Wednesday, March 26, 2014

5 Unexpected Career Benefits of Volunteering

While on some down time at the desk, I came across this interesting article that posed a somewhat contradictory notion (at least at first). It proposed what volunteers gain from volunteering, instead of what the community receives from volunteerism. When I read the title I winced a bit; whenever I encounter volunteers they're usually volunteering because they want to make an impact in their community - not because they want to spruce up their resume. This article highlights though some pretty interesting points about how volunteering also affects the volunteer - in this case from a career standpoint. Take a read, if anything it offers all the more reason to get involved.  



What comes to mind when you think about volunteering?
Does the thought of spending your free time away from work doing even more work without pay turn you off? Do you feel like there are too many problems in the world and your limited participation won’t move the needle substantially? Or perhaps you don’t feel strongly enough about any cause to be interested in volunteering?
If any of these hold true for you or someone you know, you are likely underestimating the potential benefits of volunteering. There are a myriad of reasons why volunteering could be worth your time, but here are 5 practical reasons why you should be open to volunteering:
1. It Helps Build Your Resume: Volunteering can strengthen your resume in meaningful ways, including:
Building Tangible Skills: Your experiences as a volunteer can help fill gaps in your skill set. For example, if you want a chance to lead a team to show that you are ready for increased responsibility at work, volunteering could be a medium (and a safe environment) through which to do so.
Developing Subject Matter Expertise: In addition to getting experience you don’t have, you can create opportunities to apply your current skills in a different environment. If you’re an accountant at a firm, volunteering to manage the books at a non-profit could show versatility and subject matter expertise as well as further establish your credibility and ability to tackle new accounting challenges.
Gaining Practical Experience: If you are a job seeker with limited opportunities due to your lack of experience, volunteering not only showcases your work ethic but also allows you to build a portfolio of demonstrable results that you can highlight during an interview.
2. It Enhances your Personal Development
Volunteering offers opportunities to stretch yourself and step outside of your familiar and comfortable routine. A lot of non-profit organizations are less structured as their corporate counterparts, leaving you ample opportunities to build on your leadership qualities, hone your ability to work in a team and enhance your self-awareness. These experiences can contribute greatly to your personal development and uncover capabilities you may not have known you had.
3. It Exposes You to Great People Outside Your Network
One simple but very valuable benefit of volunteering is that you get to meet other volunteers. Often times, these are people who have taken vastly different paths to converge at the same organization you are volunteering in, which could be a refreshing break from your existing network of people who may have backgrounds similar to yours. You not only get to work alongside them, you get to learn from them, and them from you. These relationships could result in career and mentorship opportunities, or even friendships!
4. It Allows You To Practice Creativity
Do you have an idea that no one is listening to? Do you want experience doing something your current job doesn’t allow you to do? Stop stifling your creativity. Volunteering can provide an avenue for you to expend this energy and try to solve problems in ingenious ways.
 5. It Enables You To Make an Impact
Undoubtedly one of the greatest benefits of volunteering is the impact that you can make. You would be simply amazed at how much of a difference a couple hours a week of tutoring, mentoring or other volunteering opportunities can make in someone’s life. A lot of jobs don’t give you the opportunity to make significant, lasting, game-changing impact that volunteering at a cause-based organization can.
Are you ready to get started? There are hundreds of great organizations who could use your help. If what you most passionately want to spend your time on doesn’t exist, start it! Your efforts could make a significant difference in the life of others, and in yours. Don’t focus on the fact that you are not getting paid. The experience, if you are deliberate about how you approach it, is worth its weight in gold.

Credit: Utibe Bassey at TRN Magazine


Just a quick reminder, Met Council is holding our annual Family Violence Passover Distribution on April 6th from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. If you're interested in getting involved with this wonderful event please contact us at 212-453-9508 or e-mail us at volunteer@metcouncil.org.
-Joey

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Volunteer and Aid Victims of Domestic Violence!

