When I wasn't taken back by my old
job for my month-long winter break between semesters, I wrote a bucket-list of
everything I wanted to do during my time off. Besides "take fitness
classes" and "compile my entire internet recipes”, “volunteer"
was on my list. I learned about a volunteer organization called New York Cares
through my roommate Anika, who had been sharing some of her volunteer
opportunities with me throughout the semester.
New York Cares is a volunteer organization founded in the late 80’s
by a group of friends who were passionate about social issues. Running
volunteer programs for 1,300 non-profits, public schools and city agencies, New
York Cares has become the city’s largest volunteer organization. New York Care’s
volunteer model was so effective that more than 370 other volunteer
organizations have adopted their unique approach to service.
I love the New York Cares database because I can tailor the search
results to my interests. As i scrolled through the lists, the volunteer
opportunities that really stood out to me were the ones involving children and
animals. As a kid, I was obsessed with crafts. I remember making dozens upon
dozens of those crocheted pot-holders in day camp. I also remember the many
trips to Michael's with my mom, buying those craft-kits that usually involved
making your own candle or decorating little glass vases. When I saw the opportunity
to volunteer with the Art Explorers at a school in the lower east side, I
signed up immediately. The project involved helping children from PS 140 M -
Nathan Straus in the Lower East Side develop their own creativity with an
innovative program that uses games and art projects to promote positive
self-esteem, team building and communication skills. The projects vary from
fine arts, environmental awareness, and just fun crafts. This will be my first
volunteering adventure as a part of New York Cares! My love for arts and crafts
along with my experience in working with children makes me confident that this
is a good match.
As for my experience, I am pretty new to the volunteering world.
My old roommate, Maria was employed by our school, Pace University, as
a volunteer coordinator. Through her, friends and I were able to volunteer at
the Sean Casey Animal Shelter. Cleaning the shelter and walking the dogs was a
great experience, especially for those of us who didn't have our family pets in
the city and missed the companionship! I will never forget walking and cleaning
up after this GIGANTIC mastiff who took a crap the size of my head on the
sidewalk. But hey, caring for animals isn't all fetch and wagging tails now is
it?. The only other times I had volunteered in New York City were for class
assignments, and I really wanted to be proactive this time and do it without
having a reason or obligation. In my opinion, there should be no reason or
explanation for volunteering; it is something that we as human beings are
obligated to do. I also believe that regardless of whatever religion you may
be, the energy you put out into the world is the energy you will receive in
return. So here goes: I'm going to share my volunteering experiences with
anyone who cares to know about them. If nothing else, I hope that sharing my
experiences will motivate people to embark on their own journeys and give
something back to the community.
^^These are some pics of me volunteering at the Sean Casey Animal Fund in April 2010. As you can see the pit-bull jumping 3 feet into the air is just a ball of energy. And as for the mastiff, well we all tried not to take the frown personally.
