WHERE TO VOLUNTEER WITH YOUR KIDS IN MANHATTAN

Lend a little hand in your community, and make it a family affair! We've put together a guide to some places around Manhattan that need your help, including non-profit organizations, nursing homes, animal shelters, food pantries, and many more. Volunteer opportunities are available for children and adults alike. And remember - big or small, everyone has the power to make a difference!

When your child asks, “Why should I volunteer?” you might not have an answer at the ready. Sure, your instinct is to say something like “Because it’s the right thing to do,” but that really sounds like “Because I said so,” and we all know how that response generally causes kids to do the exact opposite.

Moral implications aside, though, the benefits of volunteering—especially from a young age—are nearly endless: Make new friends, build confidence and self-esteem, connect with your community, learn any number of skills that could come in handy later in life, gain an edge for your college applications…

Our advice: Skip the whole “why you should volunteer” lecture altogether and teach your kids by example. Whether you do it once a year or once a week, make volunteering a family affair. Below is a list of local organizations looking for a little extra help, from hands big and small.

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Become an Island Ambassador

Volunteers with the Governors Island Alliance (ages 14 and older) can serve as Island Ambassadors, welcoming the public to the Island, helping orient visitors, and informing them about the Island’s past, present, and future. Volunteers also help maintain flowerbeds in the National Landmark Historic District, work with children and other visitors at the Island’s Harbor Discovery Area and free kayaking program, and staff large public events such as City of Water Day, the World Science Festival, and concerts. For more information, contact Maya Borgenicht at 646-820-7556 or maya@rpa.org.

Create a Fairy Tale

Galli Theater, a Manhattan-based organization that brings original fairy tales and their age-old messages to kids and hosts programs that allow kids to express themselves through acting and theater, is looking for volunteers ages 16 and older to help with costume making, set design, music, stage lighting, assistant directing, acting, fundraising, and more. Volunteers get free access to performances and receive certificates and awards for their work. To download the Volunteer Application Form, visit gallitheaterny.com/Volunteers.html. For more information, contact Isabel Shanahan at 212-731-0668 or isabel@galli-group.com.

Donate Books

Donate new books and magazines to area children’s hospitals like the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York-Presbyterian (3959 Broadway; 212-305-2542; childrensnyp.org/mschony) or the Komansky Center for Children’s Health of New York-Presbyterian at Weill Cornell Medical Center (525 E. 68th St.; 212-821-0560; cornellpediatrics.org). Parents with a sick child appreciate anything that can help ease the worry of going to a hospital. It’s comforting to have a familiar book or even a new adventure for kids to go on when they may be waiting to have a scary test done.

Feed the Hungry

If you’re looking to spend a few good hours helping those in your community, head to the Food Bank for New York City to help with the Warehouse Repack Program. Last year, more than 900,000 meals were repacked for hungry New Yorkers, and there’s always a need for an extra set of hands. The program accepts groups of 10-30 volunteers from corporations, schools, etc. For more information on how to help at the Food Bank, call the volunteer services manager at 212-566-7855. 39 Broadway, 10th Floor. foodbanknyc.org.

Get Happy

Project HAPPY at Hunter College strives to improve the well-being of NYC’s youth and young adults with disabilities by providing them with the opportunity to participate in and be successful with individual and team sports and recreational activities. Volunteers ages 13 and older can help out in a variety of programs, from arts and crafts to weight training to dance. Volunteers must attend a one-day orientation session. Download the volunteer manual at project-happy.org or contact Penny Shaw at 212-772-4613 or pshaw@hunter.cuny.edu.

Get Empowered

The Youth Empowerment Program of Puppetry Arts (YEP!) is an arts- and civics-based youth development program for students ages 10-18 that empowers them to be stronger, proactive, and responsible citizens while building interactive relationships with each other and the community. The Youth Empowerment Program provides projects such as group art programs, mentoring, professional support, youth-led community outreach, and volunteerism to fulfill its mission of helping youth be stronger and more active citizens. Partnering with NYC schools in all five boroughs YEP! targets teenagers from all backgrounds with special efforts for those that live within environments that lack significant role models or positive reinforcement from family or community. If your school or organization is interested in participating in YEP!, email info@puppetryarts.org. Puppetry Arts offers many more volunteer opportunities for all ages; visit puppetryarts.org for more information.

