After Hurricane Sandy made landfall in New York, volunteers came from all over the city – and in some cases the country – to help out. Some people had volunteered with us before, and some were brand new. Craig Novoa is a Brooklyn native who has been volunteering with us for years. He knew he had to get to work when he saw his neighborhood in devastation. Read on for a first-hand account of his experience.

As a Sheepshead Bay resident and long standing New York Cares volunteer, I gathered a group of local residents together on December 16th to Gerritsen Beach to help muck out homes of families who were affected by Hurricane Sandy.

The team worked hard mucking-out and clearing debris from storm damaged homes in the area to aid in the recovery and restoration process.

It was very important for me as a Brooklyn native, to inspire others in the area to give back to their community. I couldn’t have been more impressed by the hard work of my fellow volunteers, and all the work we got done. If you haven’t helped on a Sandy recovery project yet, you definitely should.

By Craig Novoa

Sign up to volunteer at FABfest, a month-long three-block street festival in Fort Greene featuring fashion shows, reggae and gospel concerts, chef demonstrations, activities for kids, dance parties, author readings, community mural painting, and a tribute to Michael Jackson.

FAB Alliance is hosting this free outdoor festival every Sunday in June from noon to 6:00 p.m. on Fulton Street between Lafayette Avenue and South Oxford Street. Headlining artists include Victor LaValle, Urban Word Poets, DJ Reborn, Jahdan Blakkamore, Geka Jones, and Matt Shadetek of Dutty Artz. We hope to see you there!

We’re excited about our new partnership with Blue Star Families New York, a civilian-run nonprofit serving local military families.

Last week families at Fort Drum received these hand-made thank you cards from New York Cares volunteers and students at P.S. 261 in Brooklyn. The project was part of Blue Star’s Operation Appreciation program, and it was such a hit that we’re now planning more “NYC Hearts Fort Drum” projects!

View more photos on Facebook.

NY1′s coverage of New York Cares Day in Brooklyn this morning is now online. Watch it here.

Look out for NY1′s interview with Site Captain Sue Craine in Staten Island also. Volunteers came from as far away as Tulsa, OK, to paint murals and plant bulbs at I.S. 49 SI.

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and Brooklyn Councilwoman Letisha James came to P.S. 67 in Brooklyn to thank our volunteers and deliver a proclamation honoring New York Cares Day. To thank Marty for stopping by, our mural artist, Melissa Jacobson, added his pet parrot, Beep, to the jungle themed cafeteria.

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Volunteers from the CementBloc team began their day of touching up murals in the hallways of H.S. 445 K – New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn.

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Don’t miss Fierce and Sweet, the 1st Annual Brooklyn Bake Off to Benefit New York Cares.

When: Sunday, October 11, from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Where: East River Bar (97 S. 6th Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn)
What: 20 bakers will feed a crowd of hungry guests and an esteemed panel of celebrity judges at one raucous, delicious, unforgettable party.

The judges and YOU will select winners in five different categories, including “Most Surprising Ingredient” and “Sexiest Baker.” 100% of the $20 ticket proceeds will benefit New York Cares. Tickets are going fast – buy yours today!

Volunteers are almost finished painting this tree mural at the Bedford Stuyvesant Family Center in Brooklyn.

Before

Sketching

Getting Started

Making Progress

Almost Done!

At New Vision Garden in Brooklyn, volunteers are painting, rebuilding picnic tables, weeding, and painting to get it ready for the warm summer months ahead!

It’s a beautiful day at Prospect Park!  Volunteers are busy edging the sidewalks and more at this Brooklyn park.

Supplies for the day

Volunteers readying supplies

Cleaning up the sidewalks

Edging the sidewalks