Only a few days remain before Milano Cares Day, which will take place this coming Saturday, October 24th at various project sites located all over New York City. Ten organizations will be involved with volunteer projects, including: Directions for our Youth (Beacon Program), East River Development Alliance (Scholars Program), The Doe Fund, Inc., Brooklyn Bureau of Community Service, Parkchester Arts and Recreation Community Center, Women in Need, United Community Centers, Boys Town of New York, Huairou Commission, and Isabella Geriatric Center. Over 65 students and alumni have signed up so far to volunteer their time supporting the community and making a difference by helping those in need. Volunteers are still needed for two projects, however, and I hope that you’ll consider joining us for this important work. (Please see below for more information and sign-up instructions).
I look forward to volunteering on Saturday along with students and alumni, as well as with my own kids, in East New York, Brooklyn, at the Transitional Living Community (TCL) Therapeutic Garden. This project will consist of sprucing up -- raking, weeding, pruning, and painting -- a quarter-acre community garden that is mainly used as a psychiatric and therapeutic space for 40 mentally ill homeless women in the neighboring woman’s shelter. Originally a vacant lot, this outdoor space has since been turned into a vegetable and flower garden.
Milano Cares Day not only provides us with opportunities to help local organizations do much-needed work in the community, but, perhaps more importantly, it also provides opportunities for us to see first-hand and also reflect, and question the policies and institutions that make volunteering necessary. While volunteering is only one step, what else, we must ask ourselves, can be done to help those in need?
I hope you’ll join us this coming Saturday -- thank’s in advance to those of you participating in the 2009 Milano Cares Day; we hope to make this an annual event, and with your help, I’m sure we can. Please let me know about your own experience on Saturday, and also check back for my recap of the day.
Be well-
Lisa
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If you are interested in volunteering for either of the two projects (below) that still need volunteers, please sign up by sending an email to reichv@newschool.edu and write “Milano Cares Day” in the subject line. Also, please indicate your preference of projects.
Volunteer Project 1
Boys Town of New York
Project: Annual Career day. Volunteers sit on a panel and speak about their careers.
Date: Saturday, Oct. 24th, 2009
Time: 9:45 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Location: 167 Willoughby Street, at the corner of Flatbush/Willoughby
Each year Boys Town holds a “career day” for its students in which men and women from all professional walks of life come in and talk about how they achieved their careers. The students will receive valuable tips (secrets, strategies, do’s and don’ts, etc.) on how to “get there” in the professional world. About 45 boys, in all, are placed in the Boys Town organization’s care by New York City’s juvenile justice system. Boy’s Town is always looking for good role models as it endeavors to introduce distinct, varied and critical aspects of society to the resident youths.
Volunteer Project 2
The Doe Fund, Inc
Address: 89 Porter Ave, Brooklyn, NY
Time: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Project: Teams will participate in round-table discussions on a career-prep type of day with previously homeless trainees.