Contact: Sunny Mindel/Matt Higgins (212) 788-2958
More than 50 different volunteers and organizations were presented with the awards, which recognized the hard work and selfless dedication of individuals who volunteer at New York City's agencies. Outstanding volunteers and organizations were selected by City agencies for their commitment to public service. The Department of Juvenile Justice received the Most Outstanding Volunteer Program in a City Agency award.
"Not only are New York City volunteers the driving force behind many not-for-profit organizations, they play an integral role throughout the City. In hospitals, homeless shelters, parks, fire departments, detention facilities and senior centers - volunteers are working hard to improve the lives of their fellow New Yorkers. Whether comforting the sick or elderly, or tutoring children in a library, volunteers are motivated by the simple satisfaction of helping their fellow New Yorkers. Today's awards give us the opportunity to show our appreciation to the men and women of New York, who so often help others without asking for anything in return."
Harriette Heller, Executive Director of the Mayor's Voluntary Action Center, said, "Volunteers in government help to perpetuate our City's longstanding commitment to public service. Many New Yorkers do not realize the extent to which volunteers work to keep the City running on a day-to-day basis. Every day, volunteers help to shape the policies that keep our City heading in the right direction and their impact can be felt everywhere, from cleaner parks to safer streets. All of these volunteers have experienced the immense satisfaction that's derived from working on behalf of the public to improve our City. I am proud and excited to live in a City with this kind of civic spirit."
Established in 1967, the Mayor's Voluntary Action Center (MVAC) provides leadership in mobilizing individuals and organizations -- public, private and not-for-profit -- to participate in volunteer activities that strengthen communities throughout New York City.
To this end, MVAC has developed a two-pronged approach. MVAC maintains the largest database of volunteer assignments in the country, and matches volunteers seeking a meaningful work experience with the appropriate agency seeking a committed volunteer. MVAC also provides state-of-the-art training in volunteer management, believing that the management of volunteers is a professional task that requires the agency to devote time, effort and money in order to do it properly. MVAC runs the Clothing Bank, Clothes for the Homeless and Needy, a program that distributes new clothing to agencies and organizations that serve people who are homeless and in need throughout the five boroughs.
For more information on volunteering, please call the Mayor's Voluntary Action Center at 212-788-7550. A list of this year's award recipients is attached.