New York Cares is committed to fostering leadership among our volunteers, and each year we host a Leadership Conference to help our most highly engaged volunteers explore new ways of enhancing the impact of their projects.

Attendees will hear from keynote speaker Diahann Billings-Burford, New York City’s first Chief Service Officer, as well as experts from local organizations on such topics as:

• Volunteer Retention and Recognition
• New York City’s Diminishing Food Supply
• The Changing Face of Unemployment
• Getting to Know New York Cares’ Client Populations
• Making Your Volunteer Experience Work for You

Team Leaders and volunteers who are interested in getting more involved with New York Cares are invited to attend this year’s conference on Saturday, March 27. Contact Takisha.Dozier@newyorkcares.org to find out more.

New York Cares volunteers Laura Tucker and Tonya Ingram will be interviewed about their volunteer experiences on Monday’s CBS Early Show. Their interview is part of a segment on volunteering based on a new poll by Parade Magazine.

According to Parade, ‘compassion counts‘:

… Respondents were almost unanimous in the belief that it is “important to be personally involved in supporting a cause we believe in” in our communities (94%) and in the world at large (91%). More than three out of four (78%) think that the actions of one person can improve the world, and 78% also believe they’re more involved in making a difference than their parents were.

Don’t miss star volunteers Laura and Tonya – tune in to The CBS Early Show on Monday, March 8, at 8:30 a.m. on WCBS.

Last night’s Cirque de Soirée was a smashing success – more than 300 guests attended, raising about $70,000 for our year-round volunteer programs.

The crowd was terrific, and everyone enjoyed the stunning performances, amazing mystery raffle, delicious fare, and charming gifts from Elemis and Heartbreaker Cookies. We were proud to honor the philanthropic efforts of our three honorees – Jenna Arnold, Kevin Liles, and Glen Weiss.

Thanks to everyone who joined us – we couldn’t do what we do without your support.

Alec Baldwin has supported New York Cares for the last four years by participating in our summer ad campaign. The spots run citywide and have helped raise awareness of our work in the community. We’re grateful to Alec for his continuing support.

If you passed us the envelope, you know what we’d say: Alec has our vote as A New Yorker Who Cares.

Alec co-hosts The 82nd Annual Academy Awards Oscars with Steve Martin this Sunday, March 7, at 8:00 p.m. on ABC.

New York City doesn’t usually bring waterfalls to mind, but Seton Falls Park in the Bronx is home to a beautiful creek and waterfall that 100 volunteers will get ready for spring on Hands On New York Day. Check out some photos of the sites we’ve been visiting for the last couple of weeks in preparation.

We’ll be sending adventurous volunteers to the far reaches of Staten Island to clean up land for a new park development (pictured above), and volunteers will be working at community gardens all across the city — from Poppa and Momma Jones Garden in East New York to Jenny’s Garden in Washington Heights — to paint benches and picnic tables, clean away winter debris, weed, mulch, and more.

Sign up now to volunteer on Hands On New York Day and explore parts of the city you’ve never seen. You may find yourself removing invasive and exotic species along the shoreline of the pond in Morningside Park!

Be a part of the first ever Authors and Leaders program at M.S. 354 K in Crown Heights!

This new program will pair volunteers with middle school students to develop leadership and team-building skills and conflict resolution techniques through activities and reflective writing exercises.

Get your Saturdays off to a great start this spring – sign up for Authors and Leaders now, or contact Alaina.Hession@newyorkcares.org for more information.

The final numbers are in: we collected and distributed 70,423 coats through the 21st Annual New York Cares Coat Drive!

We couldn’t do this without the help of hundreds of collection sites. Each year we recognize the individuals and organizations that collect the most coats with our Winter Warmth Awards. The winners for 2009 are:

• New York City Police Department Collection Awards:
  112th Precinct (Queens), 1,296
  50th Precinct (Bronx), 1,260
  111th Precinct (Queens), 1,248

• Top Collection Event Award: New York Football Giants, 2,100 coats

• Top Corporate Collection Award: YMWREA, 1,394 coats

• Top Civic Collection Award: Wildlife Conservation Society – Bronx Zoo and New York Aquarium, 1,034 coats

• Top Retail Collection Award: Janovic Plaza, 473 coats

• Top Youth Group Collection Award: Saint David’s School, 229 coats

This winter, we distributed coats to over 300 agencies — including homeless shelters, community organizations, and schools — that serve our economically disadvantaged neighbors. Thanks to everyone who donated a coat to keep someone warm.

Halfway through the school year, we hosted a happy hour for our Kaplan SAT tutors to thank them for their hard work so far and rally them for the remaining tutoring sessions this semester.

Volunteers, Team Leaders, and contacts from partnering schools and agencies came out to Metro 53 last week to meet each other, talk about their experiences, and exchange tips for keeping students motivated for the spring semester. According to one attendee, the tutors shared “plenty of insight into how to work with the kids, and it was interesting to hear different perspectives. It was also a great chance to network.”

Thanks to everyone who joined us, and we look forward to seeing you at the next SAT event! If you’re interested in getting involved in the Kaplan SAT program, contact kaplan.prep@newyorkcares.org.

Volunteer to give New York City a good spring greening and raise critical funds for New York Cares.

Join 5,000 volunteers to revitalize our city’s parks, gardens, playgrounds, community centers, and other public spaces, making them cleaner, greener, and ready for summer.

Hands On New York Day is an incredible day of service and a critical fundraiser for New York Cares. The money you raise will support 11,000 volunteer projects at New York Cares each year. Learn how you can get involved with this serve-a-thon www.handsonnewyorkday.org.

Support New York Cares and check out Twipple, the kindest feed on Twitter.

Twipple creates ripples of good will with random acts of kindness. In celebration of its first birthday, Twipple has published a book of its best Twipple suggestions. A portion of the sales will support New York Cares.

Check out Twipple and enter the competition to win a free copy of the book for yourself or a loved one.