Employees of HSBC Bank, Presenting Sponsor of Hands On New York Day, got started at Inwood Hill Park this morning digging irrigation channels and painting the park’s retaining walls to control erosion.

HSBC President and CEO Irene Dorner and NYC Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe, and New York Cares Executive Director Gary Bagley came out to kick the day off. NY1′s Ruschell Boone even stopped by to get the scoop on the work being done today.

We participated in the press conference yesterday announcing national and local plans for this year’s 9/11 Day of Service.  We’re running 2 projects in Harlem in honor of the day – get the details & sign up HERE.

We’d tell you more, but thought Gary and David can say it better than we can write:

• * Gary Bagley talks about the 9/11 Day of Service
• * 9/11 Day of Service founder David Paine gives backstory on the day.

Here are more stories about the initiative:

• * NY 1
• * Associate Press
• * List of other articles

Check out our photos from a recent revitalization project at the NYCHA South Jamaica Houses in Queens.

Mayor Bloomberg and our ED, Gary Bagley, put on their gardening gloves to work alongside 1,000 youth who beautified NYCHA sites and city parks in every borough. Read the rest of this entry »

New York Cares won the top award for Overall Excellence in Management at the 2009 New York Times Company Nonprofit Excellence Awards!

We’re incredibly gratified to earn this prestigious award, and are proud to be in the company of the other finalist nonprofits honored yesterday. Read more in the NY Sun and New York Nonprofit Press.

Thanks to our volunteers, donors, Board, staff, and agencies we work with – your support and hard work make New York Cares what it is, and we share this award with you!

Executive Director Gary Bagley (center) and Board President Gail Harris (right) on stage with Jack Rosenthal of the New York Times Foundation

We’re just back from taping a segment with Maria Bartiromo for the Wall Street Journal Report.  The story highlights the rise in unemployed people who are volunteering.

See it on WNBC4 on Sunday, May 24th at 11:30am (following Meet The Press) and on CNBC at 7:30pm.

Thanks to volunteers David Halloran, Hema Kailasam, and Gina Agiostratidou for contributing to the piece, and to everyone at PS 124 for allowing us to document our project with them on camera.

David Halloran and Gary Bagley.

We’re just back from Mayor Bloomberg’s rally to announce NYC Service, his landmark initiative in support of the President’s call to service.

At the event, Gary Bagley (our ED) announced New York Cares’ commitment to mobilize 50,000 volunteers over the next year in support of the city (the single biggest pledge of support).  Find out more about our 50,000 For New York City campaign.

Here’s the moment, captured via mobile phone:

We just learned that Inside Edition on Fox 5 New York will run a story on Monday about how people transitioning between jobs are volunteering  in large numbers.

Tune in Monday, April 6th, at 11:30am.  And yes, you guessed it – the segment features New York Cares volunteers.

Reuters did a similar piece recently which is now online.  See it HERE.

Our ED Gary Bagley did a great interview and call-in show with Brian Lehrer  of WNYC radio on MLK day (Jan 19th).

We’ve been remiss in posting a link, so we hereby present it for those who may have missed it.

Listen to the interview on WNYC.

Thanks to Mets pitchers John Maine and Mike Pelfrey for helping out with the Coat Drive today.  They donated coats and helped accept coat donations at the NYPD’s 13th Precinct, then came down to the warehouse to join volunteers sorting coats.

John Maine (far left) and Mike Pelfrey (far right) join volunteers at the New York Cares Coat Drive warehouse to sort coats.

Click ‘read the rest of this entry’ to check out the photos! Read the rest of this entry »

In case you missed the news on our home page today, New York Cares’ Board of Directors just announced the appointment of Gary Bagley as our new Executive Director.  If you’re a regular volunteer (or fan of our blog), you may already know Gary – he’s been with New York Cares for the last 4.5 years, as Sr. Director of Programs and more recently as Associate Executive Director.

Board President Gail Harris said, “The entire Board is excited about having Gary as our new Executive Director… Gary is a visionary in the field and we know that New York Cares will thrive under his leadership.”

Read a Q&A with Gary and Gail HERE.

See the official press release.