Fun, Easy Ways to Volunteer

Title: Fun, Easy Ways to Volunteer

Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. To end the show today, we're just going to ask, where are you volunteering, and where might be an easy place for other people to volunteer if they're not volunteering yet? 212-433-WNYC. 212-433-9692. Call or text. This one's in the holiday spirit. People make charitable donations. Most of the charitable or a lion's share of the charitable donations are made this time of year. We've talked about that in our own fundraising. That's why we did a little pledge drive day last week in December.

Beyond whatever cash donations you're making to any nonprofit or any charity, volunteering is also a part of it. I've done Meals on Wheels delivery on Christmas Day just as one little example. Where are you volunteering? Let other people know what volunteer opportunities are out there that they might participate in, because I think there are a lot of people who listen and think, "Yes, I really should be volunteering," or, "I'd really like to be volunteering, but I don't know where to start. Is there a place in my neighborhood? Is there something I can do from home? Is there something that fits my interest, and so it's appropriate?"

We're asking the simple question, where are you volunteering? 212-433-WNYC. 212-433-9692. Few examples. Maybe you're helping out with migrant services in some way, like helping to translate from Spanish to English via Zoom or FaceTime. That's one example we know about. Maybe you spend time taking care of animals or kids. Do you volunteer to teach or mentor children? Some fun volunteer opportunities that we know about that we found on New York Cares, that website, play casino games with seniors, like roulette and blackjack, at the new Jewish home.

Revitalize a community garden at the Padre Plaza Success Garden in the Bronx. Play chess with elementary and middle school kids at the Queens Public Library in Elmhurst. Inspire young writers with creative writing exercises at PS135. Prepare unemployed and underemployed adults for success on their career journey by helping to build their networking skills. Virtually all of those things might not be volunteer opportunities that you would first think of.

Folks, what are you doing to volunteer in 2024? Especially if it's something that other people might be inspired to join in on if they've been wanting to volunteer, but not yet quite figured out how. 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692. Call or text, and we'll take your calls right after this.

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Brian Lehrer on WNYC. All right. To your calls and text on where you're volunteering, Paul in Washington Heights. You're on WNYC. Hi, Paul.

Paul: Oh, hello, Brian. Thank you for taking my call. I volunteer at a group called Country Dance New York. We dance weekly at the church at 7th Avenue and 13th Street. It's a wonderful intergenerational space. Sometimes you might call it the third space. It relies on volunteers to help orient new dancers, take money at the door, volunteer on the board. We have a community group of musicians who play for us.

Brian Lehrer: That is sweet.

Paul: It is really wonderful.

Brian Lehrer: You can country dance right there in lower Manhattan, Paul. Thank you. Ruthie in Brooklyn, you're on WNYC. Hi, Ruthie.

Ruthie: Hi. How are you?

Brian Lehrer: Good. What are you doing to volunteer?

Ruthie: Oh, my gosh, I can't believe I'm actually on the show. I just want to say that I am a longtime listener, first time caller, and I'm so excited to be on the air right now. I volunteer and also I am an employee of God's Love We Deliver. God's Love We Deliver provides nutrition therapy and cooks and home delivers medically tailored meals for people living with severe illnesses in New York City metropolitan area. We are right on Spring and 6th Avenue.

It's really easy to come and volunteer. We have volunteers that come every single day. There's two shifts a day. They can work in the kitchen, they can work in fulfillment, they can work in delivery. It's just a wonderful, wonderful organization. I love it. I love volunteering and, of course, I love working there.

Brian Lehrer: I will say that God's Love We Deliver is the winner in this segment. Not that it's a competition, but of course we're getting so many different kinds of volunteer work that people are calling in with, but the one that's being mentioned more often than any other single one is God's Love We Deliver. I'm glad you got on the air to shout that out.

Ruthie: Thank you. Thank you so much.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you very much, Ruthie in Brooklyn. How about Justina in Ridgewood, Queens? You're on WNYC? Hi, Justina.

