Looking for MLK Day Volunteer Opportunities?

Local volunteer opportunities are filling up fast for the 2015 Martin Luther Jr. National Day of Service, and the deadline for registration is this weekend.

Volunteer New York!’s day of service focus is on the Saturday & Sunday prior to the national holiday.

Several projects can be done from home, like the Share the Dream Cake project that encourages anyone to bake a cake with a ‘confectionary’ message of hope written on it and donate it to a local community organization, like a homeless shelter or police department.

At home

Project: Share the Dream Cake

Nonprofit Organization: Volunteer New York!

Location: your home

Date and Start Time: Saturday, January 17th - Monday, January 19th

Description: Have fun with your kids and teach them about sharing. Volunteers of all ages will get together to make cakes or a batch of cookies (maybe in a heart-shape) to be shared or given to a community organization of their choice (e.g. a homeless shelter, neighbors, police & fire departments, etc.). Then share your #dreamcake on social media for the chance to be featured by Volunteer New York!

Project: The Sleeping Bag Project -- Family Project

Nonprofit Organization: Volunteer New York!

Location: your home

Date and Start Time: Saturday, January 17th - Monday, January 19th

Description: Volunteer New York! is encouraging groups to help people experiencing homelessness by making simple sleeping bags from recycled fabrics and distributing them to those who need them. The purpose is to have people in the community help others who are in need stay warm.

Project: Food Drive to Support TOUCH (Congers)

Nonprofit Organization: Together Our Unity Can Heal, Inc. (T.O.U.C.H.)

Location: Congers, NY

Date and Start Time: OPEN ALL WEEK
Monday, January 12th through Friday, January 16th

Description: Please click the link above for details about requested items and where the donations can be dropped off.

There are still a few projects with specific places and times and open volunteer slots:

Project: Science Barge Beautification and Cleanup

Nonprofit Organization: Groundwork Hudson Valley

Location: Yonkers, NY

Date and Start Time: Saturday, January 17th at 12:00pm

Minimum Age: 18

Minimum Age w/Adult: 14

Description: Groundwork Hudson Valley’s Science Barge, the floating sustainable farm, is looking for volunteers to clean and sanitize their materials. The volunteers will also be scrubbing the greenhouses metal frames, cleaning the hydroton-substrate, painting the model greenroof and possibly building a woody-vine arbor to go over the gangplank.

Project: Be a Lifesaver: Learn Hands-on CPR

Nonprofit Organization: Worldwide Community First Responder, Inc.

Location: Spring Valley, NY

Date and Start Times: Saturday, January 17th at 10:00am & 12:00pm

Minimum Age: 16

Minimum Age w/Adult: 14

Description: “Nobody should die because they needed first aid and didn’t get it.” Worldwide Community First Responder, Inc. (WCFR) will train volunteers in the Rockland community hands-only CPR and motivate community members to act in an emergency. Learn this life saving skill.

Project: FAFSA Workshop Volunteers Needed

Nonprofit Organization: Latino U College Access, Inc.

Location: White Plains, NY

Date and Start Times: Sunday, January 18th at 12pm & 2pm

Minimum Age: 18

Description: The FAFSA application--Free Application for Federal Student Aid--is the first and most important step in securing financial aid and scholarships for first-generation youth applying to college. Join a team of volunteers as Latino U College Access hosts a FAFSA Boot Camps at the White Plains library to provide assistance with this very complicated form. Volunteers will work at a computer station to assist a student and parent as they complete the application (Training will be given upon arrival).

Thinking longer-term? Volunteer through United Way of Rockland

Sign up online