Met Council's Volunteer Department

Inovation in Volunteering Programming: The Networking Workshop

2012-01-30T06:27:00.000-08:00

Networking is the process of building mutually beneficial relationships that provide knowledge, advice, information and further contacts, all of which help focus and advance career goals. Recently, networking has proven to be more valuable than ever. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recently found that 70 percent of jobs are secured through networking. Especially since the economic downturn, finding jobs has become increasingly difficult. A Fiscal Policy Institute Report states that “Among unemployed New Yorkers, half have been without a job for more than six months, and 29 percent have been jobless for more than a year.” The recent increase in unemployment has naturally led to a rise in competition among individuals. Networking provides an edge: it allows individuals to be more than just words on their resumes. But like cooking, driving, or any other skill, networking requires proper guidance and practice.

Recognizing the significance of job readiness, Met Council provides professional help to low to moderate-income New Yorkers who want to find jobs or advance their careers. These resources are available for clients who come from various backgrounds and economic situations including unemployment, underemployment, or career change. Met Council’s innovative Career Services Center has volunteers who help people build the necessary foundation for job searches, as well as provides the extra advantage to help its clients secure employment. After teaching computer skills, providing resume assistance, and leading a mock interview workshop, these skilled volunteers conduct a Professional Networking Workshop. This training and hands-on approach provides job seekers with skills on how to network and get information on potential employers. By play-acting in a networking mixer, clients have the opportunity to present their professional selves in a non-threatening environment. This interactive technique is particularly useful in teaching clients how to connect with possible future employers. As part of the training, for example, clients learn to create a two-minute pitch and a 30-second pitch― or, “the elevator pitch”― to clearly articulate who they are and what their goals are. Clients are also taught how to connect with their interviewers on a deeper level, and how to follow-up after the interview.

These valuable skills are not innate, which is why this program is so helpful to clients.
But each client’s experience at Met Council’s networking workshop would be incomplete without a chance to receive feedback on his or her performance. After learning networking tips and then implementing these tips in a simulated environment, these clients are then offered thoughtful suggestions on how to improve their already-enhanced skills. These feedback sessions pave the way for clients to reach their ultimate potential, as it gives them an opportunity to grow. In the process, many valuable ideas are generated and then shared within a group setting, allowing each client to learn from his or her peers. By addressing each client’s personal needs, the volunteers are able to tailor the most successful networking approach, unique to each client. Met Council recognizes that no two clients have an identical resumes, so they should not be subjected to identical training. Instead, each client receives individualized guidance and one-on-one attention.

If you are interested in volunteering for our networking workshop please e-mail Volunteer@metcouncil.org

Some information was taken from: http://www.fiscalpolicy.org/FPI_StateOfWorkingNewYork2011_Part1_20110831.pdf

Written By Carly Scheinberg, Met Council Intern

Pack It Up For Purim!

2012-01-25T12:49:00.000-08:00

As Jewish New Yorkers prepare to celebrate Purim, UJA-Federation is teaming up with AmeriCorps and the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty to help defeat hunger in our community. Join us for Pack It Up for Purim, a community-wide effort to create 2,000 food packages for needy New Yorkers, and become part of the Purim tradition of mishloach manot, offering a food package to a neighbor.

Want to learn more about this holiday and our Pack It Up for Purim program?

Watch the video below!

Pack it up for Purim from UJA-Federation of New York on Vimeo.

* Volunteers — Make a nutritious nonperishable food package. Visit our volunteer section for drop-off centers and helpful tools.

* Community Agencies — Visit our agency section to register to recruit volunteers and serve as a drop-off center.

* Talk to us on Facebook and Twitter (@ujafedny), with hashtag #pack4purim

* Read about our Pack It Up for Purim initiative.

* Donate now — Your generosity will provide a safety net for the impoverished in New York and around the world.

Volunteer with Children

2012-01-24T08:35:00.000-08:00

It's a New Year: why not make your 2012 resolution to be more active and make a difference? And we can't think of a better way to impact our future than to help a child learn and grow! These two exciting programs give volunteers meaningful and rewarding experiences with at-risk children. Help change a child's life by becoming a mentor or a tutor today.

Volunteer Mentors Needed

Jamaica, Queens

Sundays, 12:30PM-3:00PM

YEP is an educational program that aims to engage and instruct homeless children through mentorship activities. Volunteer duties include setting up the room, facilitating that day’s activity, working one-on-one with children, and establishing meaningful and lasting relationships with mentees. For more information, please contact Kelley Baldwin at 212-453-9675 or kbaldwin@metcouncil.org.

Volunteer Tutors Needed

Borough Park, Brooklyn

Tuesdays and Wednesday, 6PM-7:30PM

**Female volunteers only**

Homework Helpers seeks to improve the academic performance of children, grades four to eight, who come from single parent households affected by domestic violence. Volunteers are paired one on one with clients to help teach and explain homework assignments and subjects. For more information, please contact Irijah Stennett at istennett@metcouncil.org.

Congratulations to our Volunteer of the Month!

2012-01-17T12:09:00.000-08:00

To start off the New Year we’d like to acknowledge May Lai as our Volunteer of the Month! May has been an integral part of our Senior Fitness Program in Brooklyn and her dedication and enthusiasm have brought so much to the program.

May has been living in New York City for three decades, having previously attended high school in Hong Kong and lived in the Dominican Republic. It was her good friend that sent her the link about Met Council’s volunteer opportunities. For almost a year now, she has be the volunteer leader for the Senior Fitness Class at the Carlton Residences in Fort Green. Every Monday morning, for one hour, Mai leads a fitness class for low-income seniors living in this Met Council housing site.

For seniors, staying active is linked directly to staying healthy. May volunteers because she believes that many community projects need the extra help. The most rewarding part, May states, is “self fulfillment and meeting new people. I feel great helping the community!”

We are happy to have her energy and enthusiasm being used in this capacity to keep our seniors active, healthy and most importantly engaged in regular exercise that they enjoy. May, we thank you for your time, patience and commitment to the community as well as its seniors. We are extremely grateful for your dedication!

Game on, Day on! - Martin Luther King Junior Day of Service

2012-01-17T09:15:00.001-08:00

Martin Luther King Junior Day: “A day on, not a day off.” And what a day on it was! Yesterday, for Met Council’s MLK Day of Service, almost two hundred volunteers distributed twenty thousand brochures across New York City in order to raise awareness about the food benefit programs available to New Yorkers in need and to debunk some of the common misconceptions and stigmas related to them.

Volunteers gathered together at 80 Maiden Lane in the morning to learn about the details on SNAP food benefits and poverty that they would need to communicate to business owners and people on the street as they distributed materials. They learned about the most common misconceptions about the food program. Many people, for example, think that they are not eligible if they own a car, or are immigrants. Upon reflection after the event, one volunteer remarked that he was surprised at all of the assumptions that people made around the program and glad that he was able to become more informed so that he could talk to them and clear up confusion.

After the learning portion, volunteers then went out to all parts of the city and distributed the information. The information distributed had immediate impact. People on the streets as well as business owners quickly began to view the materials and ask questions to volunteers about the program. And guess what? Less than 24 hours later, we are already receiving dozens of phone calls from people around New York City who saw the flyers and wanted to apply! Good job, volunteers!

Do you want to see our volunteers in action? Click here for pictures of the day’s events.

What did YOU do on MLK Day?

“Over 200 Met Council Volunteers Set for MLK Day!”

2012-01-12T11:47:00.001-08:00

On January 16th, 2012, over 200 volunteers will join together to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a day of service. This year, Met Council has partnered with the Hunger Free Communities Consortium to distribute materials that encourage struggling New Yorkers to apply for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other entitlement benefits.

"Last year, we coordinated a similar outreach campaign and it was a huge success. according to SSUSA's analysis from July 2010 to Jan 2011, there was a 55% increase in the number of clients coming to Single Stop sites because of outreach flyers."

This service learning project will be targeting underserved neighborhoods throughout NYC – Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. Our dedicated volunteers will be engaging in conversations and distributing information at local libraries, grocery stores, community centers and churches. A half-hour training session about public benefits and food access will be provided to the volunteers before the event.

Together, we will learn how increased access to public benefits such as Food Stamps can be a powerful tool to combating hunger and poverty in New York City. This is a hands-on learning service project that will have volunteers go out directly into the community and make an immediate impact. They have committed to making it a day on- not a day off!

In the afternoon, we are looking forward to reflecting with volunteers and celebrating the success of our day of service at 80 Maiden Lane!

As the late Dr. King once said-

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?”

As a tribute to his legacy, we will try to make sure that less people experience hunger in New York City this year.

We want to acknowledge all of our volunteers who chose to give back on this day!

The Jewish Week

2012-01-09T06:19:00.000-08:00

Check out Stefanie Greenber's (Volunteer Department Manger at Met Council) and Susan Kohn's (Executive Director of UJA-Federation of New York’ Volunteer & Leadership Development Division) opinion piece in the the Jewish Week.

http://www.thejewishweek.com/editorial_opinion/opinion/making_mlk_day_day_service

If this inspires you and you would like to volunteer on MLK Day please e-mail volunteer@metcouncil.org. We would love to have you.

Senior Lunch- Holiday Extravaganza!

2012-01-04T07:47:00.000-08:00

For more than a year, Met Council’s volunteer-led Senior Lunch Program has been serving up a hot kosher meal every Sunday to residents at our housing site in Manhattan. Sunday, December 25^th was no exception. Our volunteers learned that giving on Christmas doesn’t have to cost money.

Over 20 volunteers participated in our Holiday Extravaganza by decorating the community room with festive balloons and streamers, cutting out paper snowflakes, and hosting rounds of Bingo. Clients enjoyed lunch with plenty of company and warm conversations led in English, Spanish, and Cantonese!

Although Met Council is a Jewish organization, we serve all New Yorkers in need- regardless of race, ethnicity, or background. The success of this ongoing program relies on the generosity of our volunteers who have devoted their time, even their holidays, to take action against hunger and poverty in NYC. We hope to continue to get such a diverse turnout of volunteers and clients going forward into 2012!

Thank you and happy new year!

Met Council thanks YOU!

2011-12-28T13:03:00.000-08:00

Here at Met Council, we care about people who care about others. We appreciate the volunteers who give up their weeknights or weekends to serve at Masbia or help out at one of our job readiness workshops because we would not be able to carry any of these programs without them. We are known for sending our birthday cards and, as you can see from reading our blog, for recognizing the volunteers who have really gone the extra mile in our "Volunteer of the Month" section.

But how much does a THANK YOU really matter? According to a study by volunteer organization New York Cares on its own volunteers, it matters a whole lot. 16% of their volunteer opportunities in 2009 were filled just because they showed that they were thankful to volunteers for their service. Volunteers who were thanked served 27% more and became leaders at a rate 25% faster than those who were not.

All of these numbers prove what everyone has always known: that it's nice to feel appreciated. So, to all who have volunteered with Met Council before, we absolutely appreciate you and will continue to show how much we love you. We couldn't have done it without all of you!

What do YOU think? How far do you think a word of thanks goes? Feel free to leave a comment and let us know!

Here are just a few of our many awesome volunteers hard at work serving Seniors, preparing clients for the working world, and helping out at Masbia.

“Festival of Lights Shines a Light on the Youth”

2011-12-26T10:59:00.000-08:00

Chanukah is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the re-dedication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem as well as the miracle of the oil. On the 25th day of Kislev, which may occur at any time from late November to late December, the festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a nine-branched menorah and it celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, of purity over adulteration, and of spirituality over materiality.

Chanukah customs include eating traditional fried foods on this holiday because of the significance of oil to the holiday. Foods such as latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiot (donuts) are enjoyed. Games such as playing with the dreidel are a significant pastime. The giving of Chanukah gelt to children reinforces the custom to give gelt (money) to children, so that we can teach them to give some of it to charity—and just to keep things festive and happy!

In the spirit of charity, volunteers from our MVP group hosted a Chanukah Party and Cheers for Volunteers event for families affected by domestic violence. It was well attended by over 20 clients and 16 volunteers from the community. Our volunteers assisted with activities such as arts and crafts, dreidel games, sports games, and distributed chocolate gelt and Chanukah toys to the children.

Providing opportunities through our youth enrichment projects allows our volunteers to make an impact, engage and instruct children, as well as have fun! Our volunteers brought innovation and grassroots changes to an already existing program by showing up and being role models to the clients. After the event, the volunteers went out for drinks.

Year in Review

2011-12-22T08:47:00.000-08:00

As the year is wrapping up, let’s take a look back at what the Volunteer Department at Met Council has accomplished this year:

In January, volunteers from all over the city teamed up to sort through our donated clothing on MLK day.

One of our favorite volunteers, Monita, taught a cooking class to seniors.

For Passover, Met Council had many volunteer-run food distributions for struggling families.

A new program called the Senior Nutirtion Workshop was started in order to keep our seniors well informed about the food they were eating so that they could make healthy choices!

A senior fitness class was also started to help our seniors stay fit and active!

Lots of things were happening on the career services side too. From resume reviews to mock interviews, and even networking workshops!

Some of our best ongoing programs continued as well, such the Senior Lunch Program, which helps to provide a hot kosher lunch for seniors every week.

The Youth Enrichment Program took off this year, providing children in our temporary homeless shelter with fun and educational activities every week.

And with the warm weather, came many volunteer gardening projects! Almost every seniors home garden at Met Council got a make over!

In the fall we rembered 9/11 by having emergency preparedness workshops at our senior residences.

In the fall we also teamed up with UJA for an event called Care to Share, where volunteers were invited to donate extra food from their farmshares all over New York!

And most recently we had "Growing Together" projects in which multi-generational groups made windowsill herb gardens for the seniors at Met Council!

It's been a great year!

The New Face of the Volunteer Department

2011-12-21T12:36:00.000-08:00

The faces of Met Council’s volunteer department have changed! We’re extremely happy to present this year’s three new AmeriCorps members – Irijah, Jessica, and Simone - who will be working hard with you, our wonderful volunteers, to better serve New Yorkers in poverty.

