Give & Get Open Forum

I’m just going to throw it out there: I hate baseball. I don’t enjoy watching it. I don’t mind playing, but really, I only like to hit the ball. No fielding for me. Boooorrring. So when I caught wind of a recent wager made between the mayors of this year’s World Series teams -Mayor Bloomberg for the New York Yankees and Mayor Michael A. Nutter for the Philadelphia Phillies- I let out a big sigh. Torn between my love for volunteerism and my hatred of the sport, I had to decide: do I write about it, or do I remain happily ignorant of all things baseball. Obviously, I chose the former….

According to a press release from the Mayor’s office, “the losing mayor will travel to the winning city to join the winning mayor in a volunteer service project, while wearing a jersey from the winning team.  In addition, the losing Mayor will cater lunch from a local establishment for the volunteers working with the winning Mayor. Win or lose, Mayor Bloomberg will be joining Publicolor to work with students painting open spaces at I.S. 131, the Albert Einstein School in the Bronx, and Mayor Nutter will be joining the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program to paint a mural on the side of a Philadelphia recreation center.” In addition, Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig announced that the entire Series has been dedicated to community service as a part of the MLB’s “Going Beyond” initiative, which supports programs for veterans, cancer research and youth development.

Publicolor, a partner of the Mayor’s NYC Service initiative, is a nonprofit organization that engages disaffected youth and encourages them to work together to improve their learning environments by adding color to the drab hallways and classrooms that often exist in NY public schools. The hope is that this will not only keep them off the streets and out of trouble, but the program will also teach them a marketable skill that they can use to increase their chances of a better future. They have a slew of workshops and programs for the teens involved, as well as various volunteer activities, which you can read about by clicking here.

I think this is great, that both Mayors are choosing to bet their time rather than eating cheesesteaks and cheesecakes together. Enriching the lives of children instead of feasting rich and cheesy treats (more for me). Following a week of prime-time TV volunteerism through iParticipate, this wager should continue to push the call for a national service movement full steam ahead; afterall, I may hate baseball but I’m well aware that I’m not in the majority for that. Lots of people are watching this series- at least 1,000. Maybe more, right?

For me, it adds a few inches of depth to an otherwise flat-lined sport.

So, I guess baseball isn’t all bad. For now…

For the full press release, click here.

Yesterday, along with some friends and coworkers, I participated in New York Cares Day. It was a huge success: $235,000 was raised for New York Cares year-long programs, and 117 schools in NYC were given revitalizing makeovers. 8,000 volunteers painted bookcases, murals, fences and walls, organized libraries and classrooms. Our team was assigned to PS 11 K, the Purvis J. Behan Elementary School in Brooklyn, and our job for the day was to paint as many bookcases and shelves as we could. Following a list of classrooms that were registered for the day, we took to the halls with red, blue, purple, yellow and green paints, brushes in hand. For each room, we had to take out anything that was in the bookcases, lay down some butcher paper to protect the floors, and then decide how we wanted to paint each one: stripes? handprints? I like to think we did a pretty good job. We and everyone else wanted to add as much color and fun as we could. At the end of the day, we returned to each classroom we had dismantled, put everything back the way we found it, and admired our handy work.

Other teams at PS 11 K were painting murals that had been drawn out on walls and doors. Some were painting fences outside a bright yellow. The library also got a much needed re-organization. On Monday morning, 600 children will arrive at PS 11 to find bright new colors in their classrooms and new murals to enjoy. More importantly, they will hopefully see that there were a lot of people who cared enough about them and their education, to come to their school and make it more vibrant and fun place to learn.

To those that came out for Team Give and Get NYC, thank you: Alison Art, Dustin Growick, James Posner, Jason Kahan, Jonathan Essa, Massimo Pennisi, Marshall Weaver, McKenzie Mahoney, Meghan Dockery, Michael Bamford, Paul Costa, and Sasha Growick. It meant a lot to me that I was able to share something I love to do with friends. We had a lot of laughs, and got a lot of paint in places it didn’t belong (don’t worry, we cleaned up).