Go Green

GrowNYC (grownyc.org)’s environmental education program implements a service learning model, where volunteers go out into their communities to make real changes in the areas of conservation and alternative energy. Common activities include tree planting along the Bronx River and further upstate, during which volunteers learn about habitat restoration and why trees are important to our ecosystem, along with watershed maintenance, during which volunteers learn how they can help keep watersheds clean and ensure the city has healthy drinking water. GrowNYC does not formally accept volunteers under the age of 18, but middle school and high school students throughout the five boroughs can get involved through programs in their schools. If your child’s school is interested in getting involved with this program, contact Mike Zamm at 212-788-7932 or mzamm@cenyc.org.

The goal of MillionTreesNYC, an NYC Parks and New York Restoration Project initiative, is to plant and care for one million trees in New York City’s five boroughs by 2017. Volunteers of all ages can help plant trees, get involved in tree stewardship, participate in tree care workshops, and learn about urban forestry. For more information on these and other volunteer opportunities, visit milliontreesnyc.org. For questions regarding tree care, email info@milliontreesnyc.org.

Partnerships for Parks helps New Yorkers work together to make neighborhood parks thrive. The organization has a diverse, growing network of dedicated park volunteers and groups and it provides opportunities for them to celebrate their parks, become more effective leaders in their communities, and work with government to affect decisions about their parks. Partnerships for Parks is a joint program of City Parks Foundation and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. For more information on how to get involved, visit partnershipsforparks.org.

Help the Homeless

The Partnership for the Homeless offers volunteer opportunities for kids ages 12 and older. Volunteers are needed for the organization’s two main annual events—a Thanksgiving dinner giveaway and a Children’s Holiday Party in December—as well as other smaller events throughout the year, which benefit homeless children and families throughout NYC. For more information, contact Ed Snowden at 212-645-3444 x107 or esnowden@pfth.org.

Make a Wish Come True

The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro New York (metrony.wish.org) grants wishes to children with life threatening medical conditions. Children in kindergarten through 12th grade can participate in Kids for Wish Kids, a program that develops project ideas to fundraise for Make-A-Wish. Take part on your own or recruit others to help. Volunteers don’t need to raise enough to sponsor a whole wish, but every little bit helps a wish come true. A bake sale, pajama days, car wash, read-a-thon, or penny drives are all great ways to start raising money. Make-A-Wish will provide balloons, buttons, banners, and other MAW items to sell. For Kids for Wish Kids, contact Kathie Lombardi at 516-944-6212 x141. For other volunteer opportunities, contact volunteer services coordinator Sarah Jacobs at 516-944-6212 x130 or email sjacobs@metrony.wish.org.

Serve Your Community

March is Red Cross Month: The American Red Cross provides relief to individuals affected by disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. Parents and kids ages 13 and older can help with mailings, hand out flyers at fundraising walks, help with fundraising events, or come up with their own projects to raise money for the Red Cross. Teens ages 14-18 can join or start a Red Cross Club at their high school. For more information or to fill out the volunteer application form, visit nyredcross.org. The Manhattan Red Cross office is located at 520 W. 49th St.

Spread Kindness

The New York program site of Room to Grow, a nonprofit organization that strives to enrich the lives of babies born into poverty, is looking for dedicated volunteers to help prepare in-kind donations for families, organize collection drives, assist with fundraising, and get involved with many other special projects. Room to Grow is located at 54 W. 21st St., #401. To volunteer, call 212-620-7800 or email volunteerny@roomtogrow.org. For more information on the organization, visit roomtogrow.org.

Spring Clean Your Closet

Donate your gently used clothing, shoes, and textiles at greenmarkets throughout the city. Enlist your kids in the process of cleaning out their closets before springtime. It can even turn into a fashion show to see what fits and what doesn’t. Take your kids with you when you donate the clothes so that they can see the good their efforts are doing. For more information, visit grownyc.org/clothing.