Irijah Stennett is excited about working with the Met Council. She has over 15 years of experience in volunteering and servicing communities in New York City and Washington, DC through health as well as educational programs. She believes, by providing opportunities to people in need, we will expand on relationships with local leaders as well as gain support from the citizens we serve. Irijah will be focused on volunteer opportunities out in Brooklyn. She is sitting outside my office and can be reached at IStennett@metcouncil.org

Jessica Cheng will be working on career readiness volunteer programming. She is really excited! Jessica is a recent graduate of The College of New Jersey, where she studied English and Political Economy. But her passion has always been for non-profits and community outreach initiatives. For the past year, Jessica worked as Advocacy and Communications intern for AARP New Jersey to create positive legislative changes for the older adult community and promote volunteerism for those over 50 years old. Jessica is sitting outside my office and can be found at jcheng@metcouncil.org

Simone Carvalho is excited to start her yearlong adventure as an AmeriCorps Volunteer Coordinator with the Met Council where she will be working on food, nutrition, and wellness volunteer programs. Simone graduated this past May from Rutgers University with a BS in Management and a minor in Anthropology. Besides trying to be socially and environmentally conscious in everything she does, she doesn’t take herself so seriously and has a great sense of humor and passion for food. Simone can be reached at SCarvalho@metcouncil.org

Update on Growing Together

2011-11-30T10:49:00.000-08:00

You might remember reading about one of our new projects called "Growing Together" where volunteers team up with seniors to make indoor herb gardens just in time for winter. Who woulnd't enjoy the summery taste of basil on a gray winter day?

The project is a chance for intergenerational groups to work together on a project that enriches both their lives. People of different ages get to learn a little bit more about each other while also making an environmentally friendly herb garden (notice below how many of our plant containers are made using old soup cans). The herbs will promote healthy eating and cooking at home throughout the winter. And having something green to look at in contrast to the bare trees of winter will be nice too!

We're doing these projects at senior houses all over New York City, so if you'd like to join us contact volunteer@metcouncil.org

Thanksgiving Dinner Extravaganza

2011-11-22T12:10:00.000-08:00

Met Council celebrated our annual Thanksgiving event where volunteer cook and serve a traditional turkey meal to low income seniors. We had over 30 volunteers to make sure that 60 seniors at two housing sites enjoyed a delicious meal with their neighbors.

This meal was made possible by the generous contribution of Monita Buchwald who designed, funded and cooked the dinner.

Thanksgiving Volunteering!

2011-11-17T15:23:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it doesn’t take much to brighten someone’s day. Take a look at some photos of a recent volunteer group from Temple Shharay Tefila who spent a few hours decorating one of our seniors homes with Thanksgiving decorations made by children and by the volunteers. See if you can guess who made which ones!

2011-11-15T13:34:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago MVP (our young leadership group) had its first Cheers for Volunteers event of the season. The event was chaired by Andrea Berkman (in the picture sitting at the table up front) and after the event we asked her to share her thoughts. Here is what she had to say:

I recently became a member of MVP (Met Council’s Valuable Players); in fact, I believe I’m actually their rookie player right now. It’s a group that allows young people to volunteer their time in a more meaningful way by banding together to fight against poverty in New York City and the boroughs.

I actually got involved with Met Council through another organization – New York Cares – and have participated largely in the programs pertaining to Career Services and Job Readiness. This area is particularly interesting and important to me because I have been unemployed in my life and I can use that vantage point to bring myself closer to clients who are looking for work in this crazy New York environment.

Something new that I have started to do with MVP is Cheers for Volunteers. While helping people learn interview skills and how to network is gratifying – and ups my ever dwindling kitty of karma chips – it’s also nice to spend time with the other volunteers in an “off’ setting where we can all chat and spend time together in a less formal setting.

What could be better than drinks to get everyone chatty and bring a group closer together? Cheers for Volunteers is an event where people grab a drink and a bite after an event and socialize together. The chat can range from holiday plans and sports to topics pertaining to upcoming MVP event. It’s completely social and voluntary.

After my last Networking Workshop I, along with about 6 other volunteers and Met Council staff, went across the street for drinks and food. It was nice to engage with likeminded people who share a common goal of decreasing poverty in the city but not feel the need to spend the entire time discussing solutions to the problem in a formal setting.

The most special part of Cheers for Volunteers, at least for me, is knowing that I can surround myself with new people in New York whose common bond is the proactive way in which we chose to do something good and give of ourselves without seeming like yuppies or over-achieving-do-gooders. It’s something small, it’s something that isn’t time consuming, but it’s definitely something that will result in big changes for our community.

Join us! We would love to have you. Our next Cheers for Volunteers on Sunday December 11th is a Chanukah party for families that have been affected by domestic violence. If you are interested in signing up please e-mail sgreenberg@metcouncil.org

http://www.metcouncil.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Get_Involved_MVP

Shrinking the Nursing Home until it feels like a Home

2011-11-02T11:23:00.000-07:00

A recent article in the New York Times article was written about a shift from large nursing institutions to smaller homier living settings referred to as "Green Houses."

"Just 10 residents live in each so-called Green House, which looks nothing like a traditional nursing home. The front door opens onto a large living and dining area; on one side is a hearth surrounded by upholstered chairs, and on the other is a long communal dining table where meals are served. An open kitchen faces the table, so caregivers can chat with elderly residents while preparing meals.

There are 117 Green Houses across the United States now, part of a quiet but intriguing effort to de-institutionalize elder care. The movement has its roots in the 1987 Nursing Home Reform Act, which declared that residents of long-term care have the right to be free from abuse or neglect. Nursing homes across the country have tried a variety of strategies to become more 'resident-centered.'"

Met Council provides independent-living housing for seniors all over New York City. Now, in a city, it is very difficult to provide housing that is not in a large apartment building and so even an independent living building can have an institutional feel to it.

"The notion that elder care should be de-institutionalized is a popular one. According to a poll released in September by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health, 82 percent of pre-retirees (adults over age 50 who have not retired but plan to) and 78 percent of retirees are somewhat or very concerned about being in an institutional environment that is not as comfortable as a home.

'Loneliness, helplessness and boredom are the three plagues of nursing homes,' Mr. Jenkens said. 'Arguably, much of the institutionalized practice induced this.'"

Considering these problems, smaller housing units seem like a good solution. The article goes on to list the results of a poll conducted which interviewed seniors who previously had been in a large nursing home and then moved to a "green house."

"...each day they get 24 minutes more of direct and personalized care and 1.5 hours more of nursing staff time than those living in traditional nursing homes. Residents say they feel like they have deeper relationships with the staff, and family members report higher satisfaction with the physical environment, privacy, their own autonomy, health care and meals. Employees, too, report less stress. The turnover rate is significantly lower than in a traditional nursing home. Green House certified nursing assistants are paid on average about 5 percent more than those in institutional settings.

Even if this model of elder care turns out to be impractical on a large scale, Ms. Wells said, 'we can learn a lot from what the Green House is doing and can translate these methods into things that existing nursing homes can use.'"

As an organization that provides housing for the elderly we can learn a lot from this article too. And as a volunteer coordinator reading this, it is clear to see that when something like an extra 24 minutes of direct and personalized care makes a huge difference in someone's life--the kind of direct and personal attention can also be provided by wonderful, caring volunteers who join our seniors in recreational activities!

You can check out the full article here.

Congratulations, Kelley!

2011-11-01T07:01:00.000-07:00

Met Council volunteers provide irreplaceable social services for clients in need. From serving food to hungry families, to tutoring a child, to accompanying a senior to their medical appointment, volunteers work around the clock to meet the growing needs of New Yorker's living in poverty. But behind every great volunteer is a strong volunteer coordinator and that's a huge part of the success of Met Council's volunteer team! This month a staff member in the Volunteer Department was recognized for her work in coordinating and helping create the essential volunteer-led programming we've all come to know and love. She couldn't have done it with you! Congratulations to Kelley Baldwin on behalf of the Volunteer Department.

Volunteers Needed: Homework Helpers

2011-10-24T14:14:00.000-07:00

Tuesdays, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Boro Park, Brooklyn
Women Tutors Only

Has math always come easily to you? Do you know what prepositions and adjectives are? Are you an expert on ecosystems? Well . . . have you ever considered sharing your knowledge by becoming a tutor for children in need? Homework Helpers is a volunteer-led program that seeks to improve the academic performance of girls, grades four to eight, who come from single parent households affected by domestic violence. Volunteers are paired one on one with tutees to help teach and explain the homework assignments that the tutees have had difficulty with. Math, English, and Sciences assignments will also be on hand for practice.

JSAM

2011-10-17T09:24:00.000-07:00

Jewish Social Action Month (JSAM), a global initiative which transforms the Jewish month of Cheshvan from a month without Jewish holidays into a global month celebrating volunteerism and community building, takes place this year from Oct. 28, 2011 - Nov. 26, 2011. With the support of UJA-Federation of New York, Met Council will be holding Growing Together.

Growing Together is a program that engages volunteers in service through intergenerational ‘greening’ programs serving low-income seniors. In several workshops across New York City, volunteers will facilitate a workshop on how to build an indoor window-box herb garden from recyclable materials. Volunteers will be responsible for assisting seniors in making and decorating the pots, planting the herb seeds, and installing the window-sill garden boxes. Growing Together is also a learning service opportunity that educates volunteers and senior clients on the benefits of eating locally and other sustainable initiatives available to the community.

The impact of this program is threefold: one, to provide low income seniors on a fixed budget with a fresh and free food options within their home; two, to provide an intergenerational social opportunity for both volunteers and senior clients; three, to educate attendees on the sustainable benefits of local gardens and produce.

Clients are low-income senior residents that live in Met Council-owned and operated housing sites. The intent of our senior housing program is to integrate low-income housing into the very area in which it would not ordinarily be economically viable. This program also allows seniors to remain in their community, so that they can continue to be surrounded by their friends, doctors, and relatives. Met Council has devoted these buildings entirely and exclusively to senior citizens, 62 and older.

UJA-Federation believes that we can do more good when we do it together. By taking part in JSAM, Met Council is joining 34 other UJA-Federation supported programs with participants from over 100 other organizations in the New York area to help bridge the gap between people of diverse social and geographical backgrounds. Through these collaborations, participating organizations will deepen their working relationships and help make life better for thousands more individuals and families. For more information about Growing Together please contact volunteer@metcouncil.org.

A Leader in Job Readiness: Steven Portnoy, Volunteer of the Month

2011-10-11T09:30:00.000-07:00

Steven Portnoy has been awarded the honor of being Met Council’s volunteer of the month for October 2011. He has been a dedicated volunteer and volunteer leader for our job readiness programs for the past 6 months. When asked what attracted him to the opportunity his response was that “the opportunity to help others by utilizing skills I have developed over many years to change a life is something that holds a lot of meaning for me.”

As a regular volunteer of our Professional Networking Workshop and volunteer leader for our Resume Review Workshop and Professional Networking Workshop, Steven has always been ready to engage with clients, which is an important part of volunteering with our job readiness programs. “I have tried to impart the knowledge I have gained through my own job hunt (which was ultimately successful) to another and they will in turn hopefully help others,” says Steven.

Without Steven’s presence, personality, reliability, and willingness to help, these workshops would not be as successful as they have been. Met Council is lucky to count Steven as a dedicated volunteer. “I rest easy in knowing at the end of the day, that how however small my contribution might be, I have contributed,” Steven says in response to what he has gotten out of volunteering. Met Council can only hope that he will continue to volunteer and change people’s lives for the better within our lucky community.

An Intern's Experience at Met Council

2011-10-10T08:46:00.000-07:00

This past summer I have been privileged to intern at Met Council. Prior to joining the organization as an intern, I had been searching extensively for other available internship positions…but to no avail. Internships are quickly snagged by college students and are not simple to come by. Yet, in the beginning of July, a relative of mine told me that she knew of a grant writing internship available at a non-profit organization called Met Council. I was elated when I was told this. An experience in the Grant Writing Department would allow me to further sharpen my communication and writing skills; qualities that are essential and highly valued in many career fields. I was also excited to intern at Met Council because I had previously volunteered for the organization by writing a newsletter about their services towards senior citizens. I had already been exposed to the extraordinary acts of kindness that the organization and its staff perform on behalf of New York Jewish community. When I volunteered at Met Council I felt privileged to be counted among the dedicated staff and realized that my efforts were benefiting the community in some way. I knew that an internship at Met Council would provide the same meaningful gratification.

It turned out that I had quite a lot to learn about grant writing and the role it plays in the organization. Yet isn’t that what internships are essentially about? Learning? It’s an extension of your college classroom, but less theoretical and perhaps more exciting. In the case of a non- profit organization, grant writing involves completing formal application processes and writing proposals that appeal to the government and other programs for funding. For instance, if the organization recognizes the need to start a unit that assists victims of family violence but they do not possess the necessary funds for the project, the grant writers will execute a proposal that includes an executive summary, statement of need, project description, and budget. This proposal will be sent to the government and/or other organizations, and will hopefully secure the necessary funding it requires. Grant writing is definitely the wheel that helps to turn the wagon and is critical for acquiring the funds that will financially support the organization’s programs and efforts.

What was my position in this department? I was responsible for researching New York demographics, Jewish poverty, and other statistics and data that were imperative for writing a grant. During my internship, Met Council’s grant writers were working on a proposal that required funding for securing RVs that would be stationed in various parts of NY and assist people with the food stamp enrollment process. Throughout the research process, I have discovered that there are a score of obstacles that prevent NY citizens in applying for government assistance. Lack of transportation, the inability to take off valuable time from work, and language barriers can all hinder the benefit enrollment process. There are hundreds of New Yorkers in need of food stamps, but the obstacles mentioned above can all restrain them from applying. Therefore, if this Met Council grant is able to access the funding it requires, NY poverty levels may significantly decrease, and food stamps will be available to those who need them.

