New York Cares

This is a great organization which gives you variety of volunteering opportunities. You need to attend the orientation first, but after that, you can search activities online and apply very easily. It will allow you to narrow down by category, week of the day and time.
Sometimes some activities are cancelled because of lack of volunteers, so they need more volunteers. Registration is easy, so I hope more people including Unilocalers will join!
What I had actually experienced… Restoration of a house affected by Hurricane Sandy, 5 Boro Bike Tour’s snack point, Assistants of Music Class for Autism Kids, Snack Making and Art Activities for Kids. What I want to do in the future… animal care, community garden, farmers market help etc.

I love this organization they are very goal oriented and have many selections to choose from. The online system is easy. Just select your availability then what type of help you want to reach out for (elderly, children, adult, pets, homeless, women etc) and a list will appear shortly for you to select. I have done a few things and have loved everyone of them. They are very organized and professionals.

While NYCares is known for giving coats to the homeless, there are many ways to volunteer with them. I love being outdoors and I was fortunate enough to assist replanting in Riverside Park. It was hard work planting on a hill but it gave me a new found respect for landscapers and plant life. I have a tendency to complain about being couped up inside all day so why not get outdoors and make my time meaningful.
The New York Cares host Jared was very welcoming. He was also informative about their other initiatives and he frequently checked on my planting skills.
I have volunteered with a few agencies around the city and new york cares and I rate them high with the awesome works they are providing to different areas of need. Thanks to them I am a horticulture expert. Ok maybe not! But it was a rewarding experience.

This year I decided to volunteer as a team leader and as a tax preparer (2015 tax season). I have had no issues with the community partners that I worked with and the project managers from New York Cares. Everyone is very organized, professional, and friendly.

Awesome thing to do whenever I have time. It is really simple to sign up for things and become involved with the community. With this I was able to volunteer at the Bowery mission a couple of times. They have so many options to whatever you want to contribute to society.

I was told about this organization many years ago, but couldn’t find the time to volunteer. The moment I realized I had some free time on my hands, I immediately signed up for Orientation held at Barnard College.
I have since volunteered for numerous projects, involving children’s sports, helping in food pantries and working with team leaders taking children on outings.
New York Cares provides an outlet to assist the homeless, the hungry, the elderly, also tutoring scholastics, as well as guidance with resume and job interview help. Plus for the person in need of a warm coat there is an annual Coat Drive and a plethora of projects to provide New Yorkers with the help they may need.
Once you’ve done orientation, all projects can be viewed online. Make your choice from the, oh so many, volunteer opportunities and be on your way to fulfill someone’s needs as well as your own, by being able to give back.
5 star gratifying experience all around for the well organized New York Cares.

I have been volunteering with New York Cares for two years now and have had nothing but positive and incredibly fulfilling experiences.
The organization makes it so easy for you to sign up for a project (it takes moments online) at your convenience and every single volunteer team leader I have worked with has been wonderful. Once they get to know you and trust you, they also have the ability to sign you up for a project even when it’s full.
I have volunteered at animal shelters, teaching photography to children, serving meals to the homeless, food pantries, and sorting clothes. There are so many projects that it can be difficult to choose one but there is a good chance that you will eventually find a project that really captures your heart and you end up staying with it. If you can’t decide however, you can always sign up for individual projects without committing long-​term.
Just do it! You will do good, feel happy (not to mention grateful for all that you have!) and meet like-​minded people. Five stars for New York Cares!

The only thing this organization does not do right is getting the word out about how flexible they are with volunteer projects. If I had known, I would have done volunteer work for them years ago. You can pick one project a year, a month, a week, every day if you have the time ! And you can cancel if something comes up that you must go to, but please be courteous and give advance notice as some jobs require a certain number of people. oh If you sign up, there is an orientation about the organization and how volunteering works, along with tips. If you are lucky enough to go to their headquarters in FIDI and get Arthur Fisher, you are in for a treat. Charming, entertaining and funny, he makes orientation whiz by. A former homeless shelter person who pulled himself back up, he has been paying it forward for 18 years.
And the jobs themselves? Something for everyone, and at so many times. You can take children to the museum, crochet with the vision challenged, clean up your neighborhood parks, help restore a church. The list is endless. And NY Cares doesn’t judge or care why you volunteer. the reasons can be selfless or selfish. Does your significant other not listen to you? Well, there are plenty of projects reading to kids who will be your captive audience. Killed every plant you ever touch?. Learn some basics of gardening with a compost and gardening project. At my last job, most of the younger people were getting credits for college. None of the seniors we helped cared. I’ve always wondered whether I learned anything from watching every season of Dog Whisperer. And when my dog walking project at the local shelter ever comes in, I’ll find out. But if you see me being dragged along like a toboggan by a pit bull, know that I am not encouraging you to ‘Yelp, Unilocal!”. I am whimpering, «Help, help!»

