Feel like saving the world this week? Volunteering can be a powerful and fulfilling experience, especially when combined with the thrill of exploring and traveling in a new place. Though New York is often portrayed as a city of opulence and opportunity, it also is home to substantial disadvantaged populations that lie hidden beneath the city’s bright lights. As a result, New York is a city rich with volunteer opportunities.
Most people who volunteer in New York City do so on a short-term basis at organizations that make use of drop-in or once-a-week volunteers. The best way to find opportunities that match your interests and schedule may be to check with New York volunteer agencies and to search on the Internet. There are two main types of volunteer organizations— religious and nonsectarian—though there are rarely restrictions on participating in either. The Volunteer Referral Center (☎ 212-889-4805; www.volunteer-referral.com) places individuals in volunteer positions at organizations throughout the city based on detailed personal interviews. New York Cares (☎ 212-228-5000; www.nycares.org) also specializes in public service placements. The Mayor’s Volunteer Center (www.nyc.gov/html/mvc) has an extensive list of community service organizations, and it has teamed up with United Way of New York to organize VolunteerNYC (www.volunteernyc.org), a convenient search engine that locates opportunities according to your interests. As always, read up before heading out.
Those looking for longer, more intensive volunteer opportunities usually choose to go through a parent organization that takes care of logistical details and often provides a group environment and support system—for a fee. Websites like www.volunteerabroad.com, www.servenet.org, and www.idealist.org allow you to search for volunteer openings both in your country and abroad.
For 50 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
Overview