Met Council is proud to be holding their annual Passover Distribution at the Boro Park Y this year on Sunday April 6th. After the huge success of last year's distribution, we're excited to make this year's event even better.


  On Sunday, April 6th, volunteers will be distributing food packages to families that are victims of domestic violence onsite. Met Council established the Family Violence Program in 1995 to address the increasing awareness of the problem of domestic violence in the metropolitan area. Through our services, clients receive immediate assistance during the acute crisis and ongoing assistance as they move toward family stability. The Family Violence Program is able to provide culturally specialized services in addition to services catering to the family violence population.



The event will ensure that all families, no matter what background, have the ability to celebrate Passover.

If you'd like to volunteer for this event please e-mail us at volunteer@metcouncil.org or call 212-453-9508.

Date: April 6th, 2014
Time: 9:00 - 12:30 and then 1:00 - 3:00 (There are two separate shifts for volunteers. The first shift entails packaging the food items into boxes and the second involves the distribution of food items as clients arrive in the afternoon.)
Location: Boro Park Y - 4912 14th Ave Brooklyn, NY 11219


We'd love to hear from you!


Wednesday, March 19, 2014

We Made The News! Purim Food Packaging Article


The Purim holiday which took place this past weekend was a lot more festive for hundreds of people in Brooklyn, thanks to the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, which distributed food packages to families in Flatbush, Midwood, Marine Park and Borough Park as part of its Kosher Food Network.
Volunteers from the Council of Jewish Organizations of Flatbush and the Jewish Community Council of Far Rockaway delivered 500 two-person meals to homes on Friday, March 14, in time for the Jewish festival.
The food giveaway allowed residents to partake in holiday festivities despite the often prohibitive costs of kosher food, organizers said. The meal included traditional staples such as challah, stuffed cabbage, vegetable soup, chicken, and potato kugel.
“Purim is a time for celebration and thanks to a generous Met Council supporter, 1,000 food insecure New Yorkers will be able to join the Jewish community in marking the occasion with joy and dignity,” Metropolitan Council CEO and Executive Director David M. Frankel said prior to the food distribution.
“There are a half a million poor and near poor Jewish New Yorkers who struggle to feed their family every day. These 1,000 meals will allow our clients to observe the holiday with a traditional and nutritious meal that otherwise would have been price prohibitive. Many of our clients are in a unique need because of the additional expense of kosher food: on average a kosher meal is 30 percent more expensive,” Frankel said.
Purim is one of the most joyous holidays on the Jewish calendar. It commemorates a time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination. On Purim it is customary to give charity to those in need and to deliver gifts of food to neighbors.
The Purim meal packages were part of Metropolitan Council’s year-round Kosher Food Network, a project that provides a holistic care program of food packages, emergency food vouchers and prepared meals to supplement food to low-income households throughout New York. 
The Metropolitan Council also fights poverty throughout the year by providing $460,975 in Food Gift Cards to needy families and by delivering 9,360 meals to home-bound seniors.
In anticipation of Jewish holidays, the council increases the amount of food distributed and food cards delivered, officials said.
By Paula Katinas
Brooklyn Daily Eagle


Friday, March 14, 2014

Purim Food Packaging 2014



This Thursday, at Met Council’s Food Pantry Warehouse in Canarsie, Brooklyn, volunteers came together and packaged over 500 meals that will be delivered on Friday, March 14th to Jewish families all over Brooklyn. An anonymous contributor donated the food to Met Council in order to ensure everyone celebrated the holiday Purim.

News reporters arrived to document the amazing effort being put forth by all those onsite in order to make this event a memorable one. Met Council Executive Director, David Frankel, was present to interact with volunteers and also speak on behalf of why it’s so important Met Council continues its fight against poverty.

Check out the link below in order to read more about the story and to watch our volunteers talk about how rewarding the experience was!

Volunteers prepare food donations for Purim at Met Council Food Pantry in Canarsie