I have also written briefings concerning Met Council’s senior citizen and family violence programs. I have carefully researched the various aspects and services that are provided in each program…and it was quite astounding! The services of Met Council’s senior citizen and family violence programs are so comprehensive that I didn’t even know where to start! The services included in the senior citizen program are housing, home-care, food assistance, transportation assistance and organized recreational activities. Similarly, Met Council’s family violence program provides an array of social services and support, such as emergency shelter relocation, financial assistance, legal aid, career development and counseling. It was particularly moments like these where I considered myself fortunate to be a part of such an exceptional organization.

Aside from the learning I gained from my work experience, I have also learned from the other volunteers and interns at Met Council. During my internship, I had the pleasure of meeting volunteers and interns who share the same passion in the work that the organization does. Some of the interns I met are planning careers in fields such as education, social research, government advocacy, and non-profit administration. Meeting them was definitely a significant part of my growth experience.

In addition, I must mention that if you are a volunteer or intern at Met Council…you are in good hands! Met Council arranges “brown bag” sessions where volunteers and interns can gather together for informative lectures on Met Council’s continuum of services. Met Council also threw us an “Intern Goodbye Party” where we were provided with lunch and statements of gratitude from our supervisors and coworkers. It was wonderful that our time and efforts were appreciated so generously…but what else can you expect from an organization that is imbued with kindness and positivity? Overall it was a very enjoyable and enriching experience here at Met Council this summer. I would love to work with them again in the future!

Care to Share

2011-10-06T11:54:00.001-07:00

What's Care to Share? It's not just a clever rhyme.

Care to Share is a citywide food donation event taking place from Monday, October 3rd to Tuesday, October 18th encouraging volunteers to symbolically fulfill the Jewish custom of gleaning, a custom tied to the harvest season and the Sukkot period. Traditionally, farmers leave the four corners of their fields unharvested so the needy can glean from the fields with dignity.

In Brooklyn we are partnering with the Flatbush Farm Share which has their CSA (community supported agriculture) distribution on Wednesday afternoons. With two wonderful volunteer managers, we were able to spread the word about our project and were able to get donations from 28 CSA members, which is almost 20% of the members!

At the end of the day we were able to contribute about 40 pounds of fresh, organic produce to a local food pantry for the CAMBA organiztion.

As one of the donating CSA members said, "Everybody has to eat!" And they should eat well!

Volunteers Needed: Kosherfest

2011-10-03T10:24:00.000-07:00

November 9th, 3:30PM-5:00PM
Secaucus, NJ
GREAT FOR GROUPS

Discover great innovations in kosher cuisine while helping collect food for Met Council clients in need at this year’s Kosherfest! Volunteers are needed to go collect extra food from the exhibition vendors to be distributed to families in need.

For more information, contact Kelley Baldwin at kbaldwin@metcouncil.org.

2011-09-28T10:23:00.000-07:00

With Rosh Hashana approaching, it's now time to devise your yearly New Year's resolution list. This year, instead of opting for the cliche "lose 5 pounds," why not spend your time volunteering. As an AmeriCorps member, who has spent this past year serving my community, I have seen the positive results that come from leveraging volunteers to help out those less fortunate. I have recruited 376 volunteers, educated them on hunger and homelessness in our community, and worked together with them to remedy this situation.

Come join Met Council's volunteer team and be number 377. We have a variety of different volunteer opportunities for people of all ages. From serving food to low income seniors to painting a homeless shelter and helping clients get back into the job market, we can cater to your specific interests and find a project just right for you!

Check out www.metcouncil.org/volunteer and make this year count! Shana Tova and have a happy and healthy new year--- from Met Council's volunteer department.

Looking for a job?

2011-09-27T11:31:00.000-07:00

Looking for a job? Maybe just a career change? Well volunteering is an effective avenue to career success. Not only is volunteering a way to better your community and yourself, a way to make new friends and learn a new skill, but it is now a proven way to be a better job candidate. Linkedin has just created a field for volunteer experience to be added to your profile. They conducted a study that showed 41% of hiring managers consider volunteer work to be equal to experience in a paid position.

In Met Council's experience we have learned that volunteering often leads to jobs. We have served as a way to learn new skills for a career change or for college and grad school applications. Our staff has been asked to be references for job applications. We have even hired a few of our volunteers and interns.

As you know Met Council is here to help you if you are looking for any type of volunteer experience. We offer a very wide variety of skilled and unskilled volunteer opportunities. If your interested in volunteering to change your life or some else's please e-mail volunteer@metcouncil.org and we will be happy to set you up with a meaningful volunteer opportunity.

Our Senior Fitness Community is Growing!

2011-09-22T12:33:00.000-07:00

Our Fitness Program for low-income seniors in Brooklyn started out humbly. We had two regular clients who would come every week and every now and again a curious resident would stop in to watch. But as time has gone by word of mouth has spread, friends are telling friends, and our seniors can tell that this Fitness Class is here to stay and more and more are coming.

Before:

After:

Our seniors are looking good and feeling good, and many have said that they are happy this class exists, as in the coming months as it gets colder many of them will have a harder time going outside to get exercise. As the weather gets colder and meaner, a slippery sidewalk will discourage many from leaving the house to take a healthy walk around the neighborhood. Luckily, they will have their weekly fitness class to keep them active.

To get invovled in this program or any of our other great programs please contact volunter@metcouncil.org

Getting Seniors into Affordable Housing: David Kohn, Volunteer of the Month

2011-09-19T09:33:00.000-07:00

When school was out for summer, David Kohn decided that he wanted to make a difference in the community in his spare time. He heard about Met Council through a family friend and inquired about volunteer opportunities. At the time, Met Council’s housing department was in the middle of the application process for the newly built senior housing site, Council Towers VI. David had perfect timing and immediately went to work helping manage the hundreds of applicants for the new building.

Over the course of the summer, David transcribed hundreds of messages, kept track of the requests for applications, and mailed them to seniors across New York City. The project culminated in September with the lottery for Council Towers VI where the applications where randomly selected to determine who gets first choice.

“We could not have accomplished everything without David,” Temima Dublin, Director of Leasing, said. “He worked tirelessly and always with a smile.”

But David didn’t stop there; besides helping administrate affordable housing applications, David also volunteered at the Senior Lunch Program which provides hot kosher meals to seniors at one of Met Council’s low income housing sites.

“The most rewarding part of being a volunteer is knowing that you are giving back and helping others,” David reflected. Thanks to volunteers like David, our volunteer department continues to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of seniors.

Vote For Monita!!

2011-09-14T06:01:00.000-07:00

Please join us in showing Monita Buchwald how much her work with Met Council means to our community by voting for her at http://www.jewishcommunityheroes.org/nominees/profile/monita-buchwald/. It's really simple and will take you only 20 seconds. Just click vote now followed by vote for your nominee here and then fill out all the necessary information. Remember to vote every 12 hours!

One of our outstanding volunteers, Monita Buchwald, had been nominated by the Jewish Federations of North America for the Jewish Community Heroes Award. Monita has been recognized for this honor as a result of her commitment to Met Council, to remedy homelessness and hunger in NYC.

Specifically, she has been actively involved in helping low income New Yorkers become more self sufficient through food and career readiness education. She has led healthy cooking classes and nutrition workshops for low income seniors at our housing sites around the city. In addition she has participated in numerous job readiness workshops aimed at improving the networking skills and resumes of our clients in search of employment.

We all greatly appreciate the work Monita has done for Met Council, the Jewish Community and NYC as a whole!

9/11 Remember Through Service

2011-09-12T07:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the 10th anniversary of 9/11, meant a lot of different things to different people: loss, resilience, heroism, the coming together of communities, and of course a time to serve. In New York City, these feelings were palpable as the city remembered and reflected on the tragedy that occurred a decade ago.

Amidst the high emotions and security alerts, dozens determined Met Council volunteers across the city came out to mark this day with deeds of kindness. For this year's National Day of Service and Remembrance, Met Council hosted several emergency preparedness fairs across Manhattan and Brooklyn that aimed to provide low income senior citizens with the resources and materials they might need for different emergency situations.

By the end of the day, 23 volunteers educated 48 seniors at 4 housing sites on the proper responses to such events as hurricanes, power outages, and extreme heat as well as helped make resources such as to-go kits and medical ID cards.

Although many of our volunteers and senior residents found it difficult to revisit the tragedy, they felt gratitude that they had this chance to once again come together as New Yorkers did in the aftermath of terror.

Colder months mean seniors need extra-warm volunteers!

2011-09-07T10:56:00.000-07:00

On a cool, rainy day like today, you can't help but think that fall and winter are quickly approaching. It may still be summer according to our calendars, but it sure doesn't feel like it anymore. Now, more than ever the seniors of our community need companionship.

Did you know a senior is more likely to suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder than the average person? During the colder months a little volunteering can make a big difference. Spending an occasional hour with a senior can really brighten their day.

During the summer, we always have lots of volunteers. So many students are out of school and looking for a good way to spend their time. Others just feel like they have more free time, even if they work full time, just because the sun is out longer. But as summer draws to a close, volunteers tend to go back to their jobs and schools too. But it's important to remember, this is when seniors need companionship most! And don't worry, if you volunteer to spend time with a senior, they'll let you know how much they appreciate it. It is anything but a thankless task!

So take a look at our volunteer opportunities and sign up today!

Educate & Exercise With Seniors

2011-08-31T10:34:00.000-07:00

Poor dietary habits and physical inactivity are NOT just apparent in the younger population. In fact, malnutrition and laziness do exist among the elderly cohort, and it is a growing problem. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, "28-34% of adults ages 65-74 and 35-44% of adults ages 75 or older are inactive."

Therefore, in an effort to encourage exercise and a healthy diet, Met Council has expanded programming at our Manhattan senior housing sites to include nutrition and fitness workshops. We need volunteers to help lead and develop these exciting workshops. If you have a love of exercise or an insatiable knowledge of nutritious cuisine--- this opportunity is perfect for you!

Please email volunteer@metcouncil.org or call 212-453-9675 for more information and join Met Council in helping to contribute to a healthier America.

Goodbye to Sarah Leiner

2011-08-29T08:37:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, Sarah Leiner has concluded her AmeriCorps year of service for Met Council. I speak for everyone she worked with when I say thank you and we'll miss you. Below is Sarah's goodbye message:

As my AmeriCorps term at Met Council comes to a conclusion, I would like to take this opportunity to express how grateful I am to have landed this wonderful job. Not only did this experience open my eyes to the range of needs among poor New Yorkers, but it helped me to develop a greater ethic of service, as well as helped me to grow as a professional.

I truly loved my job as an AmeriCorps Volunteer Coordinator, helping to create and sustain ongoing programs that addressed the nutritional and social needs of Met Council’s senior residents. I found working with this vulnerable population to be very meaningful and rewarding. As I embark on the next chapter in my life, in which I will be pursuing a Master’s in Social Work at NYU, I will be taking on a field placement where I’ll be able to apply theory to practice. When I met with my field placement adviser, I already knew that I wanted to be placed at an agency whose clients were senior citizens. Thankfully, I was able to secure a case manager position at Search and Care, whose mission is to seek out older people in the community who need help in managing life's daily activities or accessing essential services, and to provide them the support and companionship they require to live with security and dignity in the manner they choose. After having learned so much about the elderly at Met Council and being provided the opportunity to work directly with this population, I believe my transition into Search and Care will be a smooth one.

And although I only earned a small stipend for the year, I certainly felt a wealth of satisfaction that comes from helping others.

A special thanks to my colleagues and supervisors for making my experience at Met Council an excellent one!

Volunteering as a team!

2011-08-24T14:24:00.000-07:00

How long would it take you to paint a room by yourself? It's the type of work that always goes smoother with a partner or a team.

So when a recreation room needed to be repainted in one of our senior homes I immediately thought it would be a nice project for a team.

Now to let you in on a little volunteer coordinator secret, there are two ways that we might get a team of volunteers. One way is to find a group of people who already volunteer together through a community they are in, such as a school, temple, or place of employment. However, another way to get a team of volunteers is also to recruit individuals for a project.

There's something very magical about watching individuals come together as a team. For the painting project we completed our volunteers all came from different backgrounds. Some were high school students, others were working adults, and other were graduate school and college students. It's a group of people who might usually not realize they have something in common--they have an age difference, the come from different parts of the city--but they all came together here in order to give back and help out!

If you're thinking about volunteering, remember, the impact you make won't just be on the clients you serve--you'll also get to meet some interesting people and maybe learn something from each other as well. I often notice older volunteers taking younger volunteers under their wing and giving them advice on how to complete a task, and even beyond that. Some volunteers have given each other career or school advice, other volunteers have met a great friend, there's no telling what might happen and it makes my job all the more interesting as the person who brings volunteers together!

Volunteer Leader, Andrea Berkman blogs about her first experience leading the Profesional Networking Workshop

2011-08-23T13:14:00.000-07:00

I have been volunteering for a relatively short time (a few years, if that) and was introduced to Met Council through New York Cares. Both are extremely dedicated organizations whose primary goal is the betterment of others in the community. I'd met Shifra Elman a couple of months back and was honored when she asked me to lead one of the Professional Networking Workshops – an event I had attended a few times before.

The goal of the Professional Networking Workshop is to teach people how to, well, network. The focus has nothing to do formal interviewing but rather informational interviewing and the soft skills that make people you meet want to help you… "soft" being the operative word.

Fast forward to my workshop, shall we?

The night began like this… I left my meeting in midtown and arrived at Met Council just to find that I'd left both my wallet and my cell phone at my client's office. $60 later and a half hour behind schedule I arrive at Met Council and see Shifra sitting at the head of a table of women. These were not just any group of women; these women, although quite lovely, were the "fire" in that old phrase "I was thrown into the fire.”

The women were first generation Russian immigrants seeking positions in nursing. They were in need of help but were quite resistant to the idea of… how do I say this…? They were resistant to the idea of not kvetching about their predicament and being open to a new way of interacting with people who may be able to give them support. Either directly because they work in the medical field or indirectly because they hit it off with someone who may know of someone who can help.

After two rounds of networking with one round of feedback in between, I was exhausted and thinking that maybe I was in over my head. My confidence in my ability to lead the event and make it worthwhile was in question… or so I thought.

