As we enter the season of giving, more New Yorkers are counting their blessings and finding ways to give back to the community. Many organizations, from food banks to shelters, are in need of volunteers to help celebrate the holidays this year. Below you can find a few local volunteer opportunities in NYC that will help you give back to the community.
Much of the elderly population in New York City spend the holidays alone. This organization aims to bring some holiday cheer to the elderly by providing nourishing meals. The organization was founded by Gael Greene and James Beard after discovering the shocking number of older neighbors who went without food during the weekends and the holidays. To support Citymeals, you can personally delivery meals or participate in one of their events for a one-of-a-kind experience.
This holiday season, head to the Brooklyn Public Library. The library offers many volunteer opportunities from shelving books, hosting a story time, or reading aloud to a nearby hospital. More than 2,000 volunteers dedicate their time and energy to the library, could you be one of them?
Masbia is a nonprofit soup kitchen that provides nutritious meals to hundreds of New Yorkers in need as well as delivers bags of groceries to those who don’t have enough at home. Each week Masbia gives out over 30,000 pounds of food. Masbia is looking for helping hands for food prep and meal serving during Jewish High Holidays, Thanksgiving, and other holidays.
Gobble Gobble Give first originated out of Los Angeles, California. As of recently, the organization has made its way to the east coast and welcomes 500 volunteers every year to help assemble meals for over 200 families and individuals on Thanksgiving Day. If you have missed registration, fear not. You are more than welcome to donate a cooked turkey, dessert, or can goods.
If this is your first year volunteering, check out New York Cares. New York Cares has ample opportunities for you to get involved with the community. The organization holds many events during the holiday season. They are well known for their annual coat drive and have provided over 2 million coats to those in needs over the past 30 years. Another event New York Cares is well known for is Winter Wishes, a gift-giving event where you take on the role of an elf and grant a child a toy from their wish list.
This blog was originally posted on WilliamDoonan.net
