Where to volunteer in the World’s Borough

by Naeisha Rose Associate Editor

Volunteering is beneficial to any community, but for seniors the act of being of service comes with the added benefits of decreasing dementia risk, improving mental health and increasing longevity because it keeps one physically active and the mind sharp, according to the National Institute of Aging.

Queens has volunteer opportunities at nonprofits, women’s groups, art centers, parks, city agencies, civic groups, museums, hospitals and more.

The Hellenic American Neighborhood Action Committee, an Astoria nonprofit that provides social services throughout the city, is seeking volunteers, according to Enrique Jerves, HANAC’s legal victim assistance program director.

“People who are interested in volunteering can email a resume,” Jerves told the Chronicle. “They just have to answer questions on why they are interested in volunteering at a specific program.”

Jerves said he would need a copy of a photo ID and that people can volunteer at HANAC for one to three days.

“We are open Monday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., so we are available on weekends,” Jerves said. “We’ve worked with senior volunteers in the past and they are very good.”

HANAC has coordinated with retired lawyers who provided free services for its clients, said Jerves. It also seeks volunteers to provide friendly visits, clerical, technical and administrative support, arts and crafts, greeting, telephone reassurance, music, dance, exercise, computer instruction, event planning and lunch service, according to the group’s website.

To volunteer at HANAC email Jerves at ejerves@hanac.org or visit hanac.org/about-us/ volunteer/. People can also call (718) 396-5042 for more details. HANAC is located at 27-40 Hoyt Ave. South.

The South Queens Women’s March, a nonprofit group located at 130-01 Liberty Ave. in South Richmond Hill, is definitely looking for volunteers, according to SQWM Founder Aminta Kilawan-Narine.

“I am so proud to underscore that the South Queens Women’s March is as intersectional an organization as they come,” Kilawan-Narine told the Queens Chronicle. “We have worked hard to cultivate spaces that feel inclusive across all different identities and across different generations too!”

Programming at SQWM spans culturally responsive mutual aid efforts to bridge systemic inequities, pop-up food pantries and distributions for essential items and civic mobilization efforts, which include voter engagement street outreach and community cleanups. In addition, SQWM also conducts art workshops on gender-based violence.

“Volunteers fuel our movement,” KilawanNarine said. “Without them, we could never accomplish as much as we do ... Age is not a barrier when it comes to volunteering with the South Queens Women’s March. When volunteers register for any volunteer opportunity we have, we always ask what roles they may be comfortable with to also account for any physical limitations.

“Different generations stand to benefit so much from dialogue with one another and I personally see that play out whenever we are together in community volunteering. Seniors and the knowledge they bring to the table are invaluable assets.”

To learn more about the SQWM call (929) 367-0010.

The Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, a multidisciplinary arts center located at 161-04 Jamaica Ave., does not have an official volunteer program, according to Tyrel Hunt, JCAL’s spokesman. However, JCAL is in the process of building one and is accepting inquiries. People who are interested can email Patrick Scorese at pscorese@jcal.org.

Throughout the years, JCAL has worked to inspire youths’ interest in the arts, showcased emerging artists and performers and has delivered multicultural programs.

To learn more, visit JCAL.org.

The Parks Department has a year-round NYC Parks Stewardship program that anyone who may be willing to get his or her hands dirty can join sending an email to stewardship@parks.nyc.gov or calling (718) 392-5232.

Visit nycgovparks.org/reg/stewardship to register to help with forest and wetland restoration, planting and pruning street trees, harvesting and propagating native seeds and monitoring wildlife in the borough, by going to the Upcoming Stewardship Projects section of the webpage and clicking Queens.

Saturday, there is a Kissena Park forest restoration initiative from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the intersection of Fresh Meadow Lane and Kissena Boulevard near Booth Memorial Avenue. On March 24, people who are interested may provide tree care at Newton Road and 41st Street in Astoria from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

There are also volunteer opportunities at the city Civic Engagement Commission for anyone 18 and up.

The commission is seeking participatory budget outreach and language assistance program outreach volunteers, along with CEC volunteer leaders.

A participatory budget volunteer will participate in community need assessments via canvassing, phone-banking and digital outreach, which will form the basis of project proposals that New Yorkers will vote on.

For three hours a week, language assistance volunteers will phone bank, create digital flyers and support CEC text-info lines to bring awareness to language assistance services.

CEC leaders will train for eight hours a week on how to be an ambassador for the organization, train and coordinate other volunteers and convene meetings.

To learn more visit nyc.gov/site/civic engagement/get-involved/volunteeropportunities.page.

The Museum of the Moving Image has volunteer opportunities for film lovers of any age, according to Hayley Brinkman, a spokeswoman for the Astoria institution.

“We’ve recently restarted our volunteer program after Covid-19 and look forward to welcoming many new volunteers, including a few who are senior citizens, to help us with our annual First Look festival this week,” she said.

There are volunteer roles for hospitality and theater operations, and the festival runs until March 19. MoMI also lists a six-month volunteer program with various duties.

The hospitality role includes greeting and directing guests and filmmakers, providing information about the festival, assisting at the filmmakers’ lounge and other duties as assigned.

The theater operations role entails managing lines, ticket and passes, ushering audiences and also providing information about the festival (this role will require volunteers to be on their feet for a significant period of time).

If interested go to movingimage.us/join-andsupport/volunteering/.

Seniors can also give back at the Department for the Aging.

“The volunteer opportunities at the Department for the Aging give New Yorkers, no matter their age, an opportunity to give back to their communities, while staying socially active and engaged,” said DFTA spokesman Greg Rose. “There are many activities NYC Aging volunteers can do, including packing food for home delivered meals, helping older adults care for their pets, or sign up for the right health coverage.” Rose said some of volunteers have been of service for decades and continue to give invaluable support to residents in every borough.

People can sign up at agingvolunteers.cityof newyork.us.

NewYork-Presbyterian Queens is just one hospital in need of volunteers for its programs, according to its spokeswoman Rachel Friedman Packer.

“We work closely with AmeriCorp RSVP (Retired Seniors Volunteer Program) that not only helps connect senior volunteers with NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, it also educates, provides help and assistance to these volunteers,” Friedman said via email.

To sign up go to nyp.org/queens/volunteer.

The Queens Interagency Council on Aging, which operates out of Borough Hall at 120-55 in Kew Gardens, provides food for those in need, and will restart those operations after late May since losing people to retirement or death due to the pandemic, according to QICA Executive Director Bruce Cunningham. QICA is in need of dependable people with past volunteer experience, one as a bookkeeper and others as food servers, as it feeds up to 150 people.

City Hall also has a volunteer calendar of events across the Big Apple at nycservice.org/ calendar. Q