New York Cares
Encyclopedia
New York Cares was founded by a group of friends in 1987 who wanted to take action against social issues
in New York City
. Today, the organization engages 43,000 volunteers in service each year, helping 450,000 New Yorkers in need. The organization is not a volunteer matching service: Its staff works with 990 community agencies (called Project Partners) to diagnose their needs for volunteers. It plans and manages 1,000 volunteer projects each month. Each project is led by a highly-trained and dedicated volunteer Team Leader.
New York Cares' mission is to meet pressing community needs by mobilizing caring New Yorkers in volunteer service. It is now the largest local volunteer organization in New York City. The Hands On Network (originally called 'City Cares') and its affiliate organizations in the United States and around the world are modeled on New York Cares' flexible approach to volunteering.
New York Cares' volunteer projects include children's literacy
, education
, and recreation
; adult education
; seniors; health and wellness; revitalizing public parks and schools; preparing meals for the homebound and homeless; walking shelter dogs
; distributing coats and holiday gifts to those who would otherwise go without and more. New York Cares is also a member of the Points of Light Foundation. The New York City Mayor's Volunteer Center lists New York Cares as one of its primary partners.
Signature Programs
The New York Cares Coat Drive is one of the largest coat drives in the US and is known for its iconic 'Shivering Statue of Liberty' logo. It has collected and distributed over 1.2 million coat
s to people in need since 1989.
New York Cares Day is the organization's largest volunteer day, mobilizing 8,000 volunteers to over 100 NYC public schools. The event is a 'serve-a-thon', in which volunteers raise money in honor of their work they do (like a traditional walk-a-thon). The event takes place on the third Saturday in October each year.
Hands On New York Day is New York Cares' spring volunteer day. Each year it mobilizes over 5,000 volunteers to revitalize over 80 parks, gardens and community spaces around New York City.
Winter Wishes for Kids and Families provides holiday gifts to over 32,000 disadvantaged people each year who might otherwise receive little or nothing for the holidays. Kids, teens, and families write letters to New York Cares, which then gives the letters to individuals who buy gifts for those who requested them. Unlike many 'Secret Santa
' programs, gifts are distributed through other non-profit organization
s to protect individuals' privacy.
Social issues
Social issues are controversial issues which relate to people's personal lives and interactions. Social issues are distinguished from economic issues...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Today, the organization engages 43,000 volunteers in service each year, helping 450,000 New Yorkers in need. The organization is not a volunteer matching service: Its staff works with 990 community agencies (called Project Partners) to diagnose their needs for volunteers. It plans and manages 1,000 volunteer projects each month. Each project is led by a highly-trained and dedicated volunteer Team Leader.
New York Cares' mission is to meet pressing community needs by mobilizing caring New Yorkers in volunteer service. It is now the largest local volunteer organization in New York City. The Hands On Network (originally called 'City Cares') and its affiliate organizations in the United States and around the world are modeled on New York Cares' flexible approach to volunteering.
New York Cares' volunteer projects include children's literacy
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
, education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, and recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
; adult education
Adult education
Adult education is the practice of teaching and educating adults. Adult education takes place in the workplace, through 'extension' school or 'school of continuing education' . Other learning places include folk high schools, community colleges, and lifelong learning centers...
; seniors; health and wellness; revitalizing public parks and schools; preparing meals for the homebound and homeless; walking shelter dogs
Animal shelter
An animal shelter is a facility that houses homeless, lost, or abandoned animals; primarily a large variety of dogs and cats.Parrots, for example, are the third most common pet owned by people...
; distributing coats and holiday gifts to those who would otherwise go without and more. New York Cares is also a member of the Points of Light Foundation. The New York City Mayor's Volunteer Center lists New York Cares as one of its primary partners.
Signature Programs
The New York Cares Coat Drive is one of the largest coat drives in the US and is known for its iconic 'Shivering Statue of Liberty' logo. It has collected and distributed over 1.2 million coat
Coat (clothing)
A coat is a long garment worn by both men and women, for warmth or fashion. Coats typically have long sleeves and are open down the front, closing by means of buttons, zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners, toggles, a belt, or a combination of some of these...
s to people in need since 1989.
New York Cares Day is the organization's largest volunteer day, mobilizing 8,000 volunteers to over 100 NYC public schools. The event is a 'serve-a-thon', in which volunteers raise money in honor of their work they do (like a traditional walk-a-thon). The event takes place on the third Saturday in October each year.
Hands On New York Day is New York Cares' spring volunteer day. Each year it mobilizes over 5,000 volunteers to revitalize over 80 parks, gardens and community spaces around New York City.
Winter Wishes for Kids and Families provides holiday gifts to over 32,000 disadvantaged people each year who might otherwise receive little or nothing for the holidays. Kids, teens, and families write letters to New York Cares, which then gives the letters to individuals who buy gifts for those who requested them. Unlike many 'Secret Santa
Secret Santa
Secret Santa is a Western Christmas tradition, in which members of a group or community are randomly assigned a person to whom they anonymously give a gift. Often practiced in workplaces, or amongst large families, participation in it is usually voluntary...
' programs, gifts are distributed through other non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
s to protect individuals' privacy.