Give & Get Open Forum

I usually keep my posts relatively on topic, sharing volunteer stories and whatnot, but I felt compelled to share some song lyrics from the latest Dave Matthews Band album, Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King. I was at their second show last week at Jones Beach, and hearing the song ‘Dive In’ live, at an open-air ampitheatre that sits in on the water, drove the lyrics home and so, I’m sharing them with you now. There’s never one explanation for a song, so you take what you want from it; for me, I see it as incredibly ironic, touching on people’s sense of naivety. All of these things are going on in the world- hunger, global warming- and a lot of people are existing peacefully under the assumption that someone else addressing these issues, so they don’t have to worry. The future will work itself out. Enjoy the endless summer and rising waters, everything is being taken care of by those qualified to take care of it all… I like to think that part of this website is addressing the fact that people should help where they can, if they want to see a change in the world around them. Or at the very least, acknowledge that the world isn’t perfect, and certain things that need repair can’t be fixed solely by the government and its money…and in some cases, the damage done is irreparable. 

If you haven’t picked up the album yet, you should. It’s one of their best studio albums (in my opinion)… You can listen to the song ‘Dive In’ here on YouTube.

I saw a man on the side of the road 
with a sign that read ‘will work for food’ 
Tried to look busy, ’til the light turned green 

Wake up sleepy head 
I think the suns a little brighter today 
Smile and watch the icicles melt away and see the water rising… 
Summers here to stay, and those sweet summer girls will dance forever 
Go down to the shore, kick off your shoes, dive in the empty ocean.

So sometimes at my office, we order lunch as a group and everyone eats together, and as a thank you for working hard and making money, the company foots the bill. It becomes very apparent when the food arrives that no one held back when ordering, and the amount of food is significantly more abundant than it would have been had everyone been asked to pay for themselves. “Get an extra pizza, just in case” “Let’s get a couple orders of fries, you know, just for the table” “Eggrolls for everyone! We’re rich!” The result is a ridiculous amount of leftovers that eventually get thrown out.

The problem, is that I hate seeing perfectly good food go to waste. On previous occasions, I would combat this problem by eating myself into a food coma; unfortunately, putting your head down on your desk and napping for an hour isn’t as acceptable as it used to be in say, 2nd grade.

My next attempt to save waste was taking leftovers home and eating them for dinner with my boyfriend. There were many problems with this, however. First and most important, is that I ride a bike to and from work. Dangerous as it is riding in NYC, the danger increased ten-fold when I hung bags of pad thai and spring rolls from my handlebars and attempted to navigate through midtown. Also, everyone thought I was crazy. I became the office garbage disposal; I once came back from the restroom to find a half-eaten sandwich on my desk with a note: ‘I thought you might want this -xo’. No, I don’t want your soggy chips and pickles. Mission aborted.

Then I realized one day this past winter, while walking to the subway (I’m not THAT committed of a biker to ride in the cold) that each day, I pass at least one person begging for food and money. It’s a sad reality of living in NYC.  So the next time everyone ordered lunch, I brought one meal with me for my walk home and not surprisingly, there was someone in the subway entrance asking for money. I asked him if he was hungry, and when he said yes, I asked if he liked chinese food. He laughed and said yes, so I gave him my General Tso’s Chicken with an egg roll on the side. After that day, I began packing bags of food each time we had leftovers, and handed them out on my way home. Between where I work and home, Herald Square and the 1/2/3 Stop at 72nd Street, I can usually unload 2 or 3 meals. If I can’t find anyone I wind up bringing it home, but I usually have no trouble finding someone hungry.

I’m not sure if this is okay-I know that it would be better to point these people in the direction of a shelter or somewhere to get a hot, free meal. And I have. Is it rude to give someone your leftovers? I don’t think so. They’re hungry. I have food. Seems okay to me. It’s not like I’m having dinner parties with friends and feeding them my co-worker’s scraps.

So maybe you want to try this yourself; here are some tips I can offer based solely on my own experiences:

-Put everything in a bag. I once gave a man an apple and bottle of water while he was begging for change; he thanked me and asked if I had a bag he could put it in-he couldn’t hold his change cup and the apple/water at the same time. It’s not like they can put it in the fridge for later, you know? Bag it.

-Don’t go on a 2am crusade through the park by yourself; be safe and smart about who you’re approaching and where. It may be a good idea to avoid the guy wearing wireless headphones who swears to himself and warns anyone within earshot about the impending doom of the Apocalypse.

-If you can, include a fork, knife, and some napkins. Just because they’re hungry doesn’t mean they don’t deserve to eat like a civilized human being.

- Giving them the original containers is best, as I’ve seen homeless people use tupperware and other recycled containers to gather water or other things that they can then save for later.

-Don’t just throw food at someone-ask first. Also, I tend to only approach people with signs or other things that clearly indicate they are in need; it’s probably pretty embarrassing to approach someone who turns out to just be tying their shoe on the ground.

-There are organizations who travel the city handing out food every day, like the Coalition for the Homeless, or the Bowery Mission. If you’re not comfortable doing this solo, get hooked up with one of these agencies and join their fleet.

Have you done this before? If so, what happened? Please feel free to post any questions or comments.

