URGENT- Volunteers needed for "Fancy Food Show"- July 2nd

North America’s Largest Specialty Food & Beverage Event will be in New York City from June 30 - July 2, 2013. Each year, the Fancy Food show exhibits over 180,000 food products and attracts thousands of attendees from around the world.

But have you ever wondered what happens to all that food once the show has wrapped up? It gets rescued!

On Tuesday, July 2nd, help City Harvest and Met Council collect thousands of pounds of kosher food products from generous vendors as they wrap up their exhibit.We need your help collecting, packing, and loading the food onto our Food Rescue truck be shipped to Met Council's Food Warehouse. Ultimately, your efforts will directly benefit Met Council and the thousands of families who receive supplemental nutrition assistance from our food pantry each year.

Want to get involved? Here are the details:
When: July 2nd, 2pm to 8pm
Where: Jacob Javitz Center- 655 W 34th St
Who: Volunteers 18 and older, must be able to lift, ability to walk and stand on your feet for extended periods of time (there is a lot of ground to cover!)
How: For more info or to sign up, contact Rebecca Glass at rglass@cityharvest.org or 646-412-0710

Bay Ridge Jewish Center Chesed Day

On Sunday, June 23rd, 10 children and 12 adults from the Bay Ridge Jewish Center volunteered their weekend at our low-income senior housing in Seagate, Brooklyn. Our Abraham residences I and II, were hard hit by Hurricane Sandy last year, so the outpouring of support and volunteers has been a welcome treat for seniors. Volunteers shared their artistic talents in several projects to benefit our clients.

 

 The children painted clay pots and planted herbs to be hand delivered to the residents to enjoy basil and parsley year round. Then they took the time to make art to be hung in the community room to brighten up the space for all to enjoy!

 

On behalf of our seniors and residences, thank you! 

You and your group can take part in similar projects this summer as well! Fill out our group questionnaire here. For individuals, click here.

Volunteer to increase awareness of public benefits for those who need it most!

SNAP Farmers Market Outreach

If you want to help alleviate food insecurity and poverty in NYC, then this is the volunteer opportunity for you! Met Council, in partnership with the Food Bank and NYC Coalition against Hunger, aim to reach individuals and families who are eligible for the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program or SNAP (formerly known as Food Stamps) benefits, but are unaware. This summer, you can help us engage customers at farmer’s markets across the city and inform the general public about SNAP eligibility and Met Council services.  Volunteer roles will include tabling with flyers, canvassing throughout the market, and pre-screen potential clients using our web app.

This program targets hard-to-reach groups that are eligible but not enrolled in the Food Stamp Program help to inform members of the community about SNAP eligibility and benefits. Increased access to public benefits such as SNAP can be a powerful tool to combating hunger and poverty in New York City

Up to 600,000 New Yorkers are eligible, but do not participate in the Food Stamp Program. Through printed materials and oral presentations Met Council’s volunteers and enrollment specialists make eligibility rules easier to understand, clear up myths that surround the program, and encourage those eligible for benefits to submit an application.

Volunteer Qualifications:
Age:18 and older
Group or individual: Individual or groups of up to 3
Qualities: Outgoing, not afraid to engage strangers
Commitment: 2 hour orientation, tabling at chosen market at least twice a month

Time and Location: Days and times depend on location of market. Locations include: Forest Hills and Jackson Heights, Queens; Bensonhurst, Brooklyn; Poe Park, Bronx

For more information contact Tiffany Doris at tdoris@metcouncil.org or 212-453-9648

Connect to Care - Job Readiness Seminars

Connect to Care - Job Readiness Seminars

presented by Met Council & Goldman Sachs

 

Last Monday, June 3^rd, Met Council hosted a special job readiness event at the Marks JCH of Bensonhurst. Clients were treated to four informative job readiness seminars presented by Goldman Sachs employees. 

The day consisted of two crucial job readiness presentations on the topics of LinkedIn and Personal Branding. The Goldman Sachs volunteers when in depth on the inner workings of the world’s largest online networking site, and all the benefits the site can have for an individual’s career. Personal Branding expanded on the general Mock Interview or Resume Review workshops offered by focusing on linking those two elements. Volunteers used their past experiences to give our clients advice on how best to link your resume to a job interview.

The day ended with two interactive seminars, which received great reactions from our clients. A Panel Discussion and Networking Workshop gave clients a chance to interact with the volunteers. They were able to ask the volunteers specific questions while improving their networking skills. We have received positive feedback from our clients, who felt the volunteers did an excellent job presenting these topics!

We want to thank our clients who attended the event! As well as all the hard work done by our volunteers!