The Many Benefits of Volunteering with Met Council by Guest Blogger Andrea Berkman

Many people will tout the benefits of volunteering to be the knowledge that you are helping others who are in need of your help and the personal satisfaction that you get by being a part of a group working toward a common goal. Indeed, these are two of the most prominent benefits of being part of Met Council, and MVP specifically. The people I volunteer with are amazing individuals with a varied background and interesting perspectives and careers. Meeting once or twice a month at various MVP events is gratifying and enjoyable for all of us and we take our roles within the group very seriously.

Often, especially today, people are consumed with their lives and personal situations. As a result volunteering falls to the end of the “To Do List”… or falls off of the list completely and I’d argue that’s a mistake. In November I left my company and have found that getting back into the game is both mentally challenging and exhausting. At a time when I could easily forego volunteering, I have found it to be a nice reprieve from my job hunt and a great way to meet new people, network and grow relationships that I have let lapse.

Several of the people I have met and volunteered with have been essential in my job hunt. I’ve met many new contacts, gotten my resume into the hands of people I would not have been able to access without the help of these people, and have found that seeing everyone is refreshing and inspiring. I’ve attending events thanks to these new friends and have also brainstormed when I have found myself running in circles. I’ve also been able to keep things in perspective, meaning there are people out there who are not as fortunate as I – they do not have the contacts or work experience I am lucky enough to have and so their hunts can be more challenging. (Imagine being a doctor in your home country but not being able to qualify for a home nurse or health aid here.)

My point: Maybe it’s ok to donate your time with a slightly selfish motive. I didn’t begin volunteering my time due to a need to network with other professionals but it has come in quite handy now that I find myself back in the market for a job. As we often tell clients at the Networking Workshop, people want to help others and will happily do so when they can.

So, if you find yourself with a spare hour or two (or more) each month and you want to get involved with a great organization, reach out to Met Council. You will be helping out fellow New Yorkers and you never know when you will be able to leverage the experience and people you meet. Hope you can join us soon.

A Met Council Success Story

Michael G., a new Met Council Career Services client, recently signed up for all of our Job Readiness Workshops. He walked shyly into our Professional Networking Workshop, which teaches basic skills on how to market oneself to potential employers as well as make relevant connections in social settings. With the help and advice of our volunteers, he walked out of the room confident in his ability to talk to and engage employers.

Indeed, there has not yet been a client who attended our Job Readiness workshops without feeling more confident about their abilities than when they first walk through our doors; regardless of how reluctant they may have been to initially attend, every single client has commented that the workshops helped them tremendously in their job readiness skills.

It is often hard for volunteers to see the fruits of their labor in these programs since they do not see clients apply these skills in real-life situations. That makes it extra special when we get to see the direct benefits of our work. About a week later, Michael called to cancel all future workshop registrations and appointments: he had found a stable high-paying job in the field he specialized in and for a large company! The only appointment he has now is to come in next week and offer a huge thanks.

This kind of a success story is due in large part to the patience, dedication, and caliber of our volunteers, who are executives and professionals in their fields, coming from companies like Google, Wall Street Journal, and CBS.

A big CONGRATULATIONS to Michael and THANKS to all of our volunteers!

Do you want to be a part of our next success story? Contact volunteer@metcouncil.org to get involved!

Be My Volunteer

This year, there is no reason to dread the approach of February 14th. Why? Well, as this post from the Case Foundation Blog highlights, there is much more to this hallmark holiday. Besides celebrating your loved ones with chocolate and roses, share your love with your community!

This coming week, forget the carnations and heart candy. Instead, celebrate love by sharing with you neighbors, the local community, and the city at large. There are plenty of ways to do good- here are just a few of my favorites from Elaine Gast, but with a Met Council touch:

1) Will you be my...volunteer?
Donate your time to one of the many volunteer programs Met Council has to offer. Whether it is cooking and serving up hot, kosher meals at Masbia, calling home-bound seniors, or leading a career services workshop- we've got plenty of opportunities to match you up with!

2) Send love letters
Not just to your sweetheart, but to people and organizations such as UJA Federation or AmeriCorps that are doing things for the world. Tell them why you respect and appreciate their work, and that they really make a difference. If you're feeling extra romantic, include a donation.

3) Reach out to those in need
Deliver homemade cards or kosher treats to one of our many low-income housing sites for seniors or mothers.

4) Clean your closets
Get a head start on spring cleaning and donate items such as: gently used business attire, non-perishable kosher food items, or toiletries. Organizing you own drive is the most effective way for schools or groups to demonstrate they care.

5) Celebrate with Small Acts of Kindness
As it just so happens, Feb 12th to the 18th is the 13th Annual Random Acts of Kindness Week. Buy coffee, lunch, or a toll for the person behind you in line. Tape the exact change for a soda to a vending machine. Visit their site for hundreds of ideas more.

If you are interested in any of our opportunities, contact the volunteer department via volunteer@metcouncil.org or 212-453-9619. Check out our full site for more information and ideas!

New Year You!

This year, we are delighted to introduce a new volunteer program which is essentially a wellness resolution program to help clients set goals, provide classes and guides to help them attain them, as well as monitoring and tracking their progress with checkpoints.

In an effort to collaborate with the students in the Nutrition program at Hunter College, our AmeriCorps Volunteer Coordinator Simone Carvalho created this unique service experience. The students from Hunter Colleges' Nutrition program are also eligible to receive fieldwork experience in addition to volunteering. This service encourages the students to experience the human side of becoming a nutritionist by gaining hands-on experience attending to clients, not only learning just the fundamentals of a healthy diet.

'New Year You' will start as a weekly pilot program for the first three (3) months at our housing sites in Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn. Our existing volunteers that are interested, as well as the Hunter College Nutrition students will monitor, take rate and retention of clients. The weekly workshops will include nutrition lessons, a fitness class, nutrition bingo and a monthly check-in to track the clients progress.

We are looking forward to the launch of this program, in early February. If you would like more information on how you can participate or volunteer in already existing programs contact us via email at volunteer@metcouncil.org or call 212.453.9508..

Innovation in Volunteering Programming: The Networking Workshop

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!

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

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.