Please join us for
Met Council's
Young Professional Cocktail Party
December 17th | 7pm-9pm
Bungalow 8 | 515 W. 27th St.
Cover charge: e-mail address only
Open wine & beer bar hors d'oeuvres
dietary laws observed
This event is intended for those in their 20's and 30's
RSVP
Pass this invitation on to your friends
- Volunteering doesn't necessarily mean that you have to actually go someplace to do the volunteering; virtual volunteering is on the rise. Virtual volunteering is as varied in the types of activities and organizations you can work for as non-virtual world volunteering. You can review resumes, scan legal documents for mistakes or translate text all from home (or work
...if your boss isn't looking..but we would never condone such behavior, of course.). Check out the UN's virtual volunteer page.
There are also many volunteer opportunities you can do from your cell phone! Let your municipality know where pot holes are, identify craters on Mars (!! what? someone please do this and tell me what it's all about!), give tax advice or conduct an interview for a radio show!
- Check out Twitter's mashup of actions to take against poverty and hunger. You can subscribe to the feed, or just read it from their website. People have twittered a wide range of actions in both categories. Add your own!
- Are you a social citizen? Find out by taking this quiz from Social Citizens and enter a chance to win a flip video camera, consulting time with a social media expert, a flickr pro account and a $100 apple gift certificate. If you aren't as much a social citizen as you hoped you were, or want to be, they also give you ways to get involved!
Contrary to any rumors you may have heard, Met Council is not stuck in the 20th century. We have taken steps to expand our social media awareness, and do not just exist as a one dimensional website. We're working on getting our CEO, Willie Rapfogel, to write his own blog, and get him on Twitter. We have this blog (yay!) and many of our photos are on SmugMug . We also have our very own YouTube channel full of all seven of Met Council's finest videos. We're also working on getting new video of clients and our staff and other interesting things that we do around town.What do you think? What would you like to see us work on? What kinds of videos would you like to see us develop?
Have you been getting significant glances from cute individuals, has your positive outlook on life sky rocketed, has your Doctor diagnosed that rash as nothing more than amazing self esteem and superior physical health, is the sheer number of people asking for your number just wearing you down? You may be suffering from a bad case of Volunteerism. Two new studies recently released have confirmed that volunteering regularly is good for your health and your love life. Read about them here and here!
The HandsOn Network and Disney have teamed up to promote Family Volunteer Day, held annually on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. It was created to demonstrate the power of families who choose to volunteer together to support the communities in which they live. Volunteering as a family provides quality time for busy families, strengthens communication and bonds and positively impacts local communities across the nation. And it gives you something important to talk about at Thanksgiving dinner! Check out family friendly volunteer events in your neighborhood.Have you, or do you now volunteer with your family? If you used to, do you think it impacted the amount of volunteering you have done later in your life?
- Youth homelessness is a one million person large problem. Most homeless youths have been forced from their homes because of circumstances beyond their control. Some manage to make it through school but others are less fortunate, resorting to begging or prostitution just to survive. Homeless kids have different needs than homeless adults - they haven't even had a chance to live their lives yet. Sign your name here to petition Congress to make ending youth homelessness a priority. This site also has several other ways to take action, such as donating your old phone and a simple text you can send to American Eagle Outfitters who will then donate an item of clothing to homeless youth.
- Do your feet smell? I bet they do. If you buy socks from Sierra Club , they will donate a pair of socks to a homeless shelter.
- What do you do when a panhandler asks you for money? Many of us ignore them, but that isn't really the best strategy; you wouldn't ignore someone in a suit if they asked you a question, why would you ignore someone sitting on the street corner? Nobody likes being ignored, and knowing how to react to homeless panhandlers is important. Also, you may be unsure about where your money is going to go; you don't want to encourage destructive behavior.
- Regardless of your response, you must assess each situation. Always look out for your own safety and avoid confrontation. That being said, here are some alternative responses to requests for money or change:
- Provide information about local organizations serving homeless people. Educate yourself about services offered by your community here. Many organizations provide brochures for people to distribute in response to requests for money.
- Carry coupons for food (such as a sandwich or cup of coffee) or pre-packaged food (granola bar or tuna).
- Even if you're not planning on giving money, food, or information, it's best to politely smile and acknowledge the individual.
Play cards, bake cookies, go for a walk, watch the game, have a chat and make a friend! Let's be honest, sometimes living in such a big city can be lonely, and we all need a friend. Sometime our seniors get lonely and need a friend just like the rest of us.
If you'd be interested in hanging out with one of our seniors, please contact the Volunteer Department at sgreenberg@metcouncil.org or 212.453.9619.
