December 2013 Volunteer of the Month - Ginghamsburg Church Youth Ministry

Congratulations to Ginghamsburg Church Youth Ministry, our Volunteer of the Month for December 2013!

This group of enthusiastic teens from Tipp City, Ohio brought their energy to several of our projects earlier this month during an annual service trip to NYC. They travel regularly to several locations every year to participate in community service projects in the U.S. and abroad.

The teens split into smaller groups between several activities on Thursday, December 5th: canvassing in the Bronx to inform people about public benefits; canvassing in the Rockaways with information about disaster case management; and joining seniors at our residence in Sea Gate, Brooklyn to celebrate Hanukkah with coffee, jelly doughnuts, dreidels, and conversation. All told, they disseminated nearly a thousand fliers and entertained over a dozen clients at our residence for low-income seniors. Each of these communities was impacted by the group's invaluable help.

Thank you all once again for your help and great work!

Helpful Hands - Support Disaster Clients

A year after Sandy, our clients are still rebuilding their lives. For many, grants from FEMA or Build It Back don’t cover all of their continuing needs. Sign up to be contacted about opportunities to assist individuals with tasks like assembling furniture, organizing, packing/moving, helping to find new housing, or accompanying elderly or disabled individuals to important appointments.

Tasks may vary widely, so we need volunteers with all different skills & backgrounds. Ages 18 & up. Contact Alex at ashwarz@metcouncil.org or 212-453-9526 for more info.

A Year After Sandy

On October 29, 2012, residents of Met Council's low-income senior housing in Sea Gate, Brooklyn - just a few blocks from the beach - evacuated their homes as Hurricane Sandy arrived. It was over two months by the time all the residents had returned, and repairs are still ongoing.

Yesterday, volunteers from investorsBank joined our Sea Gate clients to mark the one-year anniversary in a unique way. To celebrate how far they've come in the past year, residents and volunteers threw a lively luau dance party.

Clients, volunteers & staff joined in a lively conga line

The party gave everyone a much-needed dose of positive energy, and clients, staff, and volunteers alike had lots of fun. Our thanks to investorsBank for making this important event possible!

Educate & Exercise With Seniors

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

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!