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!

If you’re asked to donate money to New York Cares in a train station or on the street, please don’t do it. If someone approaches you, please let us know by contacting info@newyorkcares.org.

While we rely on donations from caring New Yorkers to do our work, we do not ask youth or other street teams to solicit donations on our behalf. Make a secure online donation to New York Cares instead.

We can’t believe it’s already our fifth year planning the annual L’Oréal USA Volunteer Day! Yesterday New York Cares had the honor of hosting 18 different projects for the enthusiastic bunch of over 500 L’Oreal volunteers.

The volunteers and New York Cares staff did everything from visiting nursing homes to walking dogs to revitalizing community gardens. We made an impact all across the city, and it was a blast for everyone involved.

On our visit to Kateri Residence, the seniors took a moment to profoundly thank those who had taken time to visit them and take them for outings. For some of the residents, it was the first time they had gone outside in months. It’s days like this where we can clearly see how deep our impact is (and can be) on the community, and it only took a few hours!

Here’s to L’Oréal and their wonderful employees for their contributions! Click here to see more great photos from our various projects!

Attention all hardworking, dedicated volunteers: kick back this summer and experience the great game of golf!

New York Cares is a charity partner with The Barclays golf tournament this summer, which will be August 24 – 29 at the Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, NJ. Tickets start at $50, and New York Cares will receive 75% of ticket sales when you use the code TBNNWQ!

Buy your tickets now to attend the golf tournament and support New York Cares. Who knows? You might find that golf is your new favorite sport. See you on the green!

This week we decided to put our summer interns to the test: can they decipher cryptic clues about New York City’s best landmarks while learning about New York Cares’ impact around the city? The answer is: yes!

The six interns kicked off their scavenger hunt at our office, where they received their first clue and headed off to Bank of America, one of New York Cares’ biggest corporate sponsors and the greenest building in New York City.

The interns scavenged and hunted their way through New York Cares project sites – like one of our favorite New York Cares Day murals at P.S. 140 – and city landmarks like Grand Central Terminal and the New York Stock Exchange before finally ending at the American symbol of freedom, justice, and liberty – that’s right, the Statue of Liberty.

All in all, the interns had a blast, and we had fun sending them all over the city. Here’s to a great summer with a very dedicated (and quirky) bunch!

It’s hard to turn down beautiful jewelry. It’s even harder when the jewelry is both affordable and benefits a great cause.

That’s right; it’s a.v max’s annual sample sale benefiting New York Cares and New York to New Orleans. Although listed for sale for $50-$200, this June you have the opportunity to stock up on semi-precious a.v.max jewelry for only $5-$25! This is the chance to update your summer wardrobe with jewelry at drastically reduced prices. These gems have been featured in great fashion magazines such as Elle, InStyle, and Lucky.

Stop by a.v max anytime on Thursday, June 17, from 12:00 – 7:00 p.m. at 60 West 38th Street, 4th floor.

Have you been meaning to get that new book for weeks? Is your friend still bugging you about buying that DVD?

Well, next week at the Barnes & Noble Bookfair to benefit New York Cares, you can indulge yourself with some fresh reading material and help struggling New Yorkers at the same time!

From June 15-20, a percentage of any purchases made at the Lincoln Triangle Barnes & Noble store (1972 Broadway at 66th Street) or at www.bn.com/bookfairs will be donated to New York Cares. Be sure to mention the following code to your cashier or enter it online: 10204048.

This is a great opportunity to feed both your mind and hungry New Yorkers. Don’t miss out!

Our Bedtime Stories project at Inwood Library provides free childcare to adult students attending ESOL classes there, but budget cuts in the library system threaten to end these great offerings.

Yet another reason why our English projects are so crucial to bridge the gap.

The 2010 National Conference on Volunteering and Service is coming up on June 28-30 in New York City, and we’re planning a week of volunteer opportunities for anyone who wants to revitalize the city.

We’ll be building garden beds, restoring picnic tables and pavilions, planting flowers, weeding, and pruning at six community spaces in Brooklyn and Manhattan on the weekend of June 26 – 27. Sign up now to volunteer, and check out some “before” photos of Euclid Garden, where we’ll be transforming an empty lot into a new garden space.