Devin Helps our Client's Children Go Back to School

On Wednesday, we received a donation of 75 backpacks filled with school supplies from UJA-Federation of Long Island. The bags will go to families with children who have been affected by domestic violence and have a hard time paying for the necessities of the new school year. I spent the morning sorting and organizing the bags; making sure each family had enough and that the contents matched the age/grade level of the children. I even got to make a few extra ones myself, filling them with paper, pens, crayons and the like that came form another volunteer (Jamell) who did a school supplies drive. Many of us, including myself, take for granted expenses like these; we are used to going on shopping sprees at Staples with our parents in September, armed with hefty supply lists for the coming year, unaware that some classmates and neighbors cannot even afford loose leaf paper or a new backpack. Over the next couple days, the book bags will be distributed to the families, in time for the beginning of the school year. I am hopeful that the school supplies will make parents breathe a little bit easier and give the students a boost in the classroom as well.

National Day of Service and Remembrance

On September 11, the Obama Administration’s United We Serve campaign will culminate with the National Day of Service and Remembrance that honors those who died on 9/11 though an ongoing commitment to service. To commemorate this national day of service, Met Council will be holding an educational Safety First Event.

Time: 12:30pm-3:30pm

Place: Senior residence at 385 3rd Avenue (at 27th street).

What: Volunteers will be needed to mind the various information booths and distribute resources to seniors as well as answer their questions regarding the event. We are looking for friendly volunteers who are very comfortable socializing with senior citizens.

Also, if you are a trained professional with experience in teaching individuals proper emergency response techniques, we would love your expertise at the event!

Please contact Kelley Baldwin at volunteer@metcouncil.org or (212)453-9675 if you are interested in attending Met Council’s Safety First Event.

Volunteer Profile: Jamell Joseph

Met Council volunteer, Jamell Joseph, held a Back-to-School Items Drive for our low income clients in Crisis Intervention and Family Domestic Violence. Jamell collected over 70 items of brand-new school supplies to be distributed to low income families.

Thank you to Jamell and everyone who donated to Met Council’s Back-to-School Items Drive! Your acts of charity enabled Met Council to perform deeds of kindness.

If you would like to host your own supply drive, Met Council is looking for volunteers to hold Emergency Kit Supply Drives as part of the nationwide United We Serve campaign. Please contact Julia Sherman at jsherman@metcouncil.org or (212)456-9526 if you are interested in helping out in this important initiative.

Devin meets Met Council Clients

Earlier this week I was able to listen in on a presentation Met Council staff and clients were giving to UJA-Federation. It was very nice to hear the testimonies of a few of the people this organization helps. One man, a recent immigrant from Uzbekistan, was able to master the English language and become a Registered Nurse through Met Council’s nurse training course. Though he was a neurologist in his home country, this man worked full time during the day, and went to school and studied at night in order to pass the New York State nursing test and obtain his necessary qualifications. I was also able to hear from a couple of senior citizen residents from one of Met Council’s affordable housing buildings on W. 61st street. Both ladies were very appreciative and thankful for the low-cost rent, only $647, as well as the superb facilities, programs, and neighborhood that surrounds them. As I escorted them downstairs to return home, one of the women asked what I did. When I explained to her that I just did general office stuff and worked on a variety of projects, nothing seemingly too important or daunting in my eyes, she corrected me, noting that even I was making a difference in hers and other Met Council’s clients’ lives. Working in the offices all day, sometimes it is difficult to imagine or comprehend the tangible assistance and help that I, and especially the rest of Met Council is doing for all New Yorkers. Learning about the experiences of some clients gave me a renewed sense of purpose and duty. Though I may only be filing, writing, and doing research, by doing my small part, I am making a difference in fighting poverty in New York City. Of that, I am now sure.

Share your volunteer experience on our blog!

Want to share your own Met Council volunteer experience? Did you serve brunch to seniors, organize an items drive, review a resume, or contribute in other countless ways? Write to us at volunteer@metcouncil.org with the subject line “Contribution to Blog” and we’ll post it for you.

Devin visits Jackson Heights

Earlier this week I was able to visit one of Met Council’s local Jewish Community Councils. The Jackson Heights-Elmhurst Kehillah in Queens has been around for many years, serving the Jewish and other neighborhood communities. Visiting the Kehillah’s new offices located at the Jewish Center of Jackson Heights, I was intrigued to see firsthand the diverse neighborhood in which the agency operates. At the Jewish Center’s thrift store for example, I noticed that many of the people shopping there were not Jewish, but rather Latino, Asian, and other ethnicities who live in the area. It is wonderful that these different groups, who can sometimes be insular and close-knit, rely on and engage in one another to build a stronger community. I think that this scene really defines the current climates of Met Council, New York City, and the United States as a whole. Especially since the economic recession, people are looking past their differences and focusing on finding assistance and help wherever they can. I can only hope this cooperation continues beyond this crisis, creating a permanent bond between the diverse residents of New York City.

Safety First Event

As part of the nation-wide United We Serve campaign, Met Council is organizing a Safety First Event.

Sunday, August 16th
1:00pm-3:30pm
East side of Manhattan (at our low income senior residence)

The event will provide emergency preparedness cards for low-income seniors. We need volunteers to gather information, write the information onto the cards, laminate the cards, and distribute them out to the residents.

In the event of an emergency, the first information needed is medical information along with emergency phone numbers. By putting this information at the senior’s finger tips, we ensure that they are well prepared in case of a medical emergency.

To sign up, please e-mail volunteer@metcouncil.org or call Kelley at 212-453-9657.

Devin's Agency Tour

Even though I have been working at Met Council for two summers, I have not been to all the departments nor have I met all the wonderful staff of the organization spread across multiple floors of our building. Last Thursday, I was able to take a tour of the rest of the office.

Though I’ve read my fair share of Met Council pamphlets and informational packets, there is still always more to learn from the employees themselves. I visited the home care training facilities, where Met Council has trained over 25,000 New York State certified home care attendants since 1986. Classes are offered in English, Russian, and Polish in an environment that attempts to recreate real-life experiences and situations. I was also able to see where Met Council operates its three homecare agencies from, and the people who make those agencies run efficiently and effectively.

Even more, I was shown through the Crisis Intervention Center-this place really blew me away. Helping anyone in need with social services, these social workers and volunteers do truly amazing stuff. Staff is trained to help in instances of family violence, legal trouble (including immigration issues), as well as families that go hungry, can’t find housing, or just need some help paying the utility bills. These services, both big and small, really make a difference in many people’s lives.

I was also able to stop by the Home Services department, with Projects Handyman, Machson, and Metropair. These services help families procure home furnishings and clothing, free handyman services for Holocaust survivors and other senior citizens, and allow the elderly to continue to live in their homes by retrofitting them to be safe and secure.

Our Strategic Planning and Capacity Building department aims to fight poverty using a different approach. Utilizing internal organization rather than direct service, this area of Met Council aids smaller groups in perfecting their operations, leading to better services and experiences for their clients.

Walking around Met Council’s offices, I was continually impressed by the dedicated and quality work that the staff here is doing. Every day, as I uncover more programs and hear more stories of charity and kindness, I grow more and more proud of being a Met Council Intern.