As I mentioned, the group of women during this session were not the easiest to communicate with and earning their trust was difficult. However, at the conclusion of the evening a few of the women said that they really enjoyed the session and found it to be useful! I thought I misheard until Shifra confirmed this for me later.

In conclusion, my first go-round as a Volunteer Leader was amazing. These women were able to teach me how to be more accepting of barriers while I, along with the other amazing volunteers, was able to help these women open up to what may be around them. I honestly walked into the event thinking "I'm in Sales, I can sell these women on how to network and why it's important" but I was completely wrong. So thank you to the ladies, the volunteers, and Met Council for allowing me to lead this workshop, as well as be led.

For Seniors and Volunteers, Met Council’s Lunch Program Provides More Than A Free Meal

2011-08-15T13:10:00.000-07:00

For more than a year, Met Council's volunteer-led Senior Lunch Program has been serving up hot meals and good company to low- income seniors living in Manhattan. The program is based at Met Council's Third Avenue residence, which boasts 10 studios, 38 one bedrooms and a live in super in the Kips Bay neighborhood. The lunch program takes place every Sunday and is open to all the residents who live there as well as those who live in any of Met Council's 10 other low- income senior residences in Manhattan.

Since it began, the Senior Lunch Program has been very popular with both volunteers and with the residents, who enjoy not only a nutritious and Kosher hot meal, but more importantly the opportunity to socialize with their neighbors and the volunteers. on any given Sunday, the second floor community room where the lunch is held brings together people from a wide variety of backgrounds- including residents who are immigrants from Eastern Europe, China, and Latin America- as well as volunteer groups that vary in age, ethnicity and gender.

Stefanie Greenberg, Met Council's Volunteer Department Manager, explained that the program fosters an important sense of community among seniors. "This is not a nursing home or an assisted living facility," she explained. "It's simply affordable housing for seniors. For the most part they live independent, but Met Council wants to create a nice environment for them [to live in]...The lunch program gives the seniors an opportunity to come together with their neighbors once a week and catch up over a nice meal. If a regular [attendee] misses a meal or hasn't been seen in a day or two, their friends will know to look in on them."

It also provides an ongoing opportunity for volunteers looking for meaningful service opportunities. "It's a very concrete project with clear tasks," said Greenberg. "Greeting the seniors as they arrive, preparing and serving the food, and interacting with the seniors- there is something for everyone to do and at the end of the day everyone feels like they have accomplished something worthwhile. "

If you would like to be a part of this great program please contact the volunteer department at volunteer@metcouncil.org

Remembering 9/11

2011-08-03T12:43:00.000-07:00

Since 2002, families of loved ones who perished in the terrorist attacks have been engaging in acts of service to pay tribute to those who rose to service in response to the tragedies of 9/11. In an effort to build support for this idea, 9/11 has been designated a National Day of Service and Remembrance and eventually established into law.

To honor the 10th Anniversary of 9/11, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is challenging nonprofit organizations to act in accordance with the law. In the spirit of unity, compassion, and remembrance, organizations are challenged to bring Americans together to engage in service projects that are linked to the tragedy that occurred on 9/11.

Met Council will be participating in the National Day of Service and Remembrance with emergency preparedness workshops across the city. For more information, please contact volunteer@metcouncil.org. We highly encourage you to get involved for this special day.

Volunteer with Kids

2011-08-01T08:36:00.000-07:00

I’m sure you’ve noticed it. It’s been evident in the blog posts, email blasts, and websites. Met Council’s volunteer opportunities are EXPANDING significantly thanks to people like you who want to take action against poverty in New York City.

Today I want to talk about one of the many ways we’ve increased programming. As of this year, Met Council now offers two exciting ways to make a difference in the lives of young at-risk children in New York City. We now offer a mentorship program for formerly homeless children as well as an after school program for children that have been victims of domestic violence.

There are few experiences as meaningful as making an impact on a child’s life. Sign up for these opportunities now if you want to make a different. Please email volunteer@metcouncil.org or call 212-453-9675.

Our Volunteers Have Talent!

2011-07-27T17:22:00.000-07:00

It's always wonderful when a volunteer comes to Met Council to help! But it's even better when they have a hidden talent! That is just the case with one of our volunteers named Maria.

Maria is currently a senior fitness volunteer at two different Met Council senior homes in Brooklyn. She gives our low-income seniors the care and attention they deserve. At one of our sites she leads a fitness class where seniors can work on their strength and balance with the support of a chair. And very excitingly, at our other site, she leads a Wii Fitness class in which our seniors play and compete in Wii games, and sometimes unknowingly, work on their balance and fitness!

Well, a few times, I've caught Maria playing the piano in the community room before our fitness class started. It turns out that she and her husband, Timothy, actually play the piano and sing together. They sing show tunes, and songs from musical films. And when I asked her if she'd be interested in having a music recital at one of our sites she immediately said yes!

This past Sunday, the residents of one of our Brooklyn sites and I had the chance to hear how talented Maria and Timothy were! They sang songs from The Sound of Music, Evita, and even Phantom of the Opera! It was lovely. If you volunteer for Met Council and have any secret talents: don't keep them a secret! We'd love to have you share them!

Volunteer Department is Going Green

2011-07-25T09:15:00.000-07:00

Besides our regular programming Met Council's volunteers also take on special initiatives. Our big one right now is to create opportunities for volunteers to Green Met Council.

We have started with some easy stuff. Volunteers have gone around to our low income seniors and given out energy efficient bulbs. This is not only good for the environment, but also saves low income seniors money. Not bad for a few hours of volunteer work. A big thanks to Home Depot for providing us with a grant to make this happen.

Volunteers have also helped to create gardens for seniors. One of the gardens even has an eggplant growing in it! The next step after creating the gardens is to work with our seniors to make windowsill herb gardens. We will be making these out of soda bottles and planting herbs that our seniors will then use to cook with. This is in thanks to a UJA Social Action Month Grant and a partnership with Hazon. We are still looking for volunteers for this project, if you are interested please contact volunteer@metcouncil.org.

In addition to helping our clients become green we are also making our selves greener. We have bought an Ipad to help cut our paper use. We will soon begin to have our sign in sheets on the Ipad, additionally all forms needing to be signed will be on the Ipad. This will eliminate a tremendous amount of paper use. We are also looking into buying real dishes for a few of our senior lunch programs. This will help eliminate a lot of waste.

As this initiative grows we hope to take on bigger projects like harvesting rain water and composting. Also doing tenant education and helping to create green habits.

This effort is on going and we can always use the help of our volunteers. We can save our planet one small step at a time.

If you want to make your life greener, here are some easy tips:

1. Plug your electronics into a power strip and turn the power strip off when you are not home. Even though the power of your electronic is off, it is still drawing power. If you turn off the power strip it cuts all electricity which in turn cuts your electricity bill.

2. Wash your clothing in cold water. They will still be clean and save electricity.

3. Make sure you properly section out your recycling. Recycling saves natural resources.

One last thank you to The Jewish Greening Fellowship for not only providing funds, but for providing the training, tools and resources to allow us to properly do our part and reduce Met Council's carbon footprint.

Recognizing Nelson Mandela's Birthday

2011-07-21T06:34:00.000-07:00

In honor of Nelson Mandela’s birthday, which the UN General Assembly declared as Nelson Mandela International Day, everyone is encouraged to carry out 67 minutes of volunteer work. Why 67, you ask? This was the total number of years that Mr. Mandela committed to serving the greater good of the world as a human rights lawyer, a prisoner of conscience, an international peacemaker and the first democratically elected president of a free South Africa. Although 67 minutes does not do justice to an outstanding 67 years, it still makes all the difference.

Some people may find that 67 minutes of direct volunteer work is hard to come by, due to the demands of their busy schedules. This should not excuse them from devoting an hour and 7 minutes of their time to charity work, especially now that organizations offer the opportunity to volunteer from the comfort of their own homes! For example, one can help an organization design a flyer, edit a blog post, provide business or legal expertise or even make a friendly phone call to a lonely senior citizen, all of which can help change our world for the better.

Given today’s economic climate and cutting of human services, everyone should feel a sense of obligation to participate in some form of volunteerism. Whether it’s online or in person, 67 minutes or 67 years, we encourage you to volunteer!

How to Make the Perfect Ice Cream Sundae

2011-07-18T10:51:00.000-07:00

Last week, Met Council volunteers learned an important skill that they will treasure for ever - how to make the perfect ice cream sundae!

New York City's temperatures have been set to boil this July, so our department decided that it was high time for the 3rd annual Cool Off in July party for low income seniors. Every summer, we invite senior residents to escape the heat by coming to the Cool Off in July party - hosted by volunteers - which serves ice cream, fresh fruit, cool beverages.

Below is volunteers' collective wisdom on how to make the perfect ice cream sundae:

1. Have a healthy selection of ice cream flavors (we chose vanilla, chocolate, mint chocolate chip)

2. Add chocolate sauce to top of three flavors of ice cream

3. Add generous dose of rainbow sprinkles

4. Add fresh fruit like strawberries or cherries

5. Don't forget the most important ingredient . . .

And so what is the most important ingredient to the Cool Off in July Sundaes? Hint: it isn't the sprinkles or chocolate sauce. The most important ingredient was the friendly smiles and great conversation volunteers gave senior residents to accompany the ice cream. There's nothing quite like an ice cream served with a warm smile on a hot summer day!

Too Hip to Volunteer at Met Council?

2011-07-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

The June 2011 Report on Jewish Volunteering from Repair the World opened up a lot of questions for Met Council’s Volunteer Department. I would like to focus on one of them in this blog. Below is an excerpt from the report which talks about young Jews not always finding the kind of volunteer opportunity they are looking for; rather they volunteer for those things that get the most press or are most easily accessible.

Jewish young adults want to “make a difference,” and the majority appears to have a sense of personal efficacy. However, those subgroups that are least likely to volunteer also have the weakest belief that their volunteer efforts can contribute to desired effects. The personal relevance of the causes for which Jewish young adults are being asked to volunteer may also play a role in their decision making. Many Jewish young adults do not find their way into volunteer opportunities related to the causes about which they care most deeply. Volunteer options related to the full spectrum of Jewish young adult concerns may either not be available or may not be well known among this demographic.

An AmeriCorps grant has given Met Council the ability to expand their Volunteer Department and as a result has seen 48% increase in volunteers over the past year. This huge jump means 1,529 new volunteers serving New Yorkers in need!

Met Council recruits volunteers in two ways: by individual and by group. The groups are usually groups of young Jewish professionals who are coming to volunteer with an organization they are affiliated with and want to help out. They are coming with their friends or acquaintances for a few hours of collaboratively making a difference. According to our volunteer questionnaire, most individuals that we recruit are not Jewish and state that they are signing up to “give back to the community.” They come to us on their own and for no other reason than it is part of their ethic.

While Met Council has no preference for Jewish over not Jewish volunteers, we are a Jewish agency who has a unique position within the Jewish community; we have the cultural expertise with Jewish and immigrant communities. A unique mix of volunteers is exactly what we need, but it still begs the question- why it is more difficult to recruit individual volunteers that are Jewish?

Maybe there is something to the fact that young Jews like to socialize with other young Jews and they are guaranteed that when they volunteer with a group of young Jews! Or maybe volunteering for Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty isn’t as attention-grabbing as some of the high profile social justice movements that are out there?

What do you guys think?

Keeping our seniors happy and healthy!

2011-07-13T14:44:00.000-07:00

We all know it's important for every community to take care of their seniors. A recent study shows that seniors who live in public housing are less healthy than their peers. Read more about it here! With that in mind, it's especially important for Met Council to be able to provide programming for our low-income senior housing sites. Thanks to our wonderful volunteers we can provide programs that promote health, fitness, and good nutrition.

Just take a look at all the upcoming events for one of your senior residences in Brooklyn:
Let's all work together to keep their calendars full of events!

The POS Outreach Campaign and Its Positive Impact on New York City Residents

2011-06-14T08:27:00.000-07:00

The Paperless Office System (POS) is an exciting program in collaboration with Met Council, Human Resources Administration (HRA), Single Stop USA and the Robin Hood Foundation. New Yorkers now have improved access to public benefits at 32 Single Stop USA and Jewish Community Councils (JCC) locations that operate year-round throughout all 5 boroughs. These sites are easily accessible to underserved New Yorkers and are located in familiar neighborhood locations, such as community based organizations and food pantries. At these sites, clients are able to meet one-on-one with mulit-lingual and culturally sensitive staff to determine their eligibility for government benefits and electronically apply for Food Stamps and Medicaid in a safe and welcoming environment. Staffs are also able to refer clients to other on-site resources, including financial and legal assistance, all the while reducing hassle and waiting time.

In an effort to spread the word about this new and easy way to screen and enroll for Food Stamps and Medicaid, the Met Council Volunteer Department has recruited volunteers to canvas libraries, grocery stores, delis, CBO's, and other businesses within the target neighborhoods with Help is in Your Neighborhood flyers and posters.

To date, we have distributed approximately 77,000 Help is in Your Neighborhood flyers and posters! According to SSUSA's analysis from 7/1/2010-12/31/2010, there was a 55% increase in the number of clients coming into Single Stop sites because of flyers. This figure includes a 23% discount taken to account for other flyers/non POS outreach flyers used by the sites in the marketing and outreach.

To the volunteers who helped distribute the flyers and posters: We could not have done it without you! Thank you so much for all of your hard work.

Met Council Honors Dedicated Volunteer

2011-05-19T13:45:00.000-07:00

Met Council recently recognized longtime volunteer Ami Bar-Tura for his ongoing dedication to the organization. Ami has worked closely with Project Metropair, a program making home visits to people in need of minor home repairs, for more than six years.

“Met Council is a fantastic organization. When you do volunteer work you get rewarded as much as those you serve because it’s really a great feeling to help,” said Ami. “I enjoyed my time very much and I’m happy to have helped.”

Through his work with Project Metropair, Ami was able to help thousands of seniors remain safe and independent in their homes. He was also the recipient of the Met Council 2006 Volunteer of the Year Award.

Ami will be leaving the organization this year to move closer to his family in Israel. “We don’t know what we’ll do without him,” said Val Beloshkurenko, director of Met Council Home Services. “Ami worked nine to five doing all kinds of things. Anything that was asked, he would do.”

