Leave the gun take the canoli

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.