Drop-off locations include:

97th Street Greenmarket, West 97th Street and Columbus Avenue; Fridays 8am-2pm

Tompkins Square Greenmarket, East 7th Street and Avenue A; Sundays 8am-6pm

Union Square Greenmarket, 17th Street and Union Square West; Monday and Saturday 8am-4pm

You can also check with your local Salvation Army thrift store for instructions on donating clothes:

536 W. 46th St., 212-757-2311
208 E. 23rd St., 212-532-8115
112 Fourth Ave., 212-673-2741
26 E. 125th St., 212-289-9617
208 Eighth Ave., 212-929-5214
268 W. 96th St., 212-663-2258

Start Your Own Project

The NYC-based DoSomething.org is one of the largest organizations in the United States that helps young people rock causes they care about. Kids older than 12 can join or start their own Do Something Club in their community and take action all year through Do Something's campaigns and their own projects (apply at dosomething.org/clubs). You can also apply for a Do Something grant (dosomething.org/grants) to start your own community project—the organization gives out two $500 grants per week. For more information, contact Chloe Lee at 212-254-2390 ext. 231 or clee@dosomething.org.

Support a Senior

At local nursing homes and rehabilitation centers, an afternoon of your company can make all the difference to someone. Take the opportunity to tackle a craft project or just sit and talk with a senior resident. If your family really wants to devote some time, you can “adopt a grandparent” and invite him/her to dinners and holiday parties. Below are several nursing homes that accept volunteers:

The Cabrini Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation is looking for dedicated teens to assist with recreational programs for its frail, sick, and elderly patients, including art and music programs, parties, adapted sports, and games. Volunteers must be at least 14 years old and can get involved as an individual or in a group. The center is located at 542 E. 5th Street, East Village. To volunteer, contact Ellen Stein at 212-358-6385 or estein@cabrini-eldercare.org.

DOROT, an organization that mobilizes volunteers to improve the lives and health of the elderly and help them live independently, is looking for teens ages 14 and older to volunteer individually or with a parent/guardian. Volunteers visit the elderly, provide reading assistance for the visually impaired, help with shopping and other errands, and more. The organization is located at 171 W. 85th St., Upper West Side. To volunteer, contact Sarit Wishnevski at 212-769-2850 or swishnevski@dorotusa.org. For more information, visit dorotusa.org.

Teens ages 15 and older (with or without a parent/guardian) can volunteer with the Jewish Association for Services for the Aged to pay friendly visits to residents of senior centers, collected much-needed goods, and more. For more information, contact Alexandra Collier at 212-273-5291 or volunteer@jasa.org.

Teens ages 16 and older can help out at The Carter Burden Center for the Aging. Volunteers aid senior citizens and their families in the community through a variety of programs. The center is located at 1484 First Ave., Upper East Side. To volunteer, contact Ada at 212-879-7400 x108 or ruiza@hotmail.com.

Use Common Cents

Students in schools across the five boroughs can participate in Penny Harvest, the largest children’s philanthropy in the US, to raise money for different causes, including animal rescue and homelessness. Children ages 4-14 have collected pennies and turned them into grants for community organizations. They can also complete neighborhood service projects through Penny Harvest. For more information, visit commoncents.org or contact Gracie Rifino at 212-736-6437 x114 or grifino@commoncents.org.

Walk for the Cause

Head to nymetroparents.com/walks to find fundraising walks in your community. Walking together for a cause can bring your family closer together while supporting a worthy organization. It’s also a great way to get outdoors, add exercise, and make new friends. Most charity walks in the Connecticut and the New York metro area take place in the spring and fall. Be sure to plan ahead, because the sooner you register, the longer you have to raise money for the cause.

Work for Water

The UNICEF Tap Project is a nationwide campaign that affords everyone the opportunity to help provide the world’s children with safe, clean water. We don’t usually think twice about the quality of our water but more than 900 million people around the globe do not have access to clean drinking water and approximately 4,100 children perish from water-related illnesses daily. A one-dollar donation can provide a child with clean water for 40 days, or 40 children with access to safe water for one day. World Water Week (March 19-25) will raise awareness of the world water crisis and vital funds to help millions of children it impacts daily. Kids can join the cause by organizing a lemonade stand, bake sale, car wash, or similar fundraising event and donating their proceeds. Visit tapproject.org/volunteer to sign up and find a list of ways to get involved.

To further encourage your children to volunteer, check out this great contest opportunity from Kids Who Give.

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