serve for shared causes and beliefs, providing tens of thousands of hours of support to local nonprofits and creating countless memories for the families and individuals that have served together in honor of Dr. King. Volunteer New York! is a Westchester-based organization that encourages volunteerism and supports local non-profits. Projects include packing diapers for families in need, making birthday boxes and cards for children, serving meals, paint therapy for seniors and many others.

Contact: 914.948.4452, or fill out the online contact form. Registration is available online. Please select the opportunity and follow the registration prompts.
https://www.volunteernewyork.org/

 
Host a PJ and Book Drive!
Pajama Program

Date/Time: Flexible

Location: Your own community

Ages: Everyone is welcome to participate

Time Commitment: Varies

The Pajama Program is a non-profit that provides new pajamas and new books to children in need through a nation-wide network of service agencies. Winter is considered the "danger season" for children in shelter and temporary housing. Snuggling up in cozy, new pajamas with their very own new book, these children are given a secure and nurturing "good night" at bedtime. You can help by organizing a drive to gather new pajamas and books for the children who need them most.

Consider hosting a Pajama Party or Book Drive for your child's next Birthday!
  • Invite your guests to a Pajama Party (or any theme party)
  • In lieu of gifts, ask guests to bring a new pair of pajamas or a new book to donate to Pajama Program
  • Pajamas should be new/unused and a complete set or nightgown
  • Decide on an age range to collect (all ages, infant, children to age 5, children 6 - 12, teens, etc.)
  • Posters, signs and brochures can be used for invitations or to decorate the party space, and may be downloaded from the Pajama Program website, https://pajamaprogram.org/pajamas-books/start-a-drive/
  • Once your drive is complete, report the donation to the Pajama Program through this link on their website
  • Within 7 days, the Pajama Program will contact you with a receiving organization in your area that will accept the donations, and help you get the donation into the hands of the children they serve.
Contact:  212.716.9757
www.pajamaprogram.org

 
Winter Package Delivery
DOROT

Date/Time: Sunday, February 2, 10 am - 2 pm. Be aware that registration will open in January and slots fill quickly.

Location: Various locations around the Upper West and Upper East Side. Package pick-up locations will be announced.

Ages: Appropriate for families with children above age five.

Time Commitment: Two hours

Bring warmth and companionship to an older neighbor with a Sunday morning visit. Sign up for the East or West Side location for orientation, package pick-up, and a home visit assignment.

Contact: Quinn Lockwood, [email protected]. Registration will be available on the DOROT Winter Package Delivery page.

 
Families Helping Families: Family Day
Little Essentials

Date/Time: Saturday, January 18, 10:30am - 12:30pm

Location: Little Essentials Warehouse, 15 Warren Street, NYC

Ages: Families with children age eight and older are welcome to participate. All minors must have a volunteer release form - please contact [email protected] for a minor volunteer release form if you or a family member are under 18 years of age.

Time Commitment: Two hours

Little Essentials offers at-risk families living in poverty urgently needed children's supplies and parenting education to promote the health, well-being and safety of their children under five years of age. Families are welcome to help sort, clean, bundle and count donated items for families living in poverty.


 
Host a Birthday Party for Kids
CelebrateU

Date/Time: Thursday, January 23, 6 - 8pm

Location: The Henry Street Settlement House, 130 Baruch Place

Ages: Fifth grade and up

Time Commitment: Approximately two hours

The Celebrate U Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to spread happiness by throwing birthday parties for children in shelters or who can't afford to celebrate their birthday in the New York City area. The effect of these celebrations goes way beyond cake and party favors. Celebrate U believes that by showing children that their community truly cares about them, it can raise self-esteem, provide hope for a brighter future and empower children. Early education is essential, but so is building a child's self-esteem, giving them hope for a bright future and knowing society cares about them. And every child deserves a birthday party. Volunteers set up a birthday party with decorations, a banner and paper goods, they do an arts and crafts project with the kids, sing songs and serve cake to the children. The party celebrates any child with a birthday that month and is open to all shelter guests.  A short training session will take place for new volunteers one week prior to each event.


 
Outreach, Serving at a Soup Kitchen or Food Pantry, Advocacy
Hunger Free America

Date/Time: Events run from Wednesday, January 16 through Wednesday, January 22

Location(s): Throughout New York City

Ages: Ages 13 and up, teens under the age of 18 must have a guardian fill out a waiver form.

Time Commitment: Varies by project

Some 12.3% of Americas struggle with hunger every year, which is why we are holding our 19th Annual MLK Serve- A-Thon. The purpose of our Serve-A-Thon is to provide an opportunity for people to bond over service and to make a meaningful impact in the lives of those who struggle with hunger, social injustice, and poverty. Help honor Dr. King's legacy as a civil rights and anti-poverty leader and activist by volunteering to help advance food security in our communities. 


 
Monday, January 20th is Martin Luther King Day of Service
"Everybody can be great because everybody can serve"

Monday, January 20th is a school and bank holiday to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Instead of just making it a day OFF, make it a day ON and consider participating in a service project with your family. Many organizations provide tips, resources and hands-on opportunities to begin a conversation about social justice around the Holiday.

Visit the following sites for more ideas:
https://www.pointsoflight.org/mlk-jr-day-of-service/
https://www.nationalservice.gov/serve-your-community/mlk-day-service
https://www.nycservice.org/pages/pages/158


 
Check out our featured Project of the Month!  


EXPLORE our growing list of at-home projects you can do whenever you're ready, each with conversation starters, book ideas, and more!
 
 
 
2020 FAMILY RESOLUTION:
Join the DGT Membership Circle, and ensure more acts of kindness and community engagement

Families across the nation are seeking ways to do more for their community and to make kindness a priority. With the DGT Membership Circle, you can meet your family's goals and do so with the advice and expertise of those who are leaders in the field of kindness and family service. Join now to receive your welcome kit in January!

 

 

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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. 
                                                                            

                                                                                                     © 2020 Doing Good Together™