🌱GrowNYC Volunteer Newsletter

 

GrowNYC Volunteer Newsletter

Register for our November 

Virtual Volunteer Orientation

What's new: Interested in volunteering with GrowNYC? Join our online orientation where our Volunteer Program Manager will provide information about GrowNYC, local agriculture and food access, as well as current and upcoming volunteer opportunities.

Orientation is open to all, however, GrowNYC volunteers must be 18 years of age or older. The volunteer orientation is required to participate in our volunteer opportunities.

• Upcoming virtual orientation | Friday, November 8th, 5pm - 6pm (sign up)

Volunteer Spotlight

Meet Giselle, our spotlight volunteer of the month! Read the interview below to learn more about Giselle.

1. How long have you been volunteering with GrowNYC?

I’ve fortunately been involved with GrowNYC since I first moved to New York a couple of years ago. I kept catching myself wandering around the Union Square Greenmarket while on my breaks from school and decided to dedicate my Fridays to volunteering this fall season.

2. Why did you decide to volunteer with GrowNYC?

I decided to volunteer more often with GrowNYC because they bring together the realest products and the realest people. Shopping at the market not only made me curious to learn about the people behind our fresh produce, but also the team in charge of putting it all together. It feels so rewarding to surround myself with people that share the same values.

3. Tell us about yourself, what interests you and how do you spend your time?

I’m a full time student at the Fashion Institute of Technology focusing on creating circular solutions for the industry. Aside from school and work, I find any excuse to spend a lot of time outside, whether it’s grooving on my roller skates, having picnics, or playing a bad game of badminton. I’ve been challenging myself to cook dinners with friends at home more often with products from the farmers markets to inspire slower and more intentional practices as well as supporting our local communities.

4. What has been your favorite moment/memory volunteering with GrowNYC so far?

My favorite memory while volunteering at GrowNYC has to be saying hi to everyone who works at the market. There’s something cool about recognizing them and their efforts for pulling off something that unites so many communities. A passion for real products from real people.

Greenmarket Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer with GrowNYC Greenmarkets and help support local farmers by creating a welcoming environment and ensuring they have opportunities to sell fresh produce. This is also a great way to do your part in helping ensure that all NYC residents have access to fresh and local produce! These events are outdoors, rain or shine. Please dress for the weather and bring a reusable water bottle! Sign up for one or more opportunities at the following Greenmarkets (GM):

Manhattan:

Columbia University Greenmarket - Sundays (sign up)

Inwood Greenmarket - Saturdays (sign up)

82nd Street Greenmarket - Saturdays (sign up)

Abingdon Square Street Greenmarket - Saturdays (sign up)

Brooklyn:

McCarren Park Greenmarket - Saturdays (sign up)

Outreach Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer with GrowNYC Greenmarkets and help promote our local farmers by performing outreach to ensure the local community is aware of the Greenmarket. This is also a great way to do your part in helping ensure that all NYC residents are aware of their access to fresh and local produce! These events are outdoors, rain or shine. Please dress for the weather and bring a reusable water bottle! Sign up for one or more opportunities at the following Greenmarkets (GM):

Manhattan:

Stuyvesant Town Greenmarket - Sundays (sign up)

Astor Place Greenmarket - Tuesdays (sign up)

Dag Hammarskjold Greenmarket - Wednesdays (sign up)

Mount Sinai Hospital Greenmarket - Wednesdays (sign up)

57th Street Greenmarket - Saturdays (sign up)

Brooklyn:

Domino Park Greenmarket - Sundays (sign up)

Food Education Volunteer Shifts

Seed to Plate: GrowNYC provides NYC public school students with education about local food and why it’s important for our bodies, the environment, and our community, and ultimately inspire healthy food choices and environmental leaders.

As a volunteer: As a volunteer, you will help prepare trays of local vegetables, in the colors of the rainbow, for students' enjoyment. The work includes helping chop and prepare trays under the supervision of our Education staff and volunteer manager. Volunteer shifts will take place at the GrowNYC office and you will need an ID to enter the building.

November 5th | 11am to 3pm (sign up)

November 7th | 11am to 3pm (sign up)

GrowNYC Partner Volunteer Activities

GreenThumb Volunteer Opportunities

Part of NYC Parks, our partners at GreenThumb are proud to be the nation's largest urban gardening program, sustaining over 550 community gardens and supporting thousands of volunteer gardeners throughout New York City.

It’s All About Brownsville

On this workday, volunteers will assist GreenThumb gardeners and staff in building and filling new raised beds for growing and distributing food to the community. Everyone is welcome to join, learn, and practice basic carpentry skills, including the use of power tools. Gloves and tools will be provided.

• Monday, 11/11: 754 Thomas S Boyland St, Brooklyn | 10AM - 1PM (register here)

Commitment Garden

On this volunteer day, participants will help plant a garden border with 300 native flowers and shrubs! Gloves and tools will be provided.

• Saturday, 11/16: 590 Schenck Avenue, Brooklyn | 10AM - 2PM (register here)

Weekly News from State Senator Gustavo Rivera!