Justina: Brian, hi. I always call and try to say something about cats and promoting them. This time I wanted to say foster cat or dog because our shelters are overcrowded. If you cannot commit to adopting a pet, foster. It can be for a week, it can be for a month or a few months, but do reach out to or look up local rescues and rescuers and local shelters and foster.

Brian Lehrer: I'll bet a lot of people don't know that's an option. What's the role of fostering pets? Meaning holding them temporarily. What happens then?

Justina: You just hold them until the pet finds an actual forever home. Yes, you get screened because you don't want to get in trouble with your landlord. We want to make sure that you are allowed to actually have that pet at home. There are other questions, obviously, but there are no rules.

Brian Lehrer: It's that stopgap measure. The pet is allowed to survive while they're looking for a permanent home. Justina, thank you. I'm going to leave it there, and get some other folks on, but very good. Victoria in Queens, you're on WNYC. Hi, Victoria.

Victoria: Hi, Brian. So glad you're doing this segment. Volunteering is so important, and it also connects to wellness. When we volunteer, we give, and we have positive energy, and it's by choice. Whatever else is going on in our lives, we can choose to do something positive.

Brian Lehrer: If somebody else wants to get involved with that, because we have a number of people texting to say, oh, yes, I would like to volunteer, but it needs to be something I can do from home. It sounds like this is that thing, one of those things.

Victoria: Yes. I volunteer at the Center for the Women of New York. We have a caregiver phone support group where it's remote. The caregivers are so appreciative because they have limited time, and they need support, they're isolated, but yet to go to an in-person support group would be prohibitive. It really helps them. They appreciate the support.

Brian Lehrer: Thanks for calling in with that. In text messages, mutualaid.org-- whoops. Oh, there's a lot of them coming in at once here. This is WVW mutualaid.org, "It's just like making another grocery run. Easy peasy. As many mutual aid organizations that began during COVID lockdown are now struggling, an influx of volunteers would be hugely beneficial to keep this near perfect volunteer system going." Another one. "I volunteer as clerk and co-treasurer of Staten Island Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends."

Churches/religious organizations are a way in to a wide variety of volunteer activities. Not all churches fit the evangelical profile that can be perceived as anathema to progressive individuals. Another one from out on the island, "I volunteer through my local Farmingdale Rotary Club to ring the bell for the Salvation Army. They do wonderful work with the funds in poor communities." Another one, "I've been a hospice volunteer. That service is always needed." Nancy is calling from St. Paul, Minnesota. Hi, Nancy. You're on WNYC. Hello from New York.

Nancy: Thanks for taking my call. I volunteer at our carousel near our zoo. We help people on and off the ride, take tickets, sell gifts. What I love about this job is everybody is happy. I'm happy. It's just a real happy couple hours when I get over there. This summer a woman came up to me after the ride and said, "Thank you so much for helping us make a wonderful family memory."

Brian Lehrer: Thank you very much for calling in on that. That sounds very rewarding place to volunteer. Emily in Queens here on WNYC. Hi, Emily.

Emily: Hi. Thanks for taking my call. I volunteer with an organization called StreetWise Partners. It's NYC-based, but they have other locations, and there's online opportunities. It's a lot of professional development, so resume writing, interview practice. Really recommend it. It's great.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you, Emily. We're going to sneak one more in here. Sig in Manhattan. Sig, we have 15 seconds for you.

Sig: Hi. I recommend VITA, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance. It's run by the IRS, but actually administered by dozens of not-for-profits countrywide. Offers free tax preparation during tax season. There's training before it. Every return gets two sets of eyes. The guy like me that enters the data, plus experienced person who reviews it.

Brian Lehrer: At VITA. Thank you very much. Thanks to all of you for all your volunteer suggestions for your fellow listeners. There'll be more on that with Alison, coming up next.

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