New York Magazine

Mentoring at Young Women's Leadership Foundation.   (Photo: Courtesy of the Young Women's Leadership Foundation)

For Every New Yorker, a Place That Needs You
Whether you’ve got twenty hours a week or one day a year.

IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE DAY A WEEK …

Children’s Aid Society
If managing large groups of children doesn’t throw you, this sprawling agency has an unending need for volunteers who (once they’ve gone through a screening process) will chaperone kids on field trips, host parties, and run toy drives. They’ll match you up based on your interests; if you’re in theater, you could end up helping produce a high-school play.
• 105 E. 22nd St., nr. Park Ave.; 212-284-4591; childrensaidsociety.org
Contact: Scott McLeod

FoodChange
For socially minded foodies: This community kitchen’s emphasis is on making healthy, locally farmed meals and serving them to low-income adults and children. Volunteers serve and clean up five days per week, from 4 to 6 p.m.
• 252 W. 116th St., nr. Frederick Douglass Blvd.; 212-894-8094; foodchange.org
Contact: Jennifer Prissel

The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal
The tutoring center and homeless shelter are small, and therefore pretty serene, at this Franciscan-run shelter and tutoring center. They need people every day to help 7-to-14-year-olds with their homework or help prepare and serve meals for the residents.
• 410 E. 156th St., at Melrose Ave., the Bronx; 718-993-5161
Contact: Ann Kosmerl

Literacy Partners
You have to commit to two three-hour sessions a week for at least a year and go through a twenty-hour training period. Then, you and your co-tutor will work with a group of eight to twelve adults, teaching reading, writing, and employment preparation.
• Various sites 212-725-9200, ext. 120; literacypartners.org

(Photo: Courtesy of the ASPCA)

ASPCA of NYC
Not for those with allergies: You can temporarily house young, sick, or injured dogs and cats. You must go through an orientation and take classes on dog and cat behavior, but the ASPCA provides the food and medical care.
• 424 E. 92nd St., at First Ave.; 212-876-7700; aspca.org
Contact: Eric Grant, ext. 4581

ONE DAY A WEEK…

Housing Works Bookstore
Volunteers who show up at least four hours a week (for a minimum of three months) will help with everything from unpacking boxes of books to creating displays. You’ll get free coffee and heavily discounted books and CDs. The Used Book Café tends to be short-staffed in January, June, and September.
• 126 Crosby St., nr. Houston St.; 212-334-3324; housingworks.org

The International Center
With a little patience and three two-hour training sessions, you can become a conversation partner and help immigrants and newcomers become more comfortable in English. They ask a three-month commitment and two hours a week of “active listening.”
• 50 W. 23rd St., at Broadway; 212-255-9555; intlcenter.org

New York Foundling Hospital
They ask for a yearlong commitment, and there’s an orientation; once that’s done, you will play with the kids, take them to events, and prepare their snacks. Recruiting sessions start in mid-January.
• 590 Sixth Ave., at 17th St.; 212-633-9300; nyfoundling.org
Contact: Alan Shatz

(Photo: Courtesy of the Achilles Track Club)

Achilles Track Club
If you’re a regular, all-weather runner, you can participate in one or both of Achilles’ twice-weekly sessions with disabled runners (Tuesdays and Saturdays, in Central Park). You accompany them to ensure safety, but also for coaching and encouragement.
• 42 W. 38th St., nr. Sixth Ave.; 212-345-0300; achillestrackclub.org
Contact: Genna Griffith or Russell Koplin

ONE DAY A MONTH …

Mount Sinai Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Program
Sign up now for next June’s seven-week training session, which will teach you to be an emergency-room advocate for victims of sexual violence. Right now, help is needed in event planning, graphic design to plan fund-raisers, and putting out the quarterly bulletin.
• 1 Gustave L. Levy Pl., at Park Ave.; 212-423-2140; mssm.edu/savi

Gilda’s Club
You’ll organize workshops on cancer-related subjects, work in the Noogieland children’s play rooms, lead yoga or art classes, help plan fund-raisers, and help with clerical duties.
• 195 W. Houston St., nr. Sixth Ave.; 212-647-9700; gildasclub.org
Contact: Cynthia Helton

Seeds of Peace
If you excel at benefits, Seeds of Peace needs volunteers to organize the events (like its “Bid for Peace” celebrity auction) that fund its summer camp in Maine, where children from war-torn countries are brought for a respite.
• 370 Lexington Ave., at 41st St.; 212-573-8040; seedsofpeace.org
Contact: Fayth Centeno

Helpline NYC
There’s a rigorous training curriculum, but since it’s a 24-hour crisis and suicide-prevention hotline (the city’s oldest), it always needs volunteers.
• 120 W. 57th St., nr. Sixth Ave.; 212-684-4480; helpline.org
Contact: Amy Barr, ext. 201

ONE DAY A YEAR …

Visiting Neighbors
You have to provide references and be interviewed. Once you’re approved (and if you get it done before December 5), you can dress up as an elf and deliver a gift to a housebound New Yorker this year.
• 611 Broadway, at W. Houston St.; 212-260-6200 visitingneighbors.org
Contact: Howie Square

New York City Food Bank
Last year, volunteers provided 1.1 million meals to New Yorkers in need. Up this year’s number and spend a day repackaging donated food for distribution at the Food Bank’s Bronx warehouse.
• 355 Food Center Dr., the Bronx; 212-566-7855; foodbanknyc.org
Contact: Grace Cary, ext. 6

New York SCORES
Any Friday between March and November, you can be a referee at a soccer game for inner-city kids. The not-so-athletically inclined can help at scores poetry slams.
• 520 Eighth Ave., at W. 36th St.; 212-563-3250; americascores.org
Contact: Catherine Sui

Compiled by Wren Abbott, Amos Barshad, Jocelyn Guest, and Wesley Wade.

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• Table of Contents: Nov 27, 2006 issue of New York | Subscribe!