Volunteers are an essential part of Met Council programs like Project Metropair (insert link). To learn how you can volunteer, contact….

Photo: (left to right) Ami and his Met Council handyman worker, Sergi.

Volunteer of the Month goes to....Kevin Carroccia!

2011-05-19T08:44:00.000-07:00

As a way of saying thank you, Met Council presents Kevin Carroccia with our Volunteer of the Month Award for his dedication and enthusiasm in our Job Readiness volunteer programming. Kevin grew up in Plainville, Connecticut but soon realized New York was calling his name. Since that time, he has graced our fair city – and more particularly our Volunteer Department - with his enthusiasm and desire to help!

Kevin learned about Met Council through a friend who had volunteered with us. After hearing about the important work Met Council does in helping New Yorkers find lasting solutions to poverty, he made it his business to get involved.

“I always wanted to do something, and I always wanted to give back somehow,” Kevin remembers. “I believe that everyone has something they are passionate about and it is important to find that thing and bring it out in others.”

Kevin volunteers with Met Council’s Networking Workshop and Resume Review Workshop which are part of our Job Readiness Programs. The Networking Workshop teaches clients the skills to build a successful professional network. It also gives them the opportunity to practice their newly learned skills by networking with volunteers at the workshop.

As luck would have it, Kevin is an executive recruiter in the Electronic Health Records field which Met Council’s Career Services department specializes in for their training programs. It’s a match made in heaven!

He also volunteers with our Resume Review Workshop which has volunteers working one on one with clients on their resumes. “I get a rush out of it; you leave and think maybe you made a difference in at least one person’s life. Until you go and see and do it, you don’t realize the struggle that people go through.”

Kevin, thank you for the time, enthusiasm, and skill you bring to Met Council!

Senior Nutrition Workshop now at TWO locations!

2011-05-04T08:34:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, May 3rd marked the kickoff for the Senior Nutrition Workshop for low-income seniors living in the Seagate community near Coney Island, Brooklyn.

In this community many seniors are fluent in Russian and much more comfortable using that language, which is why we were very lucky to come upon our Nutrition Volunteer, who speaks both English and Russian fluently.

Each senior at the workshop received an educational set of handouts in either English or Russian. The first workshop focused on the new food pyramid. Each lesson will focus on a different aspect of nutrition and why it's important for senior health. After yesterdays lesson I think we all learned a little more about what we should be eating to keep our bodies healthy at any age!

Tai Chi is helping seniors at Met Council!

2011-04-29T10:43:00.000-07:00

Tai Chi is helping low-income seniors living Met Council housing in Brooklyn to improve their health.

For the past two weeks, our seniors have been enjoying a morning Tai Chi class thanks to our Volunteer Department. After the classes many of them have remarked that they feel much more flexible or more balanced, and not only that, according to some studies, it is suggested that Tai Chi can even help to battle depression: check out the article here.

Passover Food Distribution at the Masbia in Flatbush

2011-04-13T11:48:00.000-07:00

Starting on Sunday morning, April 10^th, volunteers gathered at the Masbia in Flatbush to help unload a massive delivery of Passover food. There were 55 cases of grape juice, 27 cases of oil, and over 500 boxes of Matzah, just to name a few. The seven pallets of food took up the whole sidewalk in front of Masbia, leaving only a small path for curious pedestrians to walk through. Seeing cases of food in front of Masbia is not a rare sight, all year-round the Masbia in Flatbush serves as a free kosher restaurant, and food deliveries to keep the kitchen stocked are not unusual. What was special about this food delivery is that Masbia was being temporarily transformed from a free kosher restaurant, into a free kosher for Passover supermarket! Because of this, the food delivery was larger than a typical delivery might be. And this morning delivery was only one of the deliveries that came throughout Sunday.

The Sunday volunteers worked hard to bring all the food inside and arrange it beautifully, turning the dining area of Masbia into a Passover market complete with canned goods, dry goods, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, meat and eggs! Thanks to Met Council’s food warehouse and some amazing last-minute food donations and discounts coordinated by Masbia’s Executive Director, Alexander Rapaport, we were able to have so much to give!

On Monday evening volunteers gathered again to staff what was now the Masbia Passover Market and serve clients from Met Council’s Family Violence Services, a program for victims of domestic violence as well as clients from the Sister to Sister Network, a program for single mothers. Volunteers came from all over the city to greet clients, help them select their food and assist them with carrying groceries. We also had visits from New York City Council Members Lew Fidler and David G. Greenfield, NYC Public Advocate Bill De Blasio, and even Channel 12 News. In five hours we filled over 1,000 bags (which were generously donated by Pomegranate Supermarket, a kosher supermarket and Trader Joe's) with food. We provided almost 200 women with food for their families. One client, while deciding how many bottles of oil she needed, said she would be cooking for ten people! Considering that, the amount of individuals that this food will reach is tremendous.

The kindness of the volunteers was met with the warm gratitude of the clients. Everyone who was there, from Sunday morning to Monday night, is sure to have a happier Passover than they otherwise would. Some of us there received the gift of food, but all of us received the gift of human kindness.

Public Benefits Advocate: Harmon Fields, Volunteer of the Month

2011-04-13T08:53:00.001-07:00

Met Council is proud to announce that Harmon Fields has been selected to be the Volunteer of the Month! After hearing about our agency through AARP, Harmon signed up to become a volunteer for Met Council. Harmon has greatly contributed to our grassroots community outreach campaign about food access and benefits enrollment. He has distributed well over 5,200 pamphlets and posters to various community-based organizations and business throughout lower Manhattan, in an effort to spread the word about a new and easy way to enroll for public benefits, such as food stamps and Medicaid. Harmon is originally from the Bronx and has been a long-time resident of Manhattan. He is currently an attorney but has worked in special education and social work. Harmon is planning on pursuing a new career in foundation work where he can work toward raising and allocating funds for worthy causes and those most in need around the world. “Community organizations, being non-profit, never have enough funds and paid staff to address all the needs of the populations they serve,” said Harmon. “Volunteers serve the important function of providing vital services that otherwise might go by the wayside or might fall short of the neighborhoods' expectations and needs.” “I was pleased to see that, for the most part, those I spoke with welcomed this new, more efficient way for their communities to get benefits, so the rewarding part was knowing that I was introducing something valuable for these neighborhoods,” added Harmon. Met Council is extremely grateful for Harmon’s dedication, as he has been incredibly helpful in our fight against poverty in New York City!

Networking Workshop Kick-Off Event!

2011-04-11T14:02:00.000-07:00

Here at Met Council we kicked off our first Networking Workshop on April 6th with great success! The workshop teaches clients how to build their professional network and works on their networking skills. To do this we have created a three parts training process; the first part is a workshop that is led by Met Council staff on how to create a professional network if you don’t have one in place. The second part has each client write a two minute pitch and a thirty second pitch (elevator pitch) which paints a quick picture of someone’s professional experience and their future goals. This helps streamline the message one is giving to others about their professional selves. The third part of the workshop is a mingling session with volunteers. Each of the workshop participants got business cards with their names on them to give out during the mingling sessions; acquiring a business card lets the client know they were successful in their attempt to network. The mingling took place between a group of enthusiastic and professional volunteers and Met Council clients. It went as follows, 20 minutes of mingling/networking then a 10 minute feedback session where volunteers and clients talked about their experience. A second round of mingling and feedback rounded off the workshop. Client feedback was that they really benefited from the workshop and volunteers felt they were able to really make a difference!

PASSOVER FOOD DISTRIBUTION VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

2011-04-07T07:57:00.000-07:00

Monday, April 11th 5:30 PM – 10 PM
One-time commitment

Volunteers are needed to participate in Met Council’s Passover Food Distribution for families affected by domestic violence. Duties will include registering clients, monitoring the food, handing out the packages, and helping clients carry the items. It’s a great way to help a family have enough food for Passover!

If you are interested in more information about either of these volunteer opportunities, please contact Malwina Andruczyk at (212) 453-9526 or mandru@metcouncil.org

Met Council's Debut Sunday Lunch Program at E 61st St.

2011-04-07T07:28:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, Met Council's E 61st Street housing site had their first Sunday Lunch Program! Similar to 3rd Avenue's lunch program, volunteers served the residents a catered, hot, kosher meal in the building's Community Room. At least 20 residents came to enjoy the free food, socialization with neighbors, and company of the Kehilath Jeshurun families who volunteered at the program.

The program was structured to mimic a restaurant atmosphere. In this capacity, the KJ volunteers were assigned various tasks, such as hostess, waiter, bartender, bus boy, salad chef, croudite chef, and server. There were "socializers" as well, who were assigned to different tables to socialize with the residents. The residents were greeted with a friendly welcome, seated at a table, and then waited on by the lovely wait staff.

The residents were incredibly receptive to the volunteers who were there to socialize with them and serve their nutritional needs. Everyone was constantly engaged in conversation, whether the interactions took place between the residents and volunteers or among the residents themselves. The residents especially took great pleasure in seeing the children, whose warm smiles contagiously spread across the face of every resident. What a delight it was to see such a high caliber of energy and excitement shared by all of those who attended this special program.

According to Richard, one of the residents, "the program was a great success!"

BlackRock Volunteers with Met Council's Career Services

2011-03-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

Seventeen enthusiastic volunteers from BlackRock came to volunteer with Met Council’s E.H.R (Electronic Health Records) students on a slushy Wednesday night to conduct a Mock Interview Workshop. In the workshop each volunteer administered interviews to two different students. This allowed the student to get feedback on their interviewing styles and resumes from two different interviewers. Each volunteer generously donated money to Met Council which provided dinner for the event.

A pleasant surprise came when BlackRock announced they would be giving a matching donation for all the money donated by their volunteers! Having the use of such skilled volunteers for Met Council’s job readiness programs is essential to the success of these programs. They are only as good as the volunteers staffing them. Students got constructive feedback, not just the usual positive encouragement. It was real world advice on very specific details of their interviewing skills and resume compilation.

Volunteer Feedback

“I think the workshop will be very valuable to the clients. I was able to provide the interviewees with a firsthand look into what it feels like to be auditioning for a job. They appreciated the honest feedback and constructive criticism on their resumes and interviewing skills. The clients comment that they typically have a hard time distinguishing themselves amongst other candidates, so I assisted with that.”

“I think the workshop was great as the participants seemed very excited about the opportunity. It’s no secret that the economy is in recovery and jobs can be scarce so this sort of program is much needed. I thought the individuals I interviewed conveyed a lot of enthusiasm and were fully committed to the program.”

Client Feedback

“I found the sessions very helpful. Pointers were given on how to improve my resume and several interviews tips. Both of my interviewers were very competent. Thanks very much for the opportunity.”

“Very informative; it was an excellent opportunity to explore my strengths and weaknesses. It was a positive experience. I am very happy that I had the opportunity to do this exercise. I went into the first interview feeling apprehensive. By the evaluation of the second interview I felt that I had reasonable interviewing skills. The staff [BlackRock volunteers] indicated points that I need to work on. Thank you.”

Purim at Masbia!

2011-03-24T13:23:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, March 20th, one of our highly dedicated volunteer groups, Global-Potential, served food to low-income individuals and families at Masbia, Met Council's Kosher Community Kitchen. Global-Potential is a global leadership service program that works with inner-city youth from a variety of religious and ethnic backgrounds.

This was a particularly special day at the soup kitchen, as it was offering a festive celebration for the clients on the Jewish holiday of Purim, which some might call a "Jewish Halloween." In the spirit of Purim, the members of Global-Potential were dressed up in costume while serving the clients.

It was a bittersweet day at Masbia, as it was rewarding for the volunteers to help the individuals and families, but also painful to see so many hungry people.

Appointment Buddies Needed!

2011-03-24T07:36:00.000-07:00

Appointment Buddies is a program that matches volunteers to our senior clients. Volunteers are expected to assist a senior client in traveling to and from various appointments. This program aims to offer assistance and support to our senior clients. By providing a volunteer to travel with our clients to their appointments, Met Council is assured that they are receiving the care that they need. It is often a challenge for seniors to travel to and from appointments, and they are often forced to rely on inconsistent services that may get them to their appointments hours before they begin. By participating in Appointment Buddies, the client will have a Met Council volunteer to travel with and get them to their appointment safely and at an appropriate time.

If you are interested, please contact Malwina Andruczyk at 212.453.9526 or mandru@metcouncil.org for more details.

First Senior Nutrition Workshop!

2011-03-23T06:55:00.001-07:00

On Sunday, March 20th, our first Senior Nutrition Workshop took place at a senior residence in Brooklyn!

It was well attended, and led by a wonderful volunteer named Abigail.

With her help we learned a lot about how to read Nutrition Labels. We learned to question what we see on the front of a box of food, and what to look for on the nutrition label.

Workshops will be happening every month!

A Leader in Food Justice: Emily Silman, Volunteer of the Month

2011-03-15T10:18:00.000-07:00

Nutrition and food justice have always been important issues to Emily Silman. So when she went to a food politics conference at Columbia University and saw Met Council’s kosher food network booth, she decided she wanted to get involved.

“It was the first time I’d heard of a Jewish-focused food charity in New York City,” Emily recalls, “and I loved hearing that they took care of hungry Jewish New Yorkers, especially those who keep kosher.”

Fitting with her interests, Emily earned her stripes as a volunteer by handing out fresh chickens for 6 hours during the Passover Food Distribution event for families who have been victims of domestic violence. The Volunteer Department was so impressed with her commitment (not just anyone would hand out chicken for 6 hours) that she was quickly invited to become a volunteer leader for the Senior Lunch Program.

Since that time, Emily has staffed groups of volunteers once a month to serve hot kosher meals to low income seniors at a Met Council housing site. As a volunteer leader, Emily’s responsibilities include supervising volunteers, teaching them about Met Council, as well as ensuring that the lunch program runs smoothly and effectively.

“It’s great to be able to introduce people to Met Council for the first time,” said Emily. “Most of the volunteers from the groups I work with are new to Met Council, but as soon as they hear what we do and volunteer with us for the first time they say “I want to come back!””

