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.

Now is a great time to get a team together for New York Cares Day.  We still need 2,000 more volunteers to sign-up so we can help every school accepted into this year’s program.

New York Cares Day is Saturday, October 23.

So if you still haven’t registered your team, what are you waiting for? The clock is ticking – go to our official registration page and sign up now.

Preparation for New York Cares Day 2010 is officially underway. Beyond the good it will do for schools on October 23, it’s also an excellent opportunity to gain leadership experience.

We need Site Captains, Team Leaders, and Registration Leaders to be the face of New York Cares out in the field. You don’t need to be an experienced Team Leader, or even attend orientation – we’ll make sure you feel confident in your role.

We also need artists to design amazing murals for volunteers to paint in classrooms, hallways, and playgrounds. Your art will be seen by thousands of community members, and teachers tell us the best part of New York Cares Day is seeing students’ faces when they walk in the door and see how beautiful their school looks.

Whatever your talents, help us make this amazing day of service happen! Learn more about these roles, or contact nycd@newyorkcares.org.

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.

As summer approaches and outdoor distractions abound, NYC students can often use a little extra help making sure they stay focused on their school work and end the year with great grades.

We have several new after school Homework Help programs ready to go in Queens, but our partners at I.S. 5 Q in Elmhurst, Elmcor Youth and Adult Activities in Corona, and St. Michael’s School in Flushing have been waiting months on Team Leaders to launch these projects!

Help us get them off the ground – contact Priscilla.Lam@newyorkcares.org about becoming a Homework Help Team Leader. You can choose to work with students from kindergarten to middle school age, reviewing assignments and providing academic support through the end of the school year.

Thanks to everyone who came out this weekend for the 2010 New York Cares Leadership Conference: Volunteering in a Challenging Economy.

About 200 Team Leaders, Site Captains, Project Partners, New York City Civic Corps members, and volunteers interested in pursuing leadership attended. It was an incredible success and a tribute to the volunteer leaders who help New York Cares make change in New York City.

Executive Director Gary Bagley spoke about how New York Cares has continued its great work during challenging economic times – due in part to the continued commitment from conference attendees – and encouraged current Team Leaders to commit for another year so that we can train new Team Leaders to take on new projects.

Read the rest of this entry »

Looking for a volunteer project to lead just got a lot easier. Yesterday we launched a new search feature for projects that need Team Leaders in order to launch. You can now search for Team Leader Opportunities the same way you search for volunteer projects.

If you’re not yet a Team Leader and are thinking about getting more involved, check out available opportunities and learn more about leading projects. Current Team Leaders can find the search form in the new and improved Team Leader Resources section of our Web site.

When you find a project that you’d like to lead, click on the “I’m interested” link next to it.  Once you have expressed interest, a Program Manager or our Leadership Development Team will respond to you with more information. Search now!

New York Cares is committed to fostering leadership among our volunteers, and each year we host a Leadership Conference to help our most highly engaged volunteers explore new ways of enhancing the impact of their projects.

Attendees will hear from keynote speaker Diahann Billings-Burford, New York City’s first Chief Service Officer, as well as experts from local organizations on such topics as:

• Volunteer Retention and Recognition
• New York City’s Diminishing Food Supply
• The Changing Face of Unemployment
• Getting to Know New York Cares’ Client Populations
• Making Your Volunteer Experience Work for You

Team Leaders and volunteers who are interested in getting more involved with New York Cares are invited to attend this year’s conference on Saturday, March 27. Contact Takisha.Dozier@newyorkcares.org to find out more.

Our volunteers tell us that one of the best things about volunteering with New York Cares is the variety of projects we offer. No matter how you’re looking to improve your community, we’ve got a little something for everyone. If you’re looking for more ways to get involved at New York Cares, you can help us launch dozens of new projects like these by becoming a Team Leader:

• Math Games – Review basic math concepts with elementary school students before or after school.
• Homework Help – Tutor students of all ages at one of several partner agencies in Queens, Brooklyn, or Manhattan.
• Yoga – Teach children basic yoga poses and breathing exercises on a daytime project in the Bronx or Manhattan.
• Food Pantry Distribution – Distribute bagged food to those in need in Washington Heights-Inwood.
• Citizenship Through English – Assist immigrants preparing for the U.S. Citizenship Exam through informal conversation.

Contact Takisha.Dozier@newyorkcares.org if you’re interested in any of these projects. View the full list of projects in need of a Team Leader here.

Each week we post a list of some life-changing New York Cares projects that only need one thing to launch – someone to lead the way. These featured opportunities are in special need of your help:

Exercise Fun with the Seniors of Pelham Fritz Recreation Center
Exercise with seniors trying to stay fit. This Harlem recreation center would like to offer its older adult members an array of classes, including yoga, aerobics, and strength training. The project may run on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Friday evenings or Saturday afternoons once a month or more.

Internet Job Search and/or Résumé Preparation at Queens Library
Assist adults in their online job search, including e-mailing résumés and cover letters and filling out online job applications. This project in Jamaica, Queens, may run on any weekday evening once or twice a month.

If you’re interested in leading one of our featured opportunities, contact Takisha Dozier for more information. Check out our full list of featured Team Leader opportunities.