Meet Iryna Kit, and learn how her experience participating in New York Cares’ SAT prep program changed her life for good and forever. Iryna recently shared her inspiring story at New York Cares’ 6th Annual Breakfast of Community Champions.

Hello. My name is Iryna, and I’m 20 years old.

Today, I’d like to tell you about how two lucky tickets changed the course of my whole life. That’s it. Just two tickets.

The first was my ticket to the United States when I was 13 years old.

I grew up in the Ukraine. Many people in the Ukraine want to emigrate to the U.S. but it is practically impossible. My parents wanted my brother and me to have more choices in life. They had applied at least three times to get visas, but they were always rejected.

Then, five years ago, we found out we had won the coveted visa lottery. We didn’t have a telephone, so we used to borrow the phone of a neighbor across the courtyard. I remember being in bed and hearing this neighbor yell out the window to my mother that we had a phone call from Warsaw. My parents stayed up all night talking, and the next day they told me and my brother that we would be going to America.

We got four tickets to fly from Lviv in the Ukraine to some place called JFK. We arrived on December 28th, 2006 and have been here every since.

That was my first lucky ticket. Read the rest of this entry »

Yesterday, longtime New York Cares supporter and volunteer extraordinaire, Tonya Ingram, accepted a $10,000 donation on behalf of New York Cares during the WNBA’s sixth annual Inspiring Women Luncheon. More than 400 people attended this special luncheon held at Gotham Hall in New York City, which celebrates people who have blazed new paths on the court, in the boardroom and in the community. During the event, Katie Couric, the first solo female evening news anchor and author of “The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lessons from Extraordinary Lives,” was honored with the 2011 WNBA Inspiration Award.

Tonya, a dedicated volunteer and member of the New York Cares family for more than 8 years,  gladly accepted the BBVA Leader of Tomorrow Award for New York Cares, which honors an organization that represents the qualities and characteristics of future leaders in their communities, professions and personal lives.  This year’s award recognized New York Cares for our commitment to the community, support of hands-on service and dedication to teamwork. Read the rest of this entry »

We just learned that longtime New York Cares Team Leader Allan Sih recently passed away.

Allan joined New York Cares in 1999 and quickly became a Team Leader.  He gave 1,155 hours of his time over the years, participating in an amazing 450 projects and leading 261 projects as a Team Leader.  He led new volunteer orientations as a member of our Speakers Bureau since 2003, inspiring thousands of New Yorkers as they joined the New York Cares community.

Allan was a regular at Dog Walking at BARC, Village Temple Meal Service, Meal Prep at God’s Love We Deliver, Reading at PS 150Q, and the Kickoff at the NYC Marathon, among his many projects.   In 2007, Allan received a New York Cares Leadership Award, and earned Presidential Service Awards more years than we can remember.

Allan’s dedication to serving others was an inspiration to all.  He was first to volunteer, last to leave a project, and made an immeasurable impact on our city and its people.  We send our deepest condolences to his friends and family.

Allan was truly a New Yorker who cared and we will miss him. New York Cares has established The Allan Sih Tribute Fund  to celebrate his life and deep commitment to volunteerism. Please click here to contribute.

Need proof that a single individual can make our community a better place? Meet Charity Diaz.

Charity thrives off of the company of those she helps. As the Team Leader for a variety of projects, Charity inspires her volunteers to take a greater interest in the people they are helping.

Charity began volunteering with New York Cares in 2006 because she wanted to improve the standard of living for the New Yorkers she saw living in need around her. But what she got back from her service was even greater – a sense of community and hope.

Read more about why Charity Diaz volunteers here.

Jai Singh has a passion in life, and it’s to help others learn English the best they can.

Jai has been volunteering with New York Cares since 2006, and don’t think he’s stopping anytime soon! With America’s population growing by leaps and bounds, Jai is ready to meet the rising need for English tutors and conversation partners to help immigrants acclimate themselves to their new lives.

Jai does more than just teach English; he is a friend and companion to people who need support the most. Kudos to Jai for opening doors for his fellow New Yorkers! This is one situation where words speak louder than actions.

Read more about why Jai Singh volunteers here.

J.J. Jackson first began volunteering as a way to take her mind off of things. But the distraction soon turned into a passion as she discovered how much she had to offer to fellow New Yorkers.

As a team leader at an immigrant support center, J.J. spends one day each week helping Arab American women prepare for the U.S. citizenship test. And when she’s not practicing English, J.J. is probably busy reading to eager children with special needs.

The experiences she has gathered from volunteering has given her something to smile about – and her help has given others something to smile about too.

Discover J.J.’s other projects here.

For Heather, volunteering is more than something nice to do in her free time – it’s her career.

As a member of the corporate philanthropy team at HSBC Bank, Heather works with New York Cares to mobilize her employees on revitalization projects in public parks throughout the city, including Hands On New York Day, for which HSBC is the presenting sponsor.

Heather started volunteering with New York Cares as a Site Captain in 2003, and she’s continued to work with us ever since, through her company and on her own. Read more about why Heather volunteers.