In addition to leading volunteers, Emily has also taken a leadership role as an active member of the MVP Planning Committee, which steers a group of dedicated and motivated young professional who are committed to Met Council’s mission of fighting poverty in New York City.

Thanks to her hard work and dedication, Emily has ensured that Met Council clients gain access to the services they need to fight poverty and hunger in New York City.

Sandwich Shoppe Event!

2011-03-01T11:07:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, February 27th, the Young Professional Group (YPG) of Park Avenue Synagogue teamed up Met Council in holding a Sandwich Shoppe at our E 61st Street senior housing site. This was YPG's first volunteer project as a group and what a fabulous way to debut their philanthropic efforts!

At the program, the volunteers were assigned specific roles so that everything ran smoothly and all attendees were accounted for. One person greeted the residents as they walked in, while other volunteers were assigned the roles of wait staff, servers, and/or 'socializers.' The residents were greeted with a warm welcome by one of the volunteer's children, who gave residents a menu as they walked in. The wait staff then took their sandwich orders, which were then given to the servers to make the sandwiches.

Constant conversation took place between the volunteers and residents, as well as among the residents themselves. Not only were we providing a free meal for the residents, but this was a great way to foster a sense of community in our pursuit of strengthening the relationships among the residents.

Based on the feedback of the volunteers and residents, the event was a huge success!

2011-02-16T06:21:00.000-08:00

Some couples go out to dinner for their anniversary; instead, Jody and Eric Steinhardt served dinner to low income seniors for their 23rd wedding anniversary.

Jody, a Met Council employee, along with her husband, Eric, have been volunteering at Met Council’s Senior Lunch Program monthly since the program first began. When they both realized that they were scheduled to volunteer during their anniversary, they embraced it as an opportunity.

“We both decided that there was no better way to celebrate our anniversary than giving back,” said Eric as he took a break from plating Salisbury steak for the residents.

As a surprise for Jody, Eric covertly ordered a cake for their anniversary to give to her at the end of the program to share with the residents. After the surprise was sprung and Jody and Eric were thanked for their outstanding dedication, everybody enjoyed a piece of cake together in celebration.

Thank you to Eric and Jody for their continuing dedication and commitment to Met Council. It meant so much to the volunteer department that you chose to celebrate your 23 years together with us! We wish you many more happy years to come!

Josh Dienstag - Our Volunteer of the Month

2011-02-14T08:16:00.000-08:00

As a way of saying thank you, Met Council presents Josh Dienstag with our Volunteer of the Month Award. Josh’s journey took him from his hometown of Boston to take a job as the partner at a hedge fund in Manhattan, and set roots down in our fair city; he has done all of this so he could spend time as the volunteer leader for Met Council’s Mock Interview Workshop. (He also moonlights at our Resume Review Workshop.)

Josh comes to us through NY Cares and brings a group of volunteers each month to work with clients on their interviewing skills. Each client brings two copies of their resume as well as a copy of a job posting that they are qualified for. The interviewers then use this posting to interview the clients so they can get real interview experience with productive feedback at the end of the session. The volunteers and clients are separated as they enter so it will be as real an experience as possible – one never knows who will be interviewing them – and they come together at the end of the evening to talk about their experience.

When asked about his feelings on the importance of volunteering, Josh explained, “Income and education gaps keep widening, which means that those less fortunate need more help than ever. Volunteering is even more important during a recession when unemployment is high. Volunteers keep coming back because they find our workshops so engaging; the clients inspire me because they are willing to be vulnerable, both by admitting they need career help and by receiving constructive criticism. One of the most rewarding parts of being a volunteer is seeing some of the Met Council clients go on to get jobs.”

Thank you Josh for the time, effort, and skill you bring to Met Council monthly!

BASIC COMPUTER SKILLS INSTRUCTOR NEEDED

2011-02-08T11:19:00.000-08:00

Four classes a month; minimum 3 month commitment Mon - Thurs 6PM-7:30PM (subject to volunteer’s schedule)80 Maiden Lane, 22nd floor, NYC

Have you always had the desire to teach but never had the opportunity? Teach basic computer literacy to foreign-trained nurses in exam prep workshops located in the swanky financial district. Prepare learners to take the state nursing exam which is given electronically at NYC testing centers. Training and materials will be provided.

For more information or to get involved, please contact Shifra Elman at 212-453-9648 or email her at Selman@metcouncil.org.

Brown Bag: P&B Sandwiches Style

2011-02-04T10:49:00.000-08:00

UJA-Federation of New York's Lawyer’s Division took time out of their busy site visit to volunteer for Met Council. Volunteers made over 40 peanut butter and jelly sandwich lunches packaged in beautifully decorated brown-bags. These sandwiches were distributed later that day to several low income senior clients in need. In this cold weather, we hope the homey comfort of P&B sandwiches serves to keep our low income senior clients happy and warm.

The Social Importance of the Internet

2011-02-01T13:32:00.000-08:00

Based on the article, “'The Social Side Of The Internet': Web Users More Likely To Volunteer, Study Shows ,” internet users are more likely to be involved in volunteer activities than their non internet-user counterparts. This is not surprising, considering how socially involved most people are via the internet. It has become the hub of many a party invitation, advertisement, current event, and direct social interaction.

Statistics show that “80% of internet users participate in groups, compared with 56% of non-internet users. Moreover, social media users are even more likely to be active: 82% of social network users and 85% of Twitter users are group participants.”

Generation Y (people born between 1977 and 1990): I strongly encourage you to spread your “internet knowledge” to those who might be intimidated by or not familiar with this new wave of technology innovation. Hint: take a look at our ever-growing baby boomer generation and beyond. Show them how to navigate the web, while stressing the importance of this incredible resource.

Volunteer programs, in particular, have significantly grown and flourished due to their use of internet marketing. For example, the internet has become one of Met Council’s key tools in volunteer recruitment, as it has helped to pique the interests of those who otherwise would not have necessarily been informed about our volunteer opportunities.

Check out Met Council news, videos and more at www.metcouncil.org and get involved on our Facebook page!

Mock Interview Workshop with Metropolitan Moms

2011-01-28T08:35:00.000-08:00

Even with the snow and muck on January 26, 2011, Metropolitan Moms and Met Council’s clients came out to participate in our Mock Interview Workshop. This was the second part of a two part workshop that Metropolitan Moms took part in to prepare Met Council clients for their continued job searches. Each client came with two different job postings for which to interview for and each Metropolitan Mom volunteer interviewed two different clients. This format gave clients the opportunity to practice interviewing for two different positions and to also receive feedback on their interviewing skills from two different interviewers!

Client Feedback:
“It was worth coming out in the snow. Both the interviewers gave me positive ways to go about getting that job. This was a great experience.”

“I am really very happy that I met Olive today because she opened my mind and my view on how to respond on questions during an interview. It was really very helpful for developing my confidence in an interview.”

Volunteer Feedback:
“Both women were very receptive and open to the mock interview. One woman I feel like I was really able to help and offer her sound advice.”

“Great great set up and execution. It is amazing to offer women this wonderful opportunity to help them with their resumes and interview skills; a true mitzvah to give them the confidence and a safe place to enhance their skills. I truly think the sessions have been incredibly organized and they have been extremely useful to the women using them.”

MLK Day

2011-01-21T10:19:00.000-08:00

To mark the 25th anniversary of MLK Day, Met Council’s volunteer department led 4 different projects that mobilized 180 volunteers across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. From delivering self-help devices for homebound seniors to sorting thousands of donated clothing, our wonderful and energetic volunteers accomplished many amazing things in just one day. Here are some of the highlights:

80 volunteers sorted and organized thousands of donated clothes for clients in need

25 volunteers packaged and delivered self-help devices to homebound seniors across the five boroughs. Volunteers assembled 200 packages and delivered them to 30 seniors.

40 volunteers from UJA-Federation Long Island assembled 1400 food packages at our food warehouse

35 volunteers distributed over 3700 informational pamphlets about local benefits enrollment in the Bronx

These MLK Day activities will touch the lives of hundreds of our clients – individuals in need receiving food packages, clients being able to choose clothes with dignity, and seniors living more safely and independently in their own home.

None of this could have happened without our volunteers. Lorraine, a homebound senior that was a recipient of our assisted-living package, spoke highly of the MLK Day volunteers. “They were so lovely, helpful, and bright,” she said. “They really made my day.”

Check out more photos of the event.

Metropolitan Moms Prepare Clients for the Job Hunt

2011-01-20T12:41:00.001-08:00

Metropolitan Moms, a group of young professional women living in the city, recently joined Met Council to volunteer and help clients improve their resumes. The event was the launch of a two part workshop for career readiness, which will also include a mock interview session next week.
The workshop kicked off with a storytelling exercise. Each of the attendees was asked to improvise a portion of a story, incorporating small details about their lives into the ever-changing plot. This activity put participants in the mindset of sharing their story, in order to help them do the same with their resumes.

Each person was then paired with a Metropolitan Mom volunteer to begin work on their resumes. The experienced and caring volunteers instantly began to connect with their clients so that they could together prepare an extraordinary resume.

Many participating clients are recent graduates of the Met Council Empower RN program. The Empower RN program prepares immigrant nurses for the NCLEX ((National Council Licensure EXamination), an exam for the licensing of nurses in the United States. Other clients are victims of domestic violence and are now facing life changes, such as getting a job for the first time in many years or looking for new employment to better suit their situation.

An excellent resume is essential in finding employment in today’s competitive job market. Volunteers from Metropolitan Moms worked vigorously to understand their clients’ needs and goals in order to create professional resumes. Clients left the workshop, not only grateful for the experience, but also ready to send out their new and improved resumes to potential employers.
To learn more about Met Council volunteer opportunities, call 212-453-9619 or email volunteer@metcouncil.org.

Remarkable Volunteer: Julia Plistyef

2011-01-18T09:55:00.000-08:00

In light of the hard work that she has devoted to our Senior Lunch Program and her awesome dedication to Met Council in general, the volunteer department is pleased to announce that Julia Plistyef is the recipient of this month's Volunteer of the Month award! This is our way of saying thank you to Julia for skillfully and enthusiastically upholding her responsibilities as a volunteer leader.

Julia started volunteering with Met Council in the summer of 2009. She learned about Met Council when she was looking for a job and other volunteer opportunities after her position at the Anti-Defamation League ended. When Julia discovered Met Council's website, she was so impressed with the organization's mission that she contacted Met Council to set up a volunteer opportunity. To this day, she has been extremely valuable in helping us fulfill our mission of fighting poverty.

"Since I was little, I've been taught by my parents that it's very important to provide help to others. Consequently, Met Council's mission gives me a great opportunity and chance to spread kindness and give back. First as a volunteer and then as a Volunteer Leader, I've been involved in a variety of projects and programs, which range from collecting and distributing back-packs for needy children, creating packages for the Food for Life campaign, distributing Passover packages, movie nights, gardening at low income housing, assisting residents with Census forms, bingo nights, to assisting with the opening of the Masbia soup kitchens and Sunday luncheons for the seniors in low income residents. It's such a great experience when I see how happy the clients are to receive food packages for holidays, have free hot lunches, or attend different activities. As a result, I feel good and proud to make a difference in people's lives and to be part of this great cause. Thank You! I am hoping to get involved in more projects in the future." -Julia Plistyef

Met Council is so grateful for Julia's efforts and we take such pride in her ongoing volunteerism with our organization.

Thank you so much, Julia!

NY Cares Mock Interview Workshop

2011-01-18T06:14:00.000-08:00

Even with the snow storm scare, Met Council Clients and NY Cares volunteers came out after work to have a fun and useful Mock Interview Workshop. Each client brings two copies of their resume as well as a copy of a job posting that they are qualified for to the workshop. The interviewers then use this posting to interview the clients so they can get real interview experience with productive feedback at the end of the session. The volunteers and clients are separated as they enter so it will be as real an experience as possible, one never knows who will be interviewing them, and they come together at the end of the evening to talk about their experience. Both the volunteers and the clients talked about their impressions and feelings on this tough subject of getting back into the swing of interviewing and how best to market one's skills and personality to be considered a real candidate for the job one is interviewing for. The energy at the end of the evening was high and everyone seemed to have had a meaningful experience.

Feedback from evaluations and phone calls:

Client: Thank you for a memorable evening, it was very very well organized and it was very informative, it was good, it reinforced again what I believed all along. Thank you.

Client: I have to say that this workshop helped me a lot to fix some of my problems that I have when I come to an interview. I could recognize some of my weaknesses in an interview, which from now on my interviews should be better. They also saw some errors on my resume which I will fix. This will help me in the job search progress.

Volunteer: I love this workshop. The candidates are highly motivated, competent and intelligent. They did not break character and really appreciated our feedback at the end.

Volunteer: I liked the workshop today. The environment is great. As an employer I sent lots of questions and I think the members have practiced a lot of interview skills. I am very satisfied with this workshop. The first participant performed well. She has a direct goal and knows what to do in the future.

MLK Day Volunteer Opportunities

2011-01-11T12:50:00.000-08:00

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?’”
- Martin Luther King Jr.

MLK Day is almost here . . . what will you be doing for others? Make sure you sign up for our two special volunteer events before spaces are full.

PACKAGE AND DELIVER SELF-HELP DEVICES TO HOMEBOUND SENIORS
Monday, January 17th, 11am-3pm
Packaging at 80 Maiden Lane, 21st floor
Distribution in five boroughs of NYC

Help a senior stay safe and independent in his or her own home! Met Council is giving away assistive devices to homebound seniors to aid them in living independently. Volunteers will be responsible for packaging the material, attending a train-the-trainer session on how to use these devices, and then delivering in person the packages to senior households across New York City. Volunteers must be willing to travel to Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan.
Please RSVP to Kelley Baldwin at kbaldwin@metcouncil.org or 212-453-9675.