People love talking about themselves and getting the attention they feel they deserve. We all do. We like to feel good about ourselves. I mean, who doesn’t? What if I tell you that the secret to feeling good about yourself comes from making others happy and feeling good as well? If that is a revelation you might want to explore further, then New York Cares is the place to be. I began volunteering regularly for New York Cares shortly after ⁹⁄₁₁ with hopes to help revitalize the community I grew up in. I have not looked back since.
For me, what often gets lost in the glitz and glamour about New York City is how much our enjoyment and experiences are predicated on the service industry. Those who serve us and makes this city awesome and great including policemen, firefighters, waiters, garbage collectors, concierges, teachers, stylists, manicurists, Unilocal Community Managers (had to plug that), nurses, doctors, and the list goes on. We are lucky to have all these people around us and do their jobs to serve us everyday. If they did not care, I doubt our New York experiences would be as great as they are.
And guess what? Some of those same people are ones that really need help from others. What better way to show one’s appreciation than to take some free time to help paint a school, help someone with their taxes, teach a little basic English, or serve a meal? After all, they do it for you so maybe it can be fun to see it from the point of view of those who serve us. I don’t know, it is just a thought. If you feel the same way as me, then New York Cares is the best way to go. They have thousands of projects to choose from. Pick one that works for you, and maybe I will catch you at a project at some point.

In case you didn’t know, New York Cares actually has free Volunteer recruitment training for non-​profit organizations. That’s right! Do you work in a non-​profit? Having trouble recruiting or retaining volunteers? New York Cares has a training seminar for you! I RSVPed via Eventbrite for an all-​day training and I actually came out with a lot of useful tips and advice. Some of the stuff I would like to share is:
— ROSES (Recruit, Orientation, Support, Evaluation, Salute)
— Detailed and specific position descriptions help get the people you want.
— Rewards and recognition is great for retention
Since the training was grant funded, We had free breakfast and lunch! I love free bagels.

New York Cares makes volunteering so very easy. Once you go through the easy registeration, you can sign up for volunteer gigs on a one-​time or ongoing basis. You show up, you participate in some great program and events, meet some great people. It’s a very simple process – accessible to everyone.
The programs I have been a part of have been enormously fulfilling. It’s a great opportunity to support and connect with your community. I have met some great people through volunteering, and I have had great experience as a NY Cares volunteer.

As a lifelong NYC resident, this is as great an organization this city has produced. As a teacher, I thought what better way to spend my summer vacation than giving back to the city that forged my identity.
I helped out with some summer camps. One was a sports explorers camp for 4^th and 5^th graders. Another was teaching photography to rising 5^th graders. My team leaders for both projects couldn’t have been more helpful or enthusiastic. The people I worked with, whether in multiple weeks or just one time, were all great people willing to help out. It just goes to show that there are people out there in this rough-​and-​tumble place who really do care about the community.
I hope to stay involved during the school year. The best part about NY Cares is its flexibility and the online registration for the projects. A few clicks of the button and your all set. They have a multitude of projects: from one-​off commitments to multi-​sessions, any day, any night. They range from the children’s activities to adult education to soup kitchens to resume/​interview prep for those who need guidance.
Highly recommended.

Volunteered for BARC and it was an awesome experience!

I recently moved to the Hoboken area and was looking for ways to get involved in the local community and also meet new people. New York Cares is the perfect combination: able to volunteer according to your own schedule and not have to meet a certain quota of hours for the month and also volunteer in a variety of situations, ranging from helping the unemployed, Hurricane Sandy clean up, elderly, youth, libraries, gardening, etc… there really is an opportunity for just about anyone!
I took the online virtual orientation and it was great, quick and easy. Basically just explained how to utilize the web site to sign up for projects. I also have emailed with the New York Cares staff and they are always very prompt in their reply and friendly!
I have some time off between jobs, so I am taking this time to volunteer when I can. This morning I volunteered to help unemployed folks (most with little-​no education past their high school diploma) create resumes, apply for jobs and also explain how the job application process works. It was really a wonderful experience. I was able to utilize my Spanish to help a young gentleman freshen up his resume for a bartending job and also explained a bit how Microsoft Office works. We completed his resume and printed it out for him to distribute to various restaurants and bars in his area. It was very rewarding and I felt that I was able to utilize my job application/​resume experience to help someone out.
Highly recommend this organization for busy, working professionals that allow you to volunteer according to your schedule, but also be involved in the community.
Great concept!

I’ve had such a great experience with NYCares. I recently moved here and have been trying to get out and do/​experience things so this has been perfect. I’ve done a bunch of different projects with animal shelters, meals on wheels, food pantries, cleaning up parks, and food delivery all over the city. Somehow I haven’t done any projects with kids yet but I plan to!
It’s easy to fit volunteering into your schedule. You go to an orientation and then you can immediately start signing up for projects. The site is really easy to navigate and, for example, if you know you will be in a certain part of the city on saturday afternoon you can search for something on saturday morning in that area and there will probably be a couple of options.

