February 2014 Volunteer of the Month- Scott Rader!

Congratulations to Scott Rader, our February 2014 Volunteer of the Month!

Over the past year and a half, Scott Rader has become an active MVP member and volunteer with Met Council and continues to impress our staff with his dedication. We’ve nominated Scott because of his commitment to our mission, his active participation and enthusiasm for our MVP group, and the positive energy he shares with his fellow MVPs and in giving back to our low-income seniors.

Scott is a young, distinguished lawyer at Mintz Levin where he practices white collar defense and commercial  litigation. With his little free time he plays tennis, trains for his upcoming sprint triathlon, and volunteers. He first came to Met Council a little over a year and a half ago with the introduction of a coworker and joined our group of motivated young professionals, called MVP. Scott has really enjoyed the opportunity to build relationships with like minded individuals and has described MVP as “a great group of generous and selfless people with great potential for growth.” He also receives great support from colleagues and has generously arranged the use of his workplace on several occasions to host MVP meetings.

For Scott, the most rewarding aspect of volunteering and MVP has been the opportunity to meet new people and enhance someone’s day. He has spearheaded the initiative to create an ongoing volunteer “Friendly Visiting” event at our low-income senior housing site to develop lasting relationships with residents. It is a valuable program that can “span the gap between generations and alleviate isolation.” He firmly believes in the importance of raising awareness on the growing issue of poverty and the value in meeting and working with Met Council clients.

For all this, we would like to showcase our appreciation for Scott and his passion to share and grow our base of supporters and volunteers. Thank you!

Get Involved- Take Action- Become a Volunteer Leader!

Do you find yourself taking the lead with your coworkers and classmates on projects? 
Are you looking for a consistent Sunday volunteer opportunity? 
Do you have contagious positive energy?
Are you very responsible but easy going and personable?

If you said yes to these questions, you could be our next Volunteer Leader!

Demonstrate your commitment and dedication to fighting poverty in NYC with Met Council by taking the step to become one of our select Volunteer Leaders. 

Leaders help us to expand capacity by running our weekly Sunday Senior Lunch Program at the Spitzer Residence.  They are role models and change-makers, spreading the word and enthusiasm for volunteerism and commitment to the community. 

A leader's responsibilities include leading up to two Sunday programs each month at our senior residence. They give the volunteer orientation, receive the catering order, direct volunteers' activities, socialize, and act as a representative for Met Council.

Volunteer Leaders are valuable to us and each year, they receive special awards at our annual Volunteer Recognition event and often show up on our Volunteer of the Month page too!

If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact volunteer@metcouncil.org with the subject line: VOLUNTEER LEADER

SOAP Up New York 2014 Success!

 Last week, 38 volunteers joined Met Council and SOAP (Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution) to raise awareness of human trafficking, the second fastest growing criminal industry in the U.S. Over 27 million people worldwide, including 2 million children are victims of human trafficking or modern-day slavery.

On Wednesday, volunteers sat for hours helping us label over 10,000 bars of soap with the National Human Trafficking Hotline and made over 50 folders of educational materials for distribution to hotels in Manhattan. The work was tedious, but they were committed to the cause.

Then on Thursday evening, over 30 volunteers joined us for an orientation led by Family Violence staff, Micol Rieger who works directly with victims of sex trafficking at Met Council. Volunteers were trained and prepared with materials and maps to head to hotels around Manhattan and spread the word on the issue and give out the free soaps.

Such an effort will increase our chances of reaching a victim who may come through the area with the thousands of other tourists pouring in for the Super Bowl. That cold evening, volunteers were successful in delivering 56 packets of Missing Children posters and info on "red flags" and well over 11,000 bars of soap. 11,000 more opportunities to reach someone in need and give them the resources they need.

We would like to share our thanks and appreciation to our staff and volunteers with which this campaign was possible. We look forward to hosting this event again in the spring as well so stay tuned for more information!