This semester we launched a new program to help disadvantaged high school students succeed. Sophomore Skills is designed to prepare students for our longstanding Kaplan SAT Prep program, which provides SAT tutoring for 800 students each year.

Students in Sophomore Skills work with volunteers to get up to speed on basic math and English skills so their time spent with our SAT tutors in their junior year is even more successful.

Learn more and sign up for a Sophomore Skills project today!

Our volunteers tell us that one of the best things about volunteering with New York Cares is the variety of projects we offer. No matter how you’re looking to improve your community, we’ve got a little something for everyone. If you’re looking for more ways to get involved at New York Cares, you can help us launch dozens of new projects like these by becoming a Team Leader:

• Math Games – Review basic math concepts with elementary school students before or after school.
• Homework Help – Tutor students of all ages at one of several partner agencies in Queens, Brooklyn, or Manhattan.
• Yoga – Teach children basic yoga poses and breathing exercises on a daytime project in the Bronx or Manhattan.
• Food Pantry Distribution – Distribute bagged food to those in need in Washington Heights-Inwood.
• Citizenship Through English – Assist immigrants preparing for the U.S. Citizenship Exam through informal conversation.

Contact Takisha.Dozier@newyorkcares.org if you’re interested in any of these projects. View the full list of projects in need of a Team Leader here.

Do you have unused clothing that you’ve been meaning to give away? This Saturday, February 6, a group of volunteers will be going door-to-door in Manhattan and Brooklyn to pick up your clothing donations as a part of the NYClothingDrive.

All you need to do to schedule a pick-up is visit www.NYClothingDrive.org and make a donation. All financial proceeds will benefit New York Cares.

Give New York City a good spring greening on Hands On New York Day: Saturday, April 24.

On our annual spring day of service, you’ll join friends, family, or coworkers to revitalize New York City parks, gardens, and public spaces and fundraise for New York Cares’ year-round programs. This event is generously sponsored by HSBC Bank.

Check back soon for more information – registration begins February 17. Find out more.

Want to help Haiti? Volunteer on one of these projects:

Jan. 30: Volunteers will provide support for Dwa Fanm (meaning “Women’s Rights” in Haitian Creole) as they assist New York’s Haitian population with finding the status of their loved ones in Haiti. Help with data entry, sorting donated goods, and other tasks as they arise.

Feb. 1 through Feb. 5: Volunteer at the child’s play area at the New York Haitian Family Resource Center to play games, read, and have fun with children while their parents access services at the Center.

Read more and sign up.

ABC News reports that volunteering rates are up, but that’s no surprise to us!

ABC cites a report released Tuesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which counted 63.4 million people who volunteered their time across the U.S. in 2009 — about 1 in 4 Americans. Most of these volunteers were working part-time, showing that the economy impacted their decision to give back.

The study is on par with our own findings. In 2009 we experienced a 26% increase in volunteers eager to help, 31% of whom experienced a recent change in their employment status. Our leaders’ calls to service also made a significant impact in mobilizing New Yorkers. Thanks to our partnership with the NYC Civic Corps, we’ve been able to grow our programs by 25% to meet the need.

Keep it going, volunteers!

Join New York Cares and 300 fellow New Yorkers at Cirque de Soirée, our annual spring benefit, on Thursday, March 4, at Providence.

Enjoy music by DJ M.O.S., try your luck in a mystery raffle, and bid on exclusive prizes in a silent auction – including an 11-night Royal Caribbean cruise, travel on JetBlue Airways, and luxury goods from Marc Jacobs and Prada – while enjoying cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and thrilling live performances.

We’ll also be honoring two supporters who exemplify the New York Cares spirit of service: Jenna Arnold of Press Play Productions and Glen Weiss of Vornado Realty Trust.

Tickets for this event have sold out for the past three years. Don’t miss your chance – buy your tickets now!

We kicked off a new partnership with the Office of Recycling Outreach and Education this weekend. On Saturday, 10 New York Cares volunteers braved the cold to hand out recycling information and free sort and store bags to low-income residents in the Bronx.

The project was a big success, and we’re planning many more volunteer opportunities with OROE to make New York City a greener, cleaner place to live. Contact Catherine.Kost@newyorkcares.org to get involved.

In just three weeks since the end of the New York Cares Coat Drive, we’ve already given out over 45,000 coats to agencies serving our city’s most vulnerable residents!

New York Cares would like to thank our friends at Original Windbreaker for their donation of a whopping 4,600 Big & Tall Men’s coats. The need for coats this winter is greater than ever, and Windbreaker made every effort to help us meet that need.

Thanks to Windbreaker’s contribution and the donations of thousands of generous New Yorkers, we are well on our way to keeping 80,000 of our city’s struggling residents warm this year.

We’re partnering with the NYC Department of Transportation to liven up jersey barriers on NYC streets this spring.

The NYCDOT Urban Art Program is looking for artists to submit colorful mural designs to turn these ordinary traffic dividers into creative street art installations, which will be painted by Hands On New York Day 2010 volunteers.

Submit your design by March 1, and you could have your work seen by millions of New Yorkers!