With the ink still wet on the dotted line of the Serve America Act, President Obama just announced a new summer service initiative: United We Serve. The program is a summer-long call to action for people young and old across the country. In his video remarks,which can be viewed below, the President explains that the government can invest in and create programs for economic recovery, but it is volunteers who will inevitably sustain these programs in the long run. President Obama went on to say that the initiative will focus on five key areas: Healthcare, Energy Independence, Education, and Community & Economic Renewal.

Kicking off on June 22nd and ending on September 11th, the National Day of Service, the ‘United We Serve’ summer service initiative will help to encourage and foster new volunteers by providing opportunities on the Serve.gov website. Here, you can register your own organization so that other people can volunteer to help you, or record a volunteer project idea you may have. The website has everything you need to get started. President Obama ended his remarks with these powerful words: “Because America’s new foundation will be built one community at a time — and it starts with you.”

Click here to read the full transcript and learn more about Serve.gov

This past week, Mayor Bloomberg announced the appointment of Diahann Billings-Burford  as New York’s first Chief Service Officer. She will lead NYC Service, the city’s program focused on promoting volunteerism, which includes nearly 40 initiatives to be implemented and overseen by Billings-Burford. “The goal of NYC Service is to let loose an army of volunteers who will help tackle our biggest challenges — which have only become more pressing during this national recession,” the mayor said. This is all a part of Mayor Bloomberg’s (and his administration’s) master plan to make New York City the easiest place in the country to volunteer. 

To read more about the new Chief Service Officer, check out the link below to Amy Potthast’s article from The New Service: 

“Mayor Bloomberg Appoints a City Year Staffer as NYC’s First Chief Service Officer” - Amy Potthast of Idealist.org

Or, read the full mayoral press release by clicking here

Update 6-10-10: If you would like to make a donation to the RJS Foundation, you may do so by writing a check out to the Ralph J. Sansone Foundation and sending to 5816 13th Avenue, Brooklyn NY, 11219.

The RJS Foundation was formed 23 years ago in memory of Ralph Sansone, who died tragically in a plane crash at an early age. To honor his life, my aunt and uncle, Mary and Zack Sansone, decided to do something meaningful for the children of their community, who might follow the path of life that Ralph was on: he was a successful lawyer and labor arbitrator, husband and father, and community activist. They began to collect money and set up a $500 scholarship at Ralph’s alma mater, Bishop Ford High School. The Foundation grew with each passing year and since its inception, has given out over $200,000 in scholarship money. Five years ago, they began an endowment scholarship program which awards one student each year with a partial scholarship to Brooklyn Law School, where Ralph received his law degree.

So, long before I started volunteering in New York City, I began my involvement with the Ralph J. Sansone Foundation. This organization is one of a few (others include CIAO and C.U.R.E) that are the creation of my aunt, Mary Sansone, who is largely responsible for the exposure I’ve had throughout my life to the world of non-profit work and community service, and consequently, the passion I have for such things. (But that’s a post for another day.) What began as my attending honoree dinners and luncheons with my mom, has in recent years evolved into my playing a more integral part in these organizations.

Another scholarship program they have is the annual Art Show, which started six years ago. For the past two years I have had the pleasure of being one of four judges for this contest. It is open to high school students across the boroughs; the winners are given monetary awards (first place gets $500, second place $250, third place $150, and four honorable mentions get $50). Also, the art department of first place winner receives $250. The level of work submitted is always impressive, and sometimes downright unbelievable. If these kids didn’t come back to get their work, I would gladly take their paintings and hang them in my own apartment.  I posted some pictures below so you can see the level of work the kids of New York City are capable of. All of the judges, including myself, are employed in the field of graphic design or art education. Deciding who wins is not easy, and heated discussions were had regarding the quality, composition, and technique of the entries. Their work will be on display for the next month or so at the CIAO office in Borough Park, Brooklyn. For more information on when and where you can see these paintings and many others, email me : info@giveandgetnyc.com

Click pictures to enlarge

I’ve added a drop-down tab on the left side to help make the blog posts a little more navigable. Interested in reading only about community improvement activities? Or maybe you just want to know about walking dogs… Whatever it is you want to read about, now it’s easier to find. Just click on ‘Select Category’ under the  ’Types of Projects’ heading to find what you’re looking for. 

Have other suggestions? Email me : info@giveandgetnyc.com 

Recently, while I was mindlessly searching the web for volunteering events and such, I discovered Volunteer Nation. According to their website, “Volunteer Nation is a new video series that celebrates the passion of extraordinary Americans who take action through service, volunteerism, and civic engagement.” This series will get up close and personal with volunteers from all over the country, and share their stories. I’m not sure when the first episode will come, but I’m looking forward to watching.

Click here to watch the Season One Trailer!

Not that I don’t enjoy reality shows like ‘For the Love of Ray J‘ or ‘Tough Love’. Because really, I do. Probably too much. But I’d much rather watch the REAL reality of Volunteer Nation and see how other people are affecting the world around them in a positive way, than watch Steve Ward dole out tough love to 8 desperate women via a game of touch football. 

Volunteers are indispensable. They help certain organizations function on a day-to-day basis, do the work that may otherwise go undone, and in some cases, they ARE the organization. Our time is invaluable…. or is it?

A recent study done by the Independent Sector estimates the monetary worth of the average volunteer hour. In 2008, this dollar value was $20.25 per hour!  And that’s the national average; New York volunteer hours are estimated to be $28.04 (this is 2007, as the state-by-state breakdown is a bit more involved). 

So next time you head out to volunteer, think about the difference you’re making and how valuable your time really is..