SORT AND ORGANIZE DONATED CLOTHING
Monday, January 17th, 10am-12pm
80 Maiden Lane, 21st floor

Through the Machson Mobile, a converted van that serves as a mobile clothing shop, Met Council has brightened the lives of thousands of individual and families in need throughout New York City. For MLK Jr. Day, we need volunteers to sort through thousands of donated clothing and organize them to create an easy and dignified way for clients to select clothes.
Please RSVP to Kelley Baldwin at kbaldwin@metcouncil.org or 212-453-9675.

101 and More to Come!

2010-12-22T11:16:00.000-08:00

This Sunday's Senior Lunch Program was marked down in Met Council's calendar with many an asterisk and other funky decorations, as this was a very special day. Met Council is so proud to announce that we celebrated an exciting feat accomplished by Polina, one of our lovely 3rd Avenue residents...Her 101st birthday!!

There were 25 residents in attendance, including Polina's family, and 14 volunteers from Park Avenue Synagogue who were referred to the program by UJA. According to Julia, one of our very dedicated volunteer leaders who staffed the event, people were playing the piano, singing and having a blast. Cake was served and Polina was given a gift on behalf of Met Council.

We are so honored to have provided this incredible opportunity to celebrate the life of a Met Council resident.

Best wishes to Polina and her family!

A Hallmark Volunteer: Stacey Cohen, Volunteer of the Month

2010-12-16T12:34:00.000-08:00

In the summer of 2009, Stacey Cohen, a life-long New Yorker, responded to President Obama’s call to service to help revitalize local communities. In her search for a place to volunteer, Stacey found Met Council on a government website.

“The work of Met Council really appealed to me,” says Stacey, “since they provide so many different types of services that reach so many people.”

Because of her artistic skills, Stacey began to volunteer for the Sunshine Greeting Card Program that has volunteers make cheerful greeting cards for homebound and socially isolated senior citizens. Since that time, Stacey has made over 150 greeting cards and volunteered over 100 hours.

“To me the most rewarding part of being a volunteer is that through the Sunshine Greeting Card Program, I know that I am touching the lives of people who I haven’t met and who I may never get to know,” says Stacey.

There are currently 83,000 Jewish seniors in the New York region that live alone, 25,000 of them have no adult children living in the area. Volunteers like Stacey Cohen make sure that they don’t feel as alone and isolated. If you’d like to volunteer for the Sunshine Greeting Card Program, please contact volunteer@metcouncil.org.

6th Graders Pound the Pavement

2010-12-07T06:22:00.000-08:00

In preparation for their Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, the 6^th graders of the Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale wanted to experience what it felt like to be a “chesed-doer,” or someone who performs an act of loving-kindness. What better way to feel the powerful effects of doing chesed than volunteering for Met Council’s POS program?

The Paperless Office System (POS) is an exciting program in collaboration with Met Council, Human Resources Administration (HRA), Single Stop USA and the Robin Hood Foundation that allows New Yorkers to have improved access to public benefits, such as Food Stamps and Medicaid. In an effort to spread the word about this program, the students distributed over 2,500 pamphlets to various businesses throughout Co-op City.

After the students distributed the materials, they discussed their experiences and how their volunteer efforts were in line with the concept of doing chesed. Their understanding and appreciation for the project they undertook was evident in their positive feedback. Met Council is so proud to have facilitated this empowering experience for the 6^th graders of the Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale and hopes that this volunteer opportunity will instill within them the obligation to continue performing tikkun olam or “repairing of the world.”

Thanksgiving Dinner with Low Income Seniors

2010-11-23T10:57:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, November 21st, the Met Council Volunteer Department’s annual Thanksgiving extravaganza mobilized over 40 volunteers to feed a traditional turkey dinner to 60 low income senior clients at two Manhattan housing sites. This year we were bigger than ever – doubling our programming to reach more clients at more Met Council community locations.

The day began early on Sunday morning with volunteers from Met Council’s Valuable Players (MVPs), a group of young dedicated leaders in their 20s and 30s. MVP volunteers cooked dinner for 60 in our kosher kitchen and made a traditional Thanksgiving meal that included turkey, string beans, sweet potato and cranberries, parsnip-apple mash, and salad.

After the meal was done, individual volunteers and a UJA-Federation volunteer group served dinner at two of our low income senior housing sites in Manhattan. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, volunteers and clients got together to foster a sense of community and giving.

None of this could have happened without Monita Buchwald, the supervising chef who created the menu, came up with the list of ingredients, executed the cooking, and instructed the volunteers. Monita, a recipe tester for Martha Stewart Living, had been a dedicated volunteer with Met Council and has leaded many cooking classes for our clients.

Click here to see more photos of the event. Our holiday programming is not over yet - to get more involved email volunteer@metcouncil.org. Happy Thanksgiving!

JCCA Volunteers at Senior Lunch Program

2010-11-15T12:42:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, November 14th, 10 teenagers from the JCCA Bukharian Teen Lounge volunteered at our Senior Lunch Program. This week, a total of 17 seniors attended the lunch - a group that consisted of our "regulars" and a few new faces! The volunteers and residents were constantly engaged with one other, whether it involved taking a meal order or just having a regular conversation. Every Sunday, our goal is to make sure that all of the residents who attended leave with a full stomach and in great spirits. As per usual, mission accomplished!

Veterans Day Celebration

2010-11-12T10:04:00.000-08:00

For Veterans Day, Met Council staff and volunteers held a ceremony for the 22 formerly homeless housing clients at our Abraham I and II Residences in Sea Gate, Brooklyn. All the residents were invited to attend a ceremony that honored the years of services these vets gave to their country.

Each veteran was asked to state when and where they served as well as to speak about their experiences. From Germany, to Korea, to Vietnam, Met Council clients served in the army, air force, navy, and Marine Corps. The diversity of experience was bridged by swapping war stories about trainings in Fort Hamilton or the cold temperatures in Korea. At the end of the day, each veteran was given a Met Council backpack with a Veterans Day t-shirts and a military pin that showed the insignia of each veteran’s regiment.

JCORPS volunteers at the Senior Lunch Program

2010-11-08T09:51:00.000-08:00

Met Council teamed up with 15 JCORPS volunteers to serve hot kosher meals to 19 low income seniors at our housing site in Manhattan’s east side, as part of our Senior Lunch Program. The purpose of this program is multi-faceted: one, to ensure that our low income clients receive a hot, nutritious meal; two, to provide a social network for volunteers; and three, to create a sense of community in the housing site so that residents get to know their neighbors. Every resident that attended the program was greeted, seated, served a delicious meal, and interacted with! It was evident that everyone was having a good time, as the room was glowing with smiling faces. We very much look forward to the next Senior Lunch Program!

Want to get involved? Contact Sarah at sleiner@metcouncil.org or check out Met Council's other volunteer projects at www.metcouncil.org/volunteer

Boro Park JCC Front Desk Volunteer Needed!

2010-11-03T10:16:00.000-07:00

Weekdays 9AM-5PM

Boro Park, Brooklyn

Met Council is seeking an energetic volunteer to manage the front desk of the Boro Park JCC. Volunteer duties include greeting and referring clients, scheduling appointments, and directing walk-ins. We are looking for a once weekly commitment for 6 months.

If you would like to participate, please contact Kelley Baldwin at 212-453-9675 or kbaldwin@metcouncil.org

Honor Met Council's Veteran Clients!

2010-11-03T10:08:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, November 10th, 9:30AM-12PM
Sea Gate, Brooklyn

Help make Veterans Day special for formerly homeless vets at Met Council's housing site located in Sea Gate, Brooklyn. Volunteers are needed to help staff a memorial ceremony by decorating the room, setting up the food, interacting with clients and cleaning up.

If you would like to participate, please contact Kelley Baldwin at 212-453-9675 or kbaldwin@metcouncil.org

Afternoon Delight With Seniors

2010-10-26T09:18:00.000-07:00

Met Council teamed up with volunteers from Jewish International Committee of New York (JICNY) to make sandwiches for low-income seniors at the E 61st Street housing site. The purpose of the Sandwich Shoppe event was not only to provide a free meal to the residents, but to facilitate community building amongst the residents who live independently and may not know each other. The volunteers also interacted with the residents after everyone had settled in, lending them an ear or engaging them in friendly conversation. The room was filled with positive energy and constant flowing conversation; no one was left unnoticed. As stated by our housing director, Martin Graber, "Tenants at East 61st Street told me they had a great time and the volunteers that were here were GREAT and respectful and it was a pleasure to talk to them."

New Program: Senior Lunch Program

2010-07-15T08:43:00.000-07:00

Straight from the volunteering front-lines: Julia Fleisch's experience as a volunteer at Met Council's newest lunch program.

At Met Council’s free lunch for low income seniors, the food is not the main attraction. It comes in second to the opportunity to socialize with friends and volunteers. Sure, the seniors love not having to cook or pay for food on Sunday morning but they get much more when they come to the Met Council Sunday Lunch Program.

A few weeks ago, I volunteered at the lunch program for the first time. I went in thinking that I would just be piling meatballs onto spaghetti all afternoon. Yet, I found myself spending the bulk of the time sitting with the patrons, complaining about New York public transit. Yes, I did do more meatball piling than my average Sunday, but it was worth a little tomato sauce stain on my white shirt to bring some young spirit to the lives of the seniors.

As I left the building when the lunch was over, I felt good knowing that I had helped, and I was pretty sure that the seniors appreciated it too. I found out for sure when I walked into the Grand Central main concourse on my way home and bumped into one of the women, Maria, that I had just served at lunch. She was watching the Mexico versus Argentina game on one of the plasma screens set up around the information booth for the World Cup. When she saw me she exclaimed, spread her arms out, and gave me a hug. I knew then that she had appreciated my help.

My train wasn’t leaving for another half hour so I stayed and watched the game with her. She explained to me her conflict concerning who to root for. She likes Mexican culture, so she wanted to root for Mexico. But, she is from Colombia, and Argentina is near there so she felt obligated to root for Argentina. We continued to schmooze until my train was about to leave. I left her feeling like I had started a new relationship that I would cultivate on many Sundays to come.

Volunteerism has a Synonym

2010-06-01T09:50:00.000-07:00

Written by Met Council's very own Blog Volunteer:

This past semester, I took “Fundamentals of Leadership” at Queens College on a whim. There were plenty of definitions for what leadership really is, and the general idea was that leadership is defined as working towards a positive change.

The funny thing is, that’s exactly what volunteering is all about. When you create a garden, help immigrants fill out a census form, support a poverty-stricken child, you make a difference. A positive difference.

In my own little way, I too am making a difference by updating this blog. Maybe some of these posts will even encourage you to be a leader.

Want to be a volunteer AND a leader? Check out Met Council's new Volunteer Leader program! E-mail volunteer@metcouncil.org for more details.

Starting young: the importance of child volunteers

2010-05-28T07:36:00.000-07:00

Experts say that it’s important to start learning skills like math, music, and languages at an early age . . . but what about community service? If a child learns to volunteer at a young age, will he or she be a better volunteer later in life?

Okay, I’m a volunteer coordinator and not a social scientist. I can only report on my own experiences combined with a good dose of common sense. And lately, I’ve had many an opportunity to observe younger volunteers at work.

On Sunday morning I coordinated another gardening project that was billed as a family-friendly volunteer opportunity, so lots of kids and parents came out to help. I was a little taken-aback by how young the kids were (between ages 3-6). I was worried about whether we’d complete the project in time but trusted that the parents knew their child’s abilities better than I did. This definitely proved to be the case.

At first it was fairly obvious that the kids didn’t want to volunteer on a Sunday morning (Sundays are after all prime cartoon time). But over the course of the project, the kids began to be more engaged and less apprehensive.

One of the older girls was in charge of checking every flower to see which ones needed water and I’ve never come across a more enthusiastic waterer! She made sure no plant went thirsty, and sometimes I had to reign in her exuberance for the sake of the flowers. Similarly a three-year old boy was so excited when he was asked to collect the garden tools that he started to take the trowels out of people’s hands!

By the end, the kids were scrambling over who got to do what and totally involved in the project. Although these kids were made to volunteer by their parents, they ended up working hard because they began to understand how good it feels to help others. And in my profession, it’s very encouraging to see young kids loving volunteer work!

So the hypothesis was tested, sort of. I guess to truly test my theory I would need to contact these kids in twenty years to see if they volunteer more than the average adult. This probably won’t happen . . . but tune in to our blog in twenty years to find out! I however feel fairly confident in saying that these kids have started to cultivate a lifelong passion for volunteerism.

Were three-year-olds the best gardeners a volunteer coordinator could wish for? Well . . . they were certainly the cutest. And seeing young kids get their hands dirty to help low income seniors warmed my heart and made me more optimistic about the future of volunteerism.

Do Good, Feel Good

2010-05-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

Who ever knew that volunteerism has something in common with a glass of orange juice and yoga?

According to a study in Ontario, Canada, volunteering bolsters the immune system and can reduce the effect of stress on the body. Other studies report that altruism triggers pleasure centers in the brain. You start to feel good and then do more good to feel even better. It looks like volunteering is addictive.

(Source: http://www.britannica.com/bps/additionalcontent/18/31824806/Give-a-Little-Get-a-Lot)

Battling the Elements: Tips on how to plant a garden in Manhattan

2010-05-18T09:24:00.000-07:00

On a sunny morning in May, there are few things more satisfying that toiling in the soil.

No, I’m not writing this while gently rocking on my porch swing in North Carolina. I’m in New York City, known more for its concrete towers than pastoral gardens. But yesterday a group of volunteers and I outwitted Manhattan’s elements (tar, smog, and steel) to plant a beautiful – and yes, green – garden for low income seniors.

Gardening has never come easily to me. I’ve never considered myself as having a green-thumb. But being a volunteer coordinator forces you to be a fast-learner, so recently I’ve learned a thing or two about how to plant a successful garden in New York.

First of all, I had to find somewhere to buy plants that delivers (inexpensively) to the Upper East Side. Surprisingly, that wasn’t too difficult to find. Home Depot has a great fresh flower selection and offers same-day delivery at a reasonable price. They also have a great variety of plant-life that can thrive with little-to-no sunlight (sunlight being a precious commodity in this city).

