Leave the gun take the cannoli (9)

Although time  is a rare and precious commodity  an increasing number of people are willing to put aside a few hours a month to help advance the mission of a worthy non-profit.  Whether running a Marathon or ladling soup for the homeless,  every organization in desperate need of free help will ask  “Why do you want to volunteer?”

The cliche answer of “to give back” will prove  wrong on so many levels once you’ve found your volunteer niche.  Altruism ignites an endorphin rush that helps you bond with the clients of soup kitchens, nursing homes and animal shelters.  You’ll find that the homeless have fascinating stories, the elderly can remember every detail of their favorite recipe and rescue dogs are irresistible.

Picking a  worthy cause to champion is not as easy as you think.  The well known and most respected organizations usually have a screening process and a waiting list.  You may need to submit a resume and references before you are invited to an interview or orientation.

Many people consider volunteering around the holidays.  However, Christmas and Thanksgiving may be the only time during the year when your favorite charity doesn’t need help.  If you really want to make a difference on a holiday, consider Fourth of July, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day  and Halloween.  Although Fourth of July is usually the only holiday I ever take off, it usually falls at a time of year when  regular volunteers are on vacation.  Also, there are fewer visitors at hospitals and  nursing homes  on 4th of July, Memorial Day and Labor Day.  Spending part of Valentine’s day in a senior center will do your heart good.    Halloween can be fun if you volunteer in the pediatric ward or community center.  And if you’re an animal lover you’ll greatly appreciated at the local animal shelter.

If you are interested in working with a specific population, such as the homeless or the seriously ill, examine your motivation.  If you just lost a loved one to cancer you may  have an emotional reaction while working directly with the patients. The last thing anyone needs is a crying volunteer.

The homeless are interesting but not the most loquacious bunch.  If you’re trying to make conversation keep it light.  Talk about music and television. shows.  Stay away from politics, horror movies and religion.

If you are considering a little community service start small.  Look for an opportunity that has a one  day commitment to start.  If you don’t know where to start look up Volunteer Match.   You can also enter  volunteering into your search engine with  the name of your city.  You’ll be surprised at what comes up.

The hallmark of a great man is his willingness to help others succeed and his unconditional loyalty to his friends. Allan Sih lived a quiet life of purpose, dedicating most of his free time to helping friends and strangers in their hour of need.

As a long time New York Cares team leader, Allan spent the better part of his weekends volunteering with people who were struggling with life altering illnesses. He also enjoyed an active social life, maintaining friendships from his teenage years to his final days.

Allan had a strong sense of empathy and the ability to organize everything and everyone in the midst of chaos. His only discernible weakness was the way he made coffee.

When I met Allan he was struggling with a coffee pot at NYU Rusk Institute. We were setting up the snacks at his monthly social event for patients with spinal cord injuries. Alan had carefully measured the water and scooped out a minute amount of grounds. I grabbed the pot, scooped a heaping pile of grounds into a paper cup and said “trust me, and everyone will stay awake through BINGO.” That was the beginning of our friendship and charity collaboration. We chopped vegetables at God’s Love We Deliver, read to kids and served lunch to the homeless for over seven years. We also ate at every vegetarian restaurant below 14th Street.

Allan knew how to pick a restaurant, where to buy the best green tea in bulk, and how to get the best prices on electronics. He was also an expert on chili.

As a former president of the New York Texas Exes, the University of Texas alumni association, he never missed the annual chili cook off fundraising event. He considered himself a Texan as much as he considered himself a New Yorker. I think he was born in Asia, so I guess you could say he was a citizen of the world. And he lived everyday of his life trying to make the world a better place.

Allan Sih’s Memorial will take place on May 7th from 12 to 3 pm at Hill Country, 30 West 26th Street, NYC.
(212) 255-4544

The winds of change  blowing through the non-profit sector  are the  evivalent  of  a hurricane.  Budget cuts to meal programs for the elderly  have resulted in a change of menu that only an anorexic could love.  As of today,  the delivery of a single hot meal   by a friendly, familiar  face will be replaced with  frozen dinners that  arrive a few times during the work week.  While this may sound like a viable solution to some accountants in their 30’s, it is  cause for alarm to anyone who has ever dealt with an Alzheimer’s patient or mobility impaired octogenarian.     