This is definitely one of things which I really like doing it. I got introduced to NY Cares 2 years back as my employer has a tie up with them.
Several times a year they organize different kinds of events where one can volunteer. I have had chance to visit schools in Bronx, Brooklyn and was able to paint walls, do gardening. Also participated in events to clean up the city. NY cares gives a very good opportunity to give back to society we live in. They are very organized when it comes to these volunteer events.
Keep on doing the good work!

I joined this organization just recently because I felt I should do something more useful in my spare time. I have volunteered on a few projects since signing up and it’s been a good experience.
Joining the organization is easy. Create an account on the website and sign up for orientation. Once you attend the orientation, you can start searching for projects and sign up for them.
They have a wide variety of projects ranging from helping with kids, senior citizens, animals, sprucing up gardens, volunteering at schools/​fairs etc. You can pick and choose the projects that you’re interested in.
What I like about this organization is the flexibility. There are certain projects which require multi-​session commitments, but most of the projects don’t require such commitment. You can choose to volunteer when you can fit in a project in your schedule, be it once a month or every 2 months or whatever works for you.

If you’re like me: you want to volunteer but you can’t always commit to an every-​week, every-​month thing. And you don’t necessarily want to volunteer at the same place every time… NY Cares is perfect for you (and me!!)
I have walked dogs, corralled kids, sawed trees, prepped meals, painted walls, chatted with seniors, and directed runners at races with this organization. There is literally something for everyone to do.
After your orientation, you are up an rolling and the site is EXTREMELY easy to navigate.
You can search by date, borough, type of project, time of day, pretty much everything!!! Sometimes I sign up the day before for things if I feel like it.
It is such a cool thing to do with friends (or your s.o.) because you’re usually not spending any money, you’re doing something interesting, AND you feel awesome after b/​c you have helped someone.
Even if you don’t have any time to volunteer in the near future, go to an orientation and get into their system. Its worth it to have the option to volunteer later.

One of the best organizations to be involved with in NYC. Had a fantastic time creating artwork with seniors at a home on the UWS and again another time in the village. When you’re busy as can be and you want to be able to help out — when you have time there is always something that you can volunteer for. Kids projects seem to fill up faster than any other causes, and the orientation is brief.
Date Rating: 10
Pick up Scale: N/​A (people don’t volunteer to get dates… and Unilocal is not a dating site…)
Strong Suggestion: volunteer.

This review is for the 22^nd Annual New York Cares COAT DRIVE.
Do you ever wonder where that lightly worn coat you dropped in the collection box from NY Cares Coat Drive goes?
I do. For years I have dropped items in these boxes at my office lobby. This year I decided to volunteer. On Thursday my company concluded this season New York Cares Coat Drive and we delivered the final loads of coats to New York Cares Coat Sorting Site.
At the same time seven of us volunteered to sort coats at the sorting center. As we sign-​in for two hours of work we met the young volunteers from the period before us. They were young school kids and they look exhausted but happy. For the next two hours we will be doing the same.
The main sorting center for NYC is located in a downtown office building. The space is donated and it covers an entire floor.
Tons of coats and clothes are being dropped off in shopping bags, garbage bags, box large and small by people, by car, by truck, and FEDEX & UPS.
Labels on the delivers showed that they are from corporations, schools, police precincts, and collection centers from around the city.
Once dropped off volunteers open and sort the items into categories like adult man, woman, children, infant, light jackets, small items (gloves, caps, hats, scarves, etc.).
Then we had to re-​bag the sorted items for distribution. Each bag contents a fixed quantity of the same items; like ten coats per bag.
Churches, community centers, and shelters will come and select from the different categories with the quantity of items they require for their needy.
After two hours of opening, sorting, and bag made quite a workout; we estimated 100+ bags and boxes were sorted in the 2 hours we were there.
Doug and I was on the front line (opening the delivered bags) which was a little dusty because the bags and boxes came from the outside and many were dragged across many floors.
As the seven of us finished our 2-​hour shift, the next group of volunteers from a banking firm arrived.
The question they asked, «Is it fun? Is it hard? Did you like it?‘
Answer: YES!
Some cocktail (useless information) trivia:
— So many black leather coats; is it out of fashion.
— Manhattan donators have the nicest coats
— Long black wool coats are timeless and all look the same; why bother donating it?
— Several designer donated new coats from their warehouse with tags still on them; same priced over three digits!
— 9 Giants team jackets were donated; some in mint condition. I understand their sadness.
–4 Jets team jackets were donated; what, what were they thinking?
–2 Green Bay Packer team jackets– the wife did it.
–1 Steelers team jackets; pre-​mature prediction?
–1 Yankee team jackets; must have been a really disappointed fan.
–0 Mets team jackets; they were all donated years ago.
NY Cares does a wonder job. This year they estimate a SHORTAGE of 10,000+ coats for distribution.