Marking The New Year, NYC Service Urges New Yorkers to Make Volunteering a 2015 Resolution

December 31, 2014

Campaign aims to roughly double the numbers of volunteers registered with NYC Service by early 2015

Search service opportunities by skill, borough and interest at nyc.gov/service

NEW YORK—As part of the de Blasio administration’s ongoing efforts to encourage more New Yorkers to volunteer across the five boroughs, NYC Service today marked New Year’s Eve by urging New Yorkers to make volunteering a 2015 New Year’s resolution.

The short-term goal of this campaign is to register 2,015 new volunteers with NYC Service by early 2015—nearly doubling the current number of registrants—with the broader objective of inspiring New Yorkers to commit to service in their neighborhoods year-round. NYC Service has been promoting these efforts across online platforms and invites New Yorkers to share on social media that they have made volunteering their resolution, using the hashtag #ResolVolunteer.

“The holidays often remind us of the importance of giving back to our neighborhoods and fellow New Yorkers,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “In recent weeks more than ever, there’s been tremendous need for help and community outreach across our boroughs. As we prepare to ring in the new year, I encourage all New Yorkers to commit to service in 2015—and make the resolution to volunteer a lifelong one. This is about lifting up your communities—simple as that. I commend NYC Service for its efforts to help us build a stronger, more compassionate New York. Initiatives like these exemplify what it means to be one city, rising together.”  

“NYC Service is making it easy for New Yorkers to improve their communities, their health, and their happiness as we ring in 2015. When New Yorkers register on nyc.gov/service, they connect to a variety of volunteer opportunities in the city. They can start off the New Year with the commitment to do good for themselves and for their city,” said Paula Gavin, Chief Service Officer.

One of NYC Service’s key goals includes raising the percentage of New Yorkers who volunteer from 18 to 50 percent. Through efforts like the ad promotion campaign launched in October, NYC Service aims to engage more New Yorkers in service opportunities and touts the many benefits of volunteering through its slogan “Volunteering. Good for you. Good for your city.” Studies show volunteering is linked with increased health, happiness, and employment opportunity.

“With one in five residents of New York City living below the poverty line, there is obviously a great need for as many people as possible  to volunteer their time and services to help those in need. We know from mobilizing over 62,000 caring New Yorkers a year that volunteers can have a hugely positive impact on the lives of those less fortunate and make this city a better place for all to live. That’s why we’re hoping 2015 will be a record breaking year for New Yorkers to raise their hands to volunteer,” said Gary Bagley, Executive Director of New York Cares, an NYC Service partner organization.

“Through the many different volunteer opportunities that exist with NYC Service, one can find hundreds of ways to give to their own communities. NYC Service empowers New Yorkers to help themselves by building and creating a healthier, more mindful community. Giving our time is the most personal and precious gift one can give. Each Tuesday, I offer a free Zumba class through Shape Up NYC, at Jacobi Medical Center, in the Bronx. My students have become my family. They come from all walks of life, with backstories as individual as they are,” said GiGi Gorgone, Volunteer Fitness Instructor at Shape Up NYC, an NYC Service initiative in partnership with the Parks Department. “I implore all New Yorkers to join me, Shape Up NYC, and NYC Service to pledge their 2015 New Year’s resolutions to give in a way that speaks to their hearts and maybe at the same time, find their own passion—as I did.” 

“Most people I know genuinely want to give back to the city in some way, but ‘volunteering’ becomes just another thing we need to try and fit into our overbooked schedules. The reality is, once you find that cause that you care about and a program that you enjoy, that time becomes a priority and something you look forward to,” said Nate Walsh, Volunteer Leader at Free Arts NYC, an NYC Service partner organization. “NYC Service is a great place to start the search to find what you’ll look forward to in the New Year. I’ve had so much fun over the years and made some great friends through volunteering, and I am grateful for that.”

Find volunteer opportunities today at nyc.gov/service.

About NYC Service

NYC Service promotes volunteerism, engages New Yorkers in service, builds volunteer capacity, and mobilizes the power of volunteers to impact New York City’s greatest needs. Launched in April 2009 in response to President Obama’s national call for volunteerism, NYC Service focuses on 12 strategic programs and 20 volunteer impact initiatives that expand outreach to individuals, government, organizations and corporations to help all New Yorkers to volunteer. Learn more and search for active service opportunities at nyc.gov/service.