New York Cares couldn’t have asked for a better group from the inaugural NYC Civic Corps. Since last summer, nine Civic Corps members have help us expand and improve our programs and get new projects off the ground. We would say they will be sorely missed now that their year of service is over – but we’re thrilled that almost all of them will be staying with us as New York Cares Program Managers! So thank you for a fantastic year, and here’s to many more.

Find out more about the NYC Civic Corps program here.

Lots of people were talking about New York Cares this month – check out what they had to say:

• Composer Murray Gold sounds off on MSNBC Giving on his volunteer work with our SAT Prep program, which we’ll start training volunteers for in just a few weeks.
• NY1′s Asa Aarons recommends volunteering with New York Cares as a way of networking during your job search.
• Nonprofit marketing expert Nancy Schwartz guest blogs on VolunteerMatch about how New York Cares approaches volunteer engagement and leadership.
• The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund awarded $300,000 in grants to six New York City organizations, including New York Cares.

It’s finally here – have you found your paintbrushes yet? Register now for New York Cares Day 2010 and join 7,000 volunteers to paint murals and decorate classrooms, organize libraries, and spruce up playgrounds at over 75 New York City public schools!

The work you put in on New York Cares Day is worth well over $1 million in service to the New York City public school system, and its priceless to the kids who get to come back to their brand, shiny new schools in the fall.

New York Cares Day is an amazing day of service and a critical fundraiser for New York Cares. The $20 registration fee is dedicated towards buying supplies for the event and ensuring that New York Cares’ 11,000 other projects keep running throughout the year.

So, don’t forget to register! You can sign up with friends or colleagues as a team or come on your own. We can’t make you come, but we can guarantee you’ll have an awesome, fulfilling time if you do.

What’s better than spending a day in the bright sunshine, volunteering with friends and colleagues? The great feeling of accomplishment when you take a step back and look at what you’ve done, of course!

On two days in July, Barclays Capital tackled major revitalization projects at Fort Greene Park and P.S. 46 Edward C. Blum in Brooklyn and Soundview Park and Pelham Bay Park/Orchard Beach in the Bronx.

Hundreds of Barclays volunteers painted benches and murals, installed fences, and cleaned areas for planting, making a massive difference in the aesthetics of the parks and school. In just a few hours, they did an amazing job of beautifying and protecting the community. Click here to see more photos from the day.

As usual, the employees of New York Cares’ corporate partners have gathered in swarm and made an amazing impression on our community. This time, the international accounting and consulting firm Deloitte teamed up with New York Cares to visit the kindergarten class from St. Benedict’s Day Nursery School.

The volunteers met the young students and took them on a fun trip to the Countee Cullen Library. The kindergartners signed up for their very first library cards, checked out their first books, and participated in what is arguably the most adorable game of Duck Duck Goose ever played.

At the end of the day, the kindergartners were told they were allowed to bring their books home with them. We could practically hear their cheers from our Midtown office! Congratulations to Deloitte for having such a great volunteer service day and bringing some sunshine to the kindergartners from St. Benedict’s!

Thank you to New York Cares volunteer and Hands On Hero, Ricki Stern, for generously inviting some New York Cares staff to get a sneak preview of her hilarious new documentary, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work.  Congratulations to Ricki on the success of her film!

New York City – a city of diverse peoples; a city of never-ending life; a city of bountiful opportunities; a city of…water? Absolutely!

The Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance’s annual City of Water Day is coming up on Saturday, July 24^th. City of Water Day is annual environmental fest with free harbor boat tours, a free children’s fair, free live music, and more. It’s a full day dedicated to celebrating the potential of New York City’s waterfront! Did we mention it’s free?

New York Cares is looking for 100 volunteers to enjoy the festivities and help City of Water Day run smoothly by performing crowd control, greeting, staffing the information booth, distributing tickets for tours, and acting as the public face of the event. There are two shifts available from 8 AM – 1:30 PM and 12:30 PM – 4:30 PM. You can also opt to set up the day before! Sign up here.

There’s a lot of fun to be had at City of Water Day. Don’t miss out!

Last week 30 New York Cares volunteers participated in a foodie treasure hunt with City Harvest’s Food Rescue after the closing of the annual Fancy Foods Trade Show at the Javitt’s Center. Team Leader Tim Gibson shares his experience.

“After three days of showing their wares, 2,500 exhibitors from all over the world were ready to pack up and go home, but volunteers saved their extra products from being trashed. In just a few hours, we collected over 200,000 pounds of food – olive oils, breads, yogurts, meats, fruits, and vegetables – to be passed along to hungry New Yorkers. Many of the vendors gave us everything they had!

It was hot, it was tiring – but it was very well worth doing. New York Cares volunteers showed they can turn their hands to whatever needs to be done to make New York a better place for everyone.”

– Tim Gibson, New York Cares Team Leader, 1400 hours served

New York Cares Day may seem like the distant future, but we’ve been visiting schools all over the city to plan projects – and they definitely need our help on October 23.

One East New York charter school in its inaugural year is currently totally empty, with white walls, empty shelves, and spotless closets. We hope New York Cares Day volunteers come with paintbrushes swinging when its time to turn this bare canvas into a work of art!

At another school, we found four 25-year-old never-used Atari computers in a storage closet. We can’t wait to get in there to clean and organize the space. If you work at a public school that could use a little love and care this fall, apply now to become a New York Cares Day project site.

Volunteer registration opens on July 20, so check back soon for more details!

25 years ago, Discovery Channel made its first broadcast in the United States. In celebration of their 25^th anniversary, Discovery Communications teamed up with New York Cares to find that spark of curiosity and wonder that has driven their company for so long – and to bring that spark into their service to the community.

A massive group of 250 Discovery employees joined us to discover their impact. The volunteers took at-risk children on recreational outings, socialized with animals, served meals to hungry New Yorkers, and revitalized the community. If the looks on these children’s faces are anything to go by, we’d say the day was a success. View more photos here.

Discovery’s “Discover Your Impact” Day extended beyond the city and all across the globe as members of their overseas offices joined in the festivities. We can’t think of a better way to thank the planet for all that it’s given us. Congratulations Discovery!