 For several years, I’ve  volunteered with Caring Community, an organization near the  NYU campus, that assists  senior citizens in a variety of ways, including “friendly visits” and a daily hot meal program.  As a New York Cares team leader I’ve  mobilzed legions of volunteers on Saturday mornings and holidays to pack a nutritious early dinner for the elderly.  The warm entree and a side of fresh perishables,  including  milk,  juice and bread, was the least of what we provided.  Most of us signed up  because we understood the importance of  a few minutes of entertaining  conversation with each lonely client.  We were the eyes and ears of the organization.    We reported back to the social workers at Caring Community if we noticed anything odd,  like a client with  slurred speech or a bad smell in an apartment.  

 Many clients  do not own a microwave oven.   Those with  vintage  pacemakers powering  their hearts still use an old school stove.   Anyone with dementia probably should not be cooking with gas.  Theoretically,  everyone  should have a home attendant.  However, not all home attendents work weekends or full days.  Some clients only receive help for a random 4 or 5 hours a day.  I’m willing  to predict that some clients will cook 3 meals on Friday then go hungery until Monday. 

The thick white layer of snow that covered NYC on Friday was a filthy, slippery, slushy mess by Saturday morning. Flurries continued  after dawn  and the mercury refused to budge past 33 degrees.    I wondered how many  of my  volunteers would make it out  to deliver hot  meals this weekend.

My cell phone was ringing as I exited the 8th Street stop on the R train.  Volunteers experiencing transportation delays had been calling or leaving text messages all morning.  A new recruit was lost somewhere on MacDougal Street.  I was headed for an  an anxiety attack until I read Carol’s e-mail.  She volunteered for the long and winding Bank Street route.                 

Inside the Caring Community building, on Washington Square North, a modest amount of volunteers  waited for the caterer to arrive.     Tom and I tried to figure out how to readjust the routes for our limited number of delivery persons.    Suddenly, a  stream of  people flowed through the door.   Like wet  Gremlins,  my labor force had miraculously multiplied.   All 20 of my NYCares volunteers  were present and accounted for.  Firefighters, Zac  and Gordon, from Post 6008 brought a dozen  teenagers from the FDNY Explores Program.   Raquel of AmeriCorps provided  another 9 young adults who joined a team of students   from NYU.  

By  11;30 the sun had pushed away the clouds.  The ice patches on the sidewalk were  melting and our volunteers had visited  150 lonely New Yorkers.                     

January is a cold, cruel month.  The philanthropic spirit of the holidays vaporises around the time that Christmas trees become mulch.  The midnight oil burns in board rooms of non-profits as exec’s brainstorm ways to find donors and fill seats at their spring fundraisers.   This is the month when the dilettantes sleep in on Saturdays,  leaving   preeminent volunteers from Caring Community and New York Cares  to brave the weather and visit the shut-ins of Manhattan.

This week my NYCares crew and  a dozen members  from  Kingston  Church in Michigan joined my fantastic five,   Lauren and Marciano Estigarriba, Tom Vilar,  Ginger (Wild Hearts) and Joel Mejia (Things Are Changing),  as they helped alleviate hunger and loneliness in Greenwich Village.             

 The fantastic five  use their time  and talents to spread compassion, social  justice and benevolence around the city.   Like any true super hero, their cool, yet mild mannered exteriors  offers no clue to their powerful  commitment to  making the world better for the next generation.

Lauren  and Marciano assist an organizations that serves teenagers.  Tom is devoted to helping  disabled and autistic youth.  Joel empowers kids by teaching with technology.  He teaches them the photography and video skills they need to create multi-media projects.  Ginger is  the creative consultant of my inner circle,  offering marketing tips and   brilliant strategies for promoting  worthy causes.