Do you want to volunteer but you’re not sure where to go? There are so many opportunities to volunteer in NYC. First, decide whether you want to work with kids, or perhaps the elderly. Once you have chosen your demographic, you can certainly find a charity that fits! The following four volunteer opportunities are common in New York City.
Big Brother Big Sisters
Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC is always looking for mentors, or Bigs, as they are called. Thrillist.com writes that though the impact on young New Yorkers can be huge, the time commitment is pretty minimal. You’ll meet your mentee twice a month on your own schedule and serve as a positive influence and role model in his or her life. Volunteers over the age of 21 will be matched with children between the ages of 7-17 living in all five boroughs. Currently, there’s a high demand for male volunteers to be matched with boys on the waitlist, and being willing to travel to the outer boroughs is a plus.
Rescuing Leftover Cuisine
Rescuing Leftover Cuisine is an ingenious cause that gives leftovers a second life. How? They enlist volunteers to pick up leftover meals and deliver them to homeless shelters. The volunteer shift takes less than an hour, and you can choose when you want to help out. If you are hosting an event, you can even sign up to donate the party’s leftover to this charity.
Volunteer Hunger Relief Corp
Volunteer New York’s website explains that the role of this task force is to combat hunger in Westchester and Rockland counties. They do this by providing ongoing volunteer support and volunteer management resources to select Hunger Relief Organizations. Inspired volunteers are needed to take action in the community and volunteer to expand the capacity of these Hunger Relief Organizations, to allow them to do more and feed more people in need. Volunteer opportunities range from food pantry assistance to grocery delivery.
RISE (Readiness thru Integrated Service Engagement)
According to their mission statement, RISE looks to secure volunteer placements for higher functioning adults with an intellectual or developmental disability. RISE addresses the ever growing need to find meaningful community experiences for these young adults who are eager to take action to strengthen our communities and build their skills for a successful future. By getting involved in this opportunity, you are not only helping young adults, but your community as well.
It does not matter which way you choose to volunteer. By simply donating an hour of your time per week, you will make an impact on the New York City community.