SENATOR RIVERA TESTIFIES AT NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL HEARING ON THE EFFECTS OF HOSPITAL CLOSURES

This week, Senator testified in front of the New York City Council's Committees on Hospitals and Health special hearing: Effects of Hospital Closures on Community Needs. Senator Rivera discussed his Local Input in Community Healthcare Act (S8843A/1633B), which is currently awaiting the Governor's signature.

Senator Rivera's legislation will address gaps in the state’s current review of proposed hospital and critical unit closures. It will also make our communities key stakeholders in a decision-making process with serious impacts on health equity by requiring community input.



Senator Rivera looks forward to Governor Hochul signing this bill into law to ensure communities have a say in their local healthcare access.

Senator Rivera continued his tour of civics classes throughout the 33rd district by engaging in a thoughtful conversation about our city and state’s political and civic life with a group of middle school students at PS/MS 89. 

Senator Rivera also had the pleasure to meet with members of the middle school's faculty. Senator Rivera thanks the school's principal, Ralph Martinez, Assistant Principal Shawn Jones, and students for welcoming him to their school. If you are interested in scheduling the Senator for a civics class, please email grivera@nysenate.gov or call Senator Rivera's district office at 718-933-2034.

This week, Senator Rivera attended 48th Precinct Council's October General Board Meeting.

Senator Rivera was excited to present a District 33 Proclamation to Carmen Rivera. Ms. Rivera is the Senior Vice President and Chief Vocational and Community Affairs Officer for VIP Community Services and has been an active community organizer and activist who facilitated a myriad of community partnerships throughout her many decades with the organization. Senator Rivera congratulates Ms. Rivera on her well-deserved honor!

On Halloween, Senator Boo-stavo Rivera attended the 12th annual Miss Abbie's Kids Halloween Health Event. Miss Abbie's Kids Halloween Health Event aims to teach the youth and their families in the community about how to avoid chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, coronary disease and much more.

Thank you to Shanequa Charles for putting together a great event!

City Parks Foundation - Bronx Newsblast November 2024

 

HIGHLIGHTS Congratulations to our Bronx fall 2024 NYC Green Fund Grassroots grantees!

Bronx Institute for Urban Systems Bronx River Community Garden Eastchester Road Community Garden Friends of 4 Parks Alliance, Inc. Jardin La Roca Orisha Wholeness Corp Rainbow Garden of Life & Health, Inc. Target Bronx Community Garden Washington's Walk Coalition

The next round of NYC Green Fund Grassroots grant applications will open in 2025. For the latest updates, check our site or sign up for our mailing list. COMMUNITY EVENTS Work Together Wednesday Join our gardeners to help remove weeds, clear leaves and debris from around Indian Lake and upkeep our gardens Date/Time: Wednesday, November 13, 10:00am - 12:00pm Location: Meet at the Crotona Park Tennis House @ 1700 Crotona Avenue, Bronx, NY 10457 More info: https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/crotona-park/events/2024/11/13/work-together-wednesday Contact: RSVP to Ismael.Guzman@parks.nyc.gov or call 718-916-8561 for more information  Stewardship Saturday Join staff to clear leaves and debris from around Indian Lake, remove trash from our large park zones and help to keep Crotona Park looking great! Date/Time: Saturday, November 23, 10:00am - 1:00pm Location: Meet at the Crotona Park Nature Center, enter @ Charlotte Street More info: https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/crotona-park/events/2024/11/23/crotona-park-stewardship-saturday Contact: RSVP to Ismael.Guzman@parks.nyc.gov or call 718-916-8561 for more information  TRAININGS Introduction to Project Budgets Candid Are you ready to start fundraising for your project or idea, but don't know what and how much to ask for? If preparing a budget for your foundation grant is holding you back, come learn the basic elements of how to draft a project budget with confidence. This class will provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to generate a standard project budget for a foundation proposal. We will discuss: The basic components of a project budget including income and expenses How to estimate the realistic cost of a project What other financial documents you may also need to submit with your proposal Location: Online Cost: Free Date: Tuesday, November 5, 2024 @ 2:00-3:30pm Link: Enroll here! Introduction to Corporate Giving Candid Is your organization ready to seek corporate support? Corporate grantmakers are different from traditional foundations in many ways. This class provides a basic overview of: The different types of corporate giving What motivates corporations to give How to find potential corporate partners Upon completion of this course you'll be able to: Define different types of corporate philanthropy and their motivations. Learn how to find information about different types of corporate philanthropy Location: Online Cost: Free Date: Thursday, November 7, 2024 @ 2:00-3:30pm Link: Enroll here!   Introduction to Proposal Writing Candid Are you new to proposal writing or want a quick refresher? If so, you don't want to miss one of our most popular classes! This class will provide you with an overview of how to write a standard project proposal to a foundation. It will include: The basic elements of a proposal The "do's" and "don'ts" of writing and submitting a proposal How to follow up whether the answer is yes or no 30-minute hands-on exercise to develop a proposal outline (in-person classes only) Upon completion of this course you should be able to: Understand how to write a standard project proposal to a foundation. Know how and when to follow up with funders after submitting a proposal. Location: Online