Jodi Smith- Volunteer of the Month January 2013

Congratulations to Jodi Smith our January 2013 Volunteer of the Month! 

Jodi is originally from Long Island, New York and went to Washington University in St. Louis for college. She returned to New York after graduating to give back in a non-profit career. She currently works in Jewish Education at a synagogue in Great Neck, NY. started out with Met Council by volunteering for the Senior Lunch Program with a group of 20’s and 30’s who are interested in social action/social justice through Bnai Jeshurun, a synagogue on the upper west side since 2010.

Her natural leadership abilities, dedication, and exemplary performance was did not go unnoticed. She then became a volunteer leader for Met Council’s Senior Lunch program and leads once a month. Through this commitment and honor, she has been able to develop long lasting relationships with the seniors and bring them happiness.  Jodi often participates in other large Met Council volunteer initiatives as well such as Thanksgiving and looks forward to many more events to come!

Volunteering is important for Jodi because of the sense of community it creates. She has enjoyed developing relationships with the seniors at our low-income housing sites and with the other volunteers. Getting to know the clients on a personal level and bringing them joy each week has been the most rewarding aspect of her volunteer career.

Recap of MLK Day 2013

For those of you who weren't able to join in on our MLK Day of Service on Monday January 21st, here's what happened in a  nutshell:

After a 40 minute orientation on poverty in NYC and the benefits of the SNAP program, the volunteers headed out on our buses to their canvassing areas in the Bronx and Queens. Once there, they met the NYCCAH prescreener volunteers and even Assembly Michael Miller from the 38th Assembly district!

Assemblyman Mike Miller

 

 

 

 Even though the temperature was in the 20's that day, our volunteers perservered!

They engaged with individuals on the street and spread the word about SNAP, debunking negative myths along the way!

In the end, our 50 volunteers distributed over 12,000 flyers that day! That means they helped touch the lives of over 12,000 families in NYC. 

Thank you to all our volunteers and we hope to see you next year for MLK Day of Service 2014!

MLK Day of Service 2013

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'"
 
Each year, Americans across the country answer that question by coming together on the MLK Day of Service to serve their neighbors and communities.

 
On Monday January 21st, 2013, you can join Met Council and the New York City Coalition Against Hunger (NYCCAH) in our citywide canvassing effort. Together, we will learn how increased access to public benefits such as SNAP (formerly known as Food Stamps) can be a powerful tool to combating hunger and poverty in New York City. Please join us in making it a day on... not a day off!

On MLK Day, we will will be meeting at Met Council headquarters at 10am for an orientation and training session. After you become knowledgeable on SNAP benefits and what to do for the day, we will send you out with maps, bags of flyers, a beverage and a snack.

From Met Council, we will then provide free chartered buses to your designated canvassing areas in Queens and the Bronx. After you have completed your canvassing, we will bring you back to Met Council at 4:00pm for our debrief session.

If you are interested in signing up as an individual, please complete our registration form.
If you would like to sign up your volunteer, school, company, or other group, please email Simone at scarva@metcouncil.org.

For all additional questions, please email Simone at scarva@metcouncil.org.

Thank you for taking action!

Give back with a year of service!

Ever thought about AmeriCorps? Become an AmeriCorps member at Met Council and give back with a year of service.

Met Council is looking to bring on three AmeriCorps members for a year of service to the community. We are looking for someone to create and run volunteer programs, reach out into the community, and make an impact.

AmeriCorps is a one year term of service that allows community members to get hands on and work on addressing issues of job readiness and hunger relief through volunteer efforts.

As an AmeriCorps member you receive:

• Health insurance

• Monthly MetroCard; good for unlimited public transportation on all buses and subways or alternative transportation reimbursement

• Student Loan forbearance/deferment options

• Training and professional development opportunities

• Childcare assistance subsidies

• Upon completion of year of service: Education Voucher of $5,550

• Annual living allowance of $12,100, before taxes

For more information about Met Council, please visit our website: www.metcouncil.org

For further information about the AmeriCorps program, please visit: www.americorps.gov

To Apply please send resume and cover letter to Stefanie Greenberg at sgreenberg@metcouncil.org . No phone calls please.