There are a myriad of issues facing our city. You’ve seen the headlines and watched the news stories. Some issues and stories seem to keep coming back – budget cuts in our schools, community centers closing, lack of manpower for the disaster recovery. You can help change the story. Here are 5 news items addressing issues facing our city, and how you can fix them.

1. Children with special needs lack programs.

Public schools operate with smaller and smaller budgets every year, leaving students with special needs especially vulnerable. Less funding is available to give them the special care they need. Our Community Partners bridge the gap by providing sports programs, math and craft activites, and other specialized programs to children in our city with disabilities. Sign up to give these children the extra attention they need.

2. Affordable English classes for immigrants dwindling.

To pass the citizens test and make life in America easier for immigrants, learning English is vital. Unfortunately, due to the economic downturn and budget cuts, finding free or affordable places offering English classes is increasingly difficult. But our adult education classes bring English to more New Yorkers. You can help prepare immigrants for the U.S. Citizenship exam or simply give someone practice time with their English by having a conversation.

3. Parks Department faces budget cuts.

Our city’s parks and gardens are a crucial part of city life. A lot of work and maintenance goes into these spaces and the Parks Department simply can’t get to it all themselves. That’s where you come in. Revitalize parks all over the city on an environmental project.

4. Facilities still closed after Hurricane Sandy.

More than 2 months after Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast, many vital resources still haven’t reopened. Help is still needed every day, so aid residents, organizations, and Community Partners by signing up for a Sandy relief project today.

5. Jobless claims on the rise.

The economy has been a rollercoast ride for the past 4 years, and unemployment numbers remain high. Many adults are looking for work. Your job search skills and resume tips can be a big help. You may even be able to put a dent in those jobless numbers by signing up for a resume prep project. Help someone get back into the work force this month.

If you see something, do something. Sign up today.

By Susan Torres

Here’s a great example of small changes making a big difference!

Since May, a group of New York Cares volunteers have been visiting F·E·G·S Health and Human Services System once a month to rejuvenate and refresh the service center. Our volunteers have worked to create a green garden from scratch.

However, this garden does more than just beautify the area. New York Cares is expanding to work with the F·E·G·S residents in a horticultural therapy program, where volunteers act as mentors to the residents and learn new gardening skills. Check it out:

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.

Volunteers have been working since January to brighten up I.S. 119 in Glendale, Queens, by painting murals centering around diversity, patriotism, and school spirit.

The murals were completed this weekend after several Saturdays of hard work and many pieces of pizza. Principal Fagan thinks the murals are “absolutely beautiful,” and we do too. Thanks to everyone who pitched in! Check out more photos on Facebook.

Give New York City a good spring greening on Hands On New York Day: Saturday, April 24.

On our annual spring day of service, you’ll join friends, family, or coworkers to revitalize New York City parks, gardens, and public spaces and fundraise for New York Cares’ year-round programs. This event is generously sponsored by HSBC Bank.

Check back soon for more information – registration begins February 17. Find out more.

You don’t have to be an expert to paint a beautiful mural at a playground or put a fresh coat of paint in a classroom on New York Cares Day.

Your Site Captain and Team Leader will be there to give painting pointers on the day, but you too will be a near-expert by the time you’re done watching our new “how-to” video series.

Watch the first video now to learn what NOT to wear on New York Cares Day. Come back for more videos with tips on prepping supplies, painting different surfaces, and cleaning up after a long day of painting.

New York Cares can do a lot of things with $100 — we can serve 1,800 meals to the hungry and homebound, or we can provide a low-income student with one-on-one tutoring for an entire year.

We’re asking all volunteers for New York Cares Day to raise at least $100, which would give us $800,000 to put back into the community. But can you imagine how many New Yorkers we could reach if all New York Cares volunteers raised $100?

Read the rest of this entry »

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 »

For their last project of the school year, the children and volunteers at P.S. 297 K took a break from their usual Sports Explorers program to revitalize one of their local community gardens. The kids had a blast beautifying Patrick J. Van Doren Pocket Park, especially painting new signs for the garden.

Can you think of more fun crossover projects like this that we could try? Post your suggestions here as a comment.

A new volunteer blogged about his recent experience revitalizing a Harlem community garden. He learned, like all New York Cares volunteers do, that a few people can really make a difference.

Read what he had to say.