I’ve posted some pictures from our day at PS 11 below (click to enlarge). If you’re interested in seeing what went on at other schools on New York Cares Day, check out their blog by clicking here.

After a few weeks vacation, I’m back in New York. I missed the September 20th volunteer project sign-up on New York Cares website, so I’m running low on ideas this week for volunteer opportunities; if there’s someplace you’d like to see me volunteer and write about, please comment below with your suggestions!

Meanwhile, I’m getting ready for New York Cares Day on October 17th. New York Cares will mobilize 8,000 volunteers and dispatch them throughout the 5 boroughs. According to their website, “The Department of Education lost $180 million from its budget last year, forcing schools to cut or postpone revitalization and upkeep projects.^1”

This day of service will help to make up for lost funding by enlisting the citizens of New York to paint, plant, and organize public schools across the city. In addition, this is a huge fundraising push for New York Cares; money raised will go towards supporting their year-round projects, many of which address the needs of public schools and their students. I’ve created a team for the day, Give and Get NYC, made up of friends and coworkers. We’ll be at an elementary school in Brooklyn from 9:30am – 3:30pm, helping to create a brighter and safer learning enviornment by doing a number of projects ranging from painting bookcases to planting bulbs in the school’s garden. I’m really looking forward to getting my hands dirty for the day and transforming the school for these kids. Fingers crossed for awesome weather and sun!

If you’d like to join me and my team on New York Cares Day, or sign up as an individual, there are still 8 days left before registration ends on the 9th. You can go to the New York Cares Day website and click ‘Join a Team’ on the left, and find Give and Get NYC in the list. Alternatively, you can sign up as an individual and be placed in an area that is in need of more volunteers; they are still 1,000 volunteers short of their 8,000 goal.  You will need to pay a $20 registration fee, which is used to offset the cost of supplies and materials for the day (i.e. paint, rollers, flowers, etc). If you’re unable to help out but still want to make a contribution, you can visit my team’s homepage and make a donation by clicking here.

If you have questions or comments, please leave them here or email me: info@giveandgetnyc.com

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

What: painting/touching up canvas and wall murals

Where: PS 171, through New York Cares

When: Saturday, 10am-3pm

This project happens monthly, and was pretty straightforward. The hardest part was finding the school itself, so stick to the directions you’re given and you’ll be fine. About 10-15 volunteers gather in the cafeteria and are then split into two groups: one group ventured off into the hallways to touchup previously painted murals, getting rid of graffiti and scratches. I was in the other group, made up of those who felt they had slightly- higher-than-average painting abilities. We were each given a large canvas that had a pencil sketch of a popular book cover- done via projector by a girl who I assumed is a regular volunteer- to start/finish painting. Some people returned to finish their work from the month prior, and the team leader ensured that those people got their murals back. The rest of us newbie’s had to finish someone else’s work, which is harder than doing it from scratch, or start our own mural (it’s likely you won’t finish one in a day).

This is a good project for artists (former and current) that want to lend their skills to a school in need of some pizzazz, or really, anyone who doesn’t mind spending the day painting in a relaxed environment. This is NOT the place to go paint that masterpiece you’re been putting off since high school art class, or if you’re a perfectionist. You’ll be using worn out brushes and a rotating supply of old latex-based paint from a can. I’m not saying you won’t be able to paint something amazing, because some of the canvas murals were pretty sweet. I’m just saying it won’t be easy. Other things to know:

- You can talk to other volunteers but for the most part, everyone keeps their head down and paints. So feel free to bring your iPod and headphones.

- Even if you think your work is horrible, the elementary-age children you’re painting for will be impressed and think it’s awesome. Don’t be too hard on yourself.

- This activity is an obvious lure for artists; if that’s you, you’ll get to meet like-minded people who not only enjoy painting, but volunteering as well.

- Bonus: Not relaxing enough? This school is within walking distance of the Central Park Conservatory Garden. In my opinion, it’s one of the most beautiful places in the city that often goes unnoticed. It’s accessible, it’s free, and it’s a great way to end a day of painting and art.