After that, I just had to hope for good weather. Luckily it was a perfect spring day when eight volunteers from Temple Shaaray Tefila arrived at our Upper East Side senior residence. Coincidentally several volunteers had considerable gardening experience, which made my life much easier. Even the young teen volunteers knew what they were doing! One teenager even gave me a helpful hint: when transplanting, you should remove the soil from the roots so that they grab on to the soil faster (see the roots in the photo below). I concluded from this experience that, despite the odds, lots of New Yorkers know what they’re doing in a garden-patch.

Here are the flower arrangements we decided on according to growing conditions and – of course – how great it looks.

We had more than enough flowers to create a border and used the extras for nice looking clusters every ninth flower. It was a volunteer’s suggestion and I think it made the space look fuller and more symmetrical. You can see our floral arrangement in the picture above.

At the end of the day, we all felt proud of our handiwork. Now, with a little tender love and care, these flowers will be around all summer for the enjoyment of Met Council’s low income senior clients.

Why do I need a Volunteer Questionnaire?

2010-05-13T07:45:00.000-07:00

A Volunteer Coordinator's Opinion:

Back in high school I volunteered tutoring children at a Settlement House. I simply showed up and they had me working with the kids in minutes. I asked if they needed my name, and they responded "I guess so". That was it!
Then in college I volunteered tutoring inmates at a nearby County Jail. This required a doctor's visit, TB test, multiple orientations, background checks, and weekly "signature checks" and ID scans. I know that volunteering at a correctional facility has (and should have) very specific regulations, but I can't help but think that checking up on volunteers should lie somewhere in between these two extremes.
When I started working as one of the Volunteer Coordinators at Met Council, I saw our required Volunteer Questionnaire and thought it seemed like the perfect compromise. Volunteers have told me countless times how easy it is to volunteer with Met Council. There are no mandatory doctor’s notes or series of multiple, long orientation meetings.
Of course, not everyone agrees. One of the first volunteers I reached out to felt our Questionnaire was inappropriate and intrusive, and actually walked away from volunteering with Met Council. This made me question how appropriate a Volunteer Questionnaire really is. People are volunteering after all, aren’t they? Shouldn’t Met Council make things as easy as possible for them?
Then I thought about the fabulous work our volunteers our doing. Since our volunteers are able to make such an impact in our organization, they are working in our office, with our employees, and with our clients. Oftentimes, volunteers are helping out at Met Council’s housing sites.
Volunteers are valued like employees at Met Council, and like any company or organization, we need to know who is working with us. Therefore, it’s important to know some basic information about who is volunteering with us.

Of course, any questions about Volunteer Questionnaires can be directed to the Volunteer Department at volunteer@metcouncil.org!

Volunteers are Valuable

2010-05-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

When you volunteer your time and skills at a not-for-profit in New York, you are actually saving them around $28.52. That was the current dollar value for volunteer time * in New York in 2008 (Independent Sector).

Just imagine. Because of volunteers, not-for-profits can spend this money on someone that is poverty-stricken. I know that Met Council can certainly use every penny they can get.

So, thank you for your efforts. Thank you for being as valuable as you are!

(Source: independentsector.org)

* Please note that this is the average wage for non-agricultural, non-managerial positions and is to be used only as a tool to show how valuable volunteers are. The BLS offers the value of hourly wages by occupation.

Volunteer and Get Recognized!

2010-05-10T07:29:00.000-07:00

President's Volunteer Service Award

Did you know that you can get an award for volunteering from the President himself? I know, I know, volunteering has plenty of intangible rewards but I think most of us wouldn’t protest to something a little extra such as a lapel pin and a letter from the Commander in Chief.
All you have to do is volunteer for a certified not-for profit, community organization, government agency or even a business and track your hours as you go along. Once the 12 months are up, you can earn a bronze, silver, or gold award depending on how many hours you put in and your age. Children under 14 years of age only have to work 50 hours!
What trumps all of these awards is the President’s Call to Service Award, presented to individuals that have provided 4000 or more hours of service over the course of their lifetime. Imagine how much help that is!
Just get your organization to become a certifying one and you can soon be recognized! Met Council is a certifying organization that recognizes its volunteers for all of their hard work. For us, the saying “when you give a little, you get a lot” really holds true.

(Source: http://www.presidentialserviceawards.gov/tg/pvsainfo/dspAboutAwards.cfm)

Connect to Met Council

2010-04-29T07:28:00.000-07:00

Nowadays, you can find your best friend’s husband’s brother’s cat on Facebook. Because it reaches so many people, it has proven to be a very useful tool for not-for-profit organizations such as Met Council. Stay connected to Met Council through our Facebook page! You can check out upcoming volunteer opportunities and new blog articles. Add us today.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/MetCouncil

Musings on Met Council: An Intern's Perspective

2010-04-28T10:46:00.000-07:00

“What about the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty? They need someone to work on their blog.” A few months back, Karen Klein of FEGS posed that question as she saw how much I was struggling to make up my mind over which organization I would be interning with for the New Linkages internship. Maybe it was Met Council’s full name. I mean, something about working to alleviate poverty, and even better, within the Jewish population, really appealed to me. Maybe it was because I love to write. Or, maybe it was because I was so exhausted from trying to choose. Regardless of the reason (or combination of reasons) , I’m glad I chose Met Council.

I came in with absolutely no idea of how to write a blog. Now, a few months later, that is no longer the case.

Over these past few months, I’ve researched ways on how to improve Met Council’s volunteer blog and have written various posts. The blog post I most enjoyed researching for and writing was the Career Interview with Jessica Polsky. I got to meet a wonderful woman who helps countless people that are laden with worry over their unemployment find their way back to the workforce.

In truth, all of the employees here—including my supervisors—seem warm and genuinely happy to be here. They really believe in the organization’s mission. So do I.

If you’re looking to intern or volunteer with a wonderful Jewish not-for-profit, the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty is the perfect choice.

--Lyudmila Alishayeva, Blog Intern

Come Celebrate Volunteer Week!

2010-04-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

It’s National Volunteer Week!
Elizabeth Andrew once said “Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.” This week, we celebrate those that have big hearts.

The theme of this year’s volunteer week is “celebrating people in action.” To all of you that have helped us or other not-for-profit organizations, we thank you. Please continue giving your talents! www.metcouncil.org

A Monument in Memory of MLK

2010-04-21T06:57:00.000-07:00

“If I can help somebody as I pass along,
if I can cheer somebody with a word or song,
if I can show somebody he's traveling wrong,
then my living will not be in vain.”

These are the words of Martin Luther King—the hero who dedicated his life to nonviolent social change and in whose honor a memorial will soon stand. The National Memorial will be constructed in Washington D.C and will mark the 42nd anniversary of Martin Luther King’s death.

For more information about this noteworthy cause, please visit www.mlkmemorialnews.org.

Met Council’s volunteers have celebrated MLK in the past and truly support the creation of this monument. Check out the post below!

Spotlight on: Jessica Polsky, Career Counselor at Met Council’s Career Services

2010-04-13T09:15:00.000-07:00

When Jessica Polsky was a Nursing student in college in Florida, she had no idea what fate had in store for her—working at a not-for-profit, and healing others in an entirely different way.

Jessica actually started off as an intern at Met Council while pursuing her graduate degree. When she finished the internship three years ago, the director gladly offered her a position as a full-time career counselor and she has been here ever since.

Sitting in her office—full of lively Van Gogh prints—I asked Jessica question after question about her work, all to which she responded warmly and patiently. I could tell that she is great at her job as a Career Counselor at Met Council, helping domestic violence survivors as well as clients who have lost their jobs in these trying times.

Yet, a career in career counseling (J) wasn’t always on the agenda. Jessica was working as an EMT and taking nursing classes when she first started college. After taking some time off, she came back to pursue a degree in Psychology, and at the suggestion of a caring undergraduate professor, decided to pursue a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling. Although she is not specifically a mental health counselor, Jessica notes that her mental health degree from NYU helps her a lot.

For Jessica, the best parts of working in career counseling are, “the clients, helping them, seeing their progress and networking.” She mentions this last word with a glimmer in her eye. Jessica really loves networking and sees it as a process of giving back. Jessica mentioned that “83% of job-seekers find a job through networking,” and encouraged me to network as much as possible.

With a staff of 15, Met Council’s Career Services offers clinical, career and personal counseling, educational advising, interview skills preparation, computer skills training, and much more.

In addition to all of this, the busy team is in charge of a variety of exciting programs that are offered to clients at no charge. Among these is the PIN program, which prepares foreign nurses for the RN-NCLEX through more than 160 hours of contextualized ESL education. Another program is JCC Works, which offers job training and placement for Jewish residents who meet household, low-income requirements and reside within the 5 boroughs of NYC. All of these programs are here to serve you and your community.

However, there are distinct challenges to a career search. Jessica mentioned that job-seekers sometimes come into the Career Services Center looking for employment, but give up after a couple of hours. In addition to networking and preparation, persistence and setting goals—in this case, finding a job—is key.

We all know that the job market is more competitive than ever, but you can increase your chances of getting a job by standing out from the large pool of applicants. “There are so many resumes coming in,” Jessica says. “What makes you stand out? If you are going to read a book, what is it that makes you inclined to read it? Be true to yourself and the process, no matter how tedious it is. You only need one job.” Her words ring true.

If you or anyone you know is in need of a job, please don’t hesitate to contact Met Council’s Career Services. Met Council is here to help!

-Written by Blog Intern, Mila

Food for Passover

2010-03-25T07:23:00.000-07:00

Passover can be a very expensive holiday, especially for single mothers with a large family to feed. That’s why Met Council’s Family Violence Services, a program for victims of domestic violence, distributed over 140 food packages to our women and children clients to help cut expenses during the holidays.

Our hard-working volunteers unpacked and handed out over three tons of food, helped the women carry the bags – laden with matzah, grape juice, apple juice, tomato sauce, tuna, oil, chicken – and cleaned up the facility, all the while treating our clients with a great deal of dignity and respect. Thanks to their diligent efforts, Met Council was able to assist over 900 women and children this Passover holiday.

Shana Frydman, the director of Family Violence Services, praised the effectiveness and value of our volunteers. “The program ran smoothly, the clients were treated with incredible respect, and the volunteers were both thoughtful and truly helpful,” said Frydman.

The dignity of our volunteers was also noted by Yehudis Robinson, the director of Sister to Sister whose family clients were also served on Sunday. “Volunteers,” she said, “helped run a most efficient, professional yet warm distribution yesterday. Everything ran so smoothly and beautifully and we were able to help so many families go into the holidays with true happiness and a sense of self worth.”

Volunteering Made Easy

2010-03-16T11:55:00.000-07:00

Volunteer Match is now available on IPhone.

Volunteer Match, a San Francisco-based organization, has connected millions of prospective volunteers with not-for-profit organizations. With the additional convenience of an iPhone application, the numbers may grow even larger.

Now, all you have to do is enter your zip code on your iPhone and, voila! You have thousands of volunteer opportunities listed at your fingertips. The application even allows you to save or post volunteer activities on Facebook and Twitter! With volunteering made this easy, how can you resist?

Career Opportunity

2010-03-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

Met Council's Growth Fund initiative engages grassroots organizations to build their capacity to better serve their clients by providing technical assistance, trainings and funding. The Growth Fund is seeking an experienced grant writer to help small grassroots organizations write winning grant proposals.

You will not be writing any proposals yourself, but rather consult with grassroots agencies on making edits and improvements to their proposals before submission. This is a good opportunity for individuals with a specialized skill set or a graduate student who wishes to gain real world experience.

Volunteers should understand the grant application process for federal, state and/or local government as well as private foundations. In addition, they should have excellent writing and grammar skills, attention to detail and the ability to understand basic financial and budgetary matters.

Food For Life: The Hungry Need Us. We Need You!

2010-03-02T11:14:00.000-08:00

The cost of providing a family of four with nutritious Kosher meals for 2 months? $720
The cost of providing Sabbath meals for one senior for an entire year? $360
The big smile on a child's face that just had their first decent meal in a while?
Priceless.

You have probably heard the expression "food for thought", but what about "food for life"? Met Council has launched a wonderful campaign called Food for Life to help feed the poor and near-poor that do not have the means to feed themselves.

Want to learn more? Get involved to help feed New York’s hungriest families. An evening reception celebrating the Food for Life campaign will be held at the Museum of Jewish Heritage on Thursday, March 11. Dinner, drinks, and a live auction are included. Click here for more details.

Can't donate? There are other ways to help! Please advertise this vital campaign through social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

The hungry need us. We need you.

(Image Source: http://www.inforochester.com/images/FoodKosher.gif)

Citizenship Now! Volunteers help immigrants apply for citizenship.

2010-02-25T09:25:00.000-08:00

On February 24th Met Council worked in collaboration with the CUNY Citizenship and Immigration Project to offer citizenship information and application assistance to immigrants throughout New York City.

Met Council volunteers greatly contributed to the success of this event by assisting with advertising and outreach before the event and by helping clients with paperwork, copying, taking photos, and assisting with administrative tasks throughout Citizenship Day.

Thank you to our wonderful volunteers!

This Year’s Volunteer of the Year: Steven Cohen Next Year’s: ______

2010-02-23T09:10:00.000-08:00

A couple of years ago, Steve Cohen happened to attend a meeting at the West End Synagogue and ended up coming up with the name we know and love: "Met Council."

Cohen was very much impressed by the way Ilene Marcus— Met Council’s chief of staff—spoke of her organization and its mission at the meeting. Soon enough, he became a star volunteer.

Using his experience in marketing and advertising, Steve Cohen was able to completely redesign a promotional brochure. In addition, he worked with the staff of the then Metropolitan Council of New York to identify the organization as Met Council—a name more catchy and less of a mouthful.

Recently honored at a Met Council Event, Steve states, "I receive enormous pleasure in assisting people in any small capacity… This work gives me tremendous emotional satisfaction."

Steven Cohen Is definitely a busy guy. Yet, he took some time out of his day to help out. Won’t you? Just like him, you can make a major difference through your skills and talents. Volunteer today and get something immeasurable in return.

Source: (http://www.ujafedny.org/volunteer-spotlight-2/view/spotlight-on-steve-cohen)