Animal Care Volunteers since May 2015 (From left to right starting on the top row): Lori, Meredith, Jennifer, and Courtney (May-August), Anessa, Jake, Sacha, Emily (August-November), Serena, Sharonne, Jiwon, and David (December-Present).
My love for volunteering began in college and was one of the first things I got involved with upon moving to NYC. Initially, I was overwhelmed with options of organizations to get involved with, but after designing and leading my first mural project with New York Cares, I realized I had found a perfect match. New York Cares made volunteering accessible to everyone. A simple search on their website allows you to find projects by location, availability and issues you care about.
A few projects and orientations later, I became a Team Leader for my own projects. As a team leader, I not only create lesson plans of activities for students, but I manage the volunteers. Working with the students weekly always brings a smile to my face, but the dedication and reliability of volunteers is inspiring. It’s great to see so many people excited to give back.
When I first met Marisa and Earth Matter, I felt the same enthusiasm and affinity for an organization. I loved everything about what Earth Matter was doing and wanted to be part of it. I was thrilled to become the Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator and wanted to bring my best experience, skills and connect everything together, including New York Cares.
Our partnership with New York Cares began in May when we set up a weekly project for a volunteer team to take care of our animals. This project has proved beneficial for both organizations. It provides volunteers with a unique opportunity to work in an urban farm setting and allows Earth Matter to have consistent coverage for our animal care.
Emily Hamilton joined the animal care team at the end of the summer and loved it so much, she decided to stay on for the winter. Here’s what she says of her experience, “For me, the Earth Matter Compost Learning Center is a complete get-away from my normal life in New York City. It feels really good to use my hands and do something productive, and mentally it’s just a total escape from the hustle and bustle of urban life. Working directly with the animals makes me think more about my place in this world; where our food comes from and what happens to what we discard. I’ve definitely been more conscious of the circle of life, and it’s been very healing after losing my dad, who taught me the love of working with the earth.”
We love our volunteers and are so happy to include them into our Earth Matter family. It’s been a pleasure working with each volunteer and watching their knowledge on composting grow. Some volunteers have even begun saving their food scraps to bring with them to their shifts!
Thank you to New York Cares for this incredible partnership.
To learn more about New York Cares or volunteer with them, visit their website.
By Kim Tateo