How volunteering can make you feel more at home in NYC
Written by Shelley McKay
Volunteers work during a MillionTreesNYC fall planting day in New York City. (New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, Photo:Flickr/Malcolm Pinckney)
Congratulations on settling into life in the Big Apple. You have a place to live and are getting into a rhythm that is in tune with the city. But if, like me, you find yourself with a bit of time on your hands while you look for your next big opportunity on the work front, or you are awaiting your visa/work authorization to come through, then I have one word of advice: volunteer!
Why volunteer?
At this point, you could find yourself spending a lot of time on your own. Big cities can often be lonely places, particularly if you do not have an established set of friends (this is common among recent transplants). From my experience, when I first moved to New York from London in the summer of 2016, I found the isolation quite dispiriting; I craved human contact. My husband was heading off to work each day, leaving me to my own devices. Initially this felt like a gift; being in a new city with time to explore – who wouldn’t want that? It did start to wear thin after a month or so, and there was only so much exploring I could do with limited funds. Also, when you are not going to work each day, you can start to feel like you do not add value. I began thinking about what I could do to change my situation into something more positive. What would get me out of the house, interacting with people while doing something worthwhile? The answer was volunteering.
Finding opportunities
I went online and started doing some research. There are literally hundreds and hundreds of nonprofit organizations in New York looking for people who are willing to give a few hours a week or a month to their cause. These organizations often have limited or no budgets, but the work they are doing is so important that they are eager for help from people who are prepared to give their time for free. Admittedly, you will not get paid, but there are benefits – the most important one being that you are making a difference. For me this was key; I began to feel like I was making a positive contribution.
An important aspect of volunteering is to do something that you feel passionately about. Remember, you are giving your time, so it needs to be an activity that you will enjoy doing. Doing something related to your profession can help bump up your resume and may attract potential employers who have a philanthropic ethos. I found my niche with Habitat for Humanity, working on their Brush with Kindness project. I have now been volunteering with them for over a year.
What you’ll get by giving back
So, what are the benefits? The first thing volunteering did for me was to provide some structure to my week. I knew that every Wednesday, I would be spending a whole day somewhere in New York, painting a low-income residence or community center. Through my experience, I have had the opportunity to see many areas of New York that I might never otherwise have explored. I have been from the Bronx to Brownsville, from Harlem to Canarsie. The highlight has been joining a small community of like-minded people; I know the team leaders and I get to interact with other volunteers. There are some regulars, like me, with whom I have started building relationships. I am also learning new skills about painting such as “cutting in” and “spackling,” but I am also learning about myself. I am a more social creature than I realized, I am very detail-oriented, and I enjoy manual labor. I also really like the fact that what I am doing has a direct impact on other people. I am doing good, and it feels great.
Volunteering really has changed my life. It has been good for my mental wellbeing and has given me purpose and direction. If you are feeling stuck, and unsure as to what to do with those long hours that make up the working day, take my advice and start volunteering. It might just change your life too.
If you’re looking for volunteering opportunities, check out these websites:
