Interested in volunteering?

Here is your guide to volunteering around New York by age, group and interest.

Tell us your volunteer stories! Click here for inspirational SWFS volunteer stories.

Children l  Teens l Adults l Families l Holidays l SWFS

City Harvest
In an attempt to end hunger in communities throughout New York City, City Harvest rescues and distributes food, educates the public, and seeks other practical, innovative solutions.
Volunteer Roles: Visit the market to collect excess food from farmers and load it onto City Harvest trucks, which deliver the food directly to community programs in the five boroughs; Help with SWFS High Holiday Food Drive to benefit City Harvest.
Times Available: 5:30-7pm Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday evenings between April and January.
Time Commitment: As often as you would like.
Location: Union Square Greenmarket

Goddard Riverside Community Center
Goddard Riverside Community Center is a nonprofit organization that provides housing, meals, social services, affordable childcare, educational counseling and vocational training for New Yorkers in need.
Volunteer Roles: Help set up for or work at annual book sale, mentor or tutor a child, or serve holiday meals to their clients.
Times and Commitment: Varies.
Location: 593 Columbus Avenue (88th Street)
Requirements: Volunteers under 16 should be accompanied by an adult.

Jobs and Education Empowerment Program
JEEP helps individuals achieve their career goals.
Volunteer Roles: Prepare adults for job interviews, teach ESL, or teach high school subjects to adults working toward their GED.
Times Available: Various times Mon through Thurs.
Time Commitment: 2 hours/week for 10-12 weeks.
Location: Columbia University Campus or Beacon Cntr
Requirements: Volunteers must be 18 or older.



Free Arts NYC
Free Arts NYC provides creative arts programs directly to abused and neglected children and families in group homes, shelters, schools, hospitals and community centers.
Volunteer Role: Mentor a child during an arts program or help guide families through the PACT (Parents and Children Together with Art) program.
Times Available: 10am-3pm Saturdays from Sept to June (2 events per month)
Time Commitment: Volunteer as your schedule allows for Saturday programs or attend weekly programs in the evenings.
Location: Partner agencies in Manhattan.
Requirements: No experience in the arts or working with youth necessary.
Clothing

Suit Up @ F.E.G.S.
Suit Up provides welfare clients, mainly men, with a free brand-new suit and related accessories for job interviews and employment. In partnership with UJA/Federation.
Volunteer Role: Volunteers help clients find the "perfect fit" in a professional outfit or help with donations outreach by contacting companies to increase community support for the program.
Times Available: Anytime from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday.
Time Commitment: A minimum commitment of once a month is requested.
Location: 315 Hudson Street
Requirements: Volunteers must be 18 or older.


Musical Mitzvah
SWFS members perform for residents in local nursing homes, people in hospitals, and others who could use extra song in their day.
Volunteer Roles: Use your musical talents to bring a smile to someone’s face.
Times, Commitment, and Location: Varies. A rehearsal may be required.

The Blue Card
The Blue Card provides direct assistance to needy Jewish survivors of Nazi persecution.
Volunteer Roles: Telephone or in-person conversations (in English, German, Russian, or Yiddish); monthly vitamin delivery; transcribe Rabbi Hirsch’s weekly sermons to be distributed to the survivors.
Times, Commitment, and Location: Varies.

Project Ezra
Project Ezra is an independent, non-profit grass-roots organization serving the frail elderly on New York's Lower East Side. We provide a variety of services to a largely homebound population.
Volunteer Roles: Weekly or bi-weekly visits; assist with food deliveries for holidays; assist with group activities or trips.
Times and Commitment: Varies.
Location: Lower East Side

DOROT
DOROT enhances the lives of Jewish and other elderly in the greater New York metropolitan area through a dynamic partnership of volunteers, professionals, and elders, fosters mutually beneficial interaction between the generations, and provides education, guidance, and leadership in developing volunteer-based programs for the elderly, nationally and internationally.
Volunteer Roles: Friendly visits and/or holiday package delivery.
Time Commitment: One time package delivery or weekly visits to one senior.
Location: Upper West Side or Upper East Side depending on your preference.

JASA: Jewish Association for Services for the Aged
JASA sustains and enriches the lives of the aging in the New York metropolitan area so that they can remain in the community with dignity and autonomy.
Volunteer Roles: Telephone or in-person visits; Lead a class, lecture or activity at a senior center; Lead group trips; Help an elder care for his/her pet; Puppy-sit for a guide dog in training and bring him/her to visit homebound elderly.
Times, Commitment, and Location: Varies.


The Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty
The Met Council is the voice of the Jewish poor, fighting poverty through comprehensive social services designed to treat every individual with dignity and respect.
Volunteer Roles: Become a phone pal, help seniors get to an evening event, make cards for isolated seniors, or help home attendants improve their resume and learn basic computer skills.
Times, Commitment, and Location: Varies.

Medicare Rights Center
Medicare Rights Center (MRC) is the largest independent source of health care information and assistance in the United States for people with Medicare. MRC helps older adults and people with disabilities get good, affordable health care.
Volunteer Role: Help people understand their Medicare options by providing over the phone support or by giving presentations to senior centers.
Times Available: Varies.
Time Commitment: Call clients from home on your own schedule or present at nursing homes approximately once a month. A weekly commitment is expected from hotline volunteers.
Location: Varies.
Requirements: Volunteers must be 18 or older and are required to attend a series of training sessions on Medicare.
Children and Tweens
Literacy and Mentoring


Partners for Literacy
Partners for Literacy helps children struggling to read by matching each volunteer with one student.
Times Available: Various times available 7:30am to 8:00pm
Location: Local schools.
Requirements: Volunteers must be 12 or older.


Jewish Big Brother Big Sister Program
JBFCS matches Jewish volunteers with Jewish children ages 7 to 16 years old from single-parent homes or from families with special needs. You can make a BIG difference in the life of a child. Be a positive influence on a child! Spending time with a child can include playing ball, visiting a museum, or just getting pizza and talking. Find out more about how you can change a child�s life for the better.
Time Commitment: 2 weekend afternoons each month for one year.
Time and Location: Varies
Requirements: Volunteers must be at least 21 years old.


The Family Center
The Family Center works to create a more secure present and future for children whose parents have a life-threatening illness by providing comprehensive legal and social services, education and research.
Volunteer Roles: Mentor or tutor a child, help supervise children while their parents are with the Family Center staff, be a friendly visitor for a caregiver, or help at special events.
Time, Commitment, and Location: Varies.


Central Park Conservancy
The Central Park Conservancy's mission is to restore, manage, and preserve Central Park, in partnership with the public, for the enjoyment of present and future generations.
Volunteer Roles: Work with a group of volunteers to complete large-scale horticulture and maintenance projects throughout the Park.
Times Available: 10:00am-1:00pm Every other Saturday - year round.
Time Commitment: Attendance at 4 meetings each year requested.
Location: Various locations in Central Park.

Volunteer at SWFS

Volunteer at the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue

We are always looking for office help:

Filing

Data Entry

Mass Mailings

Organizing

General Office Help

For more information email Rebecca Kaplan MSW at

See the many ways YOU can make a difference or contact Rebecca Kaplan, MSW, Community Service Coordinator at 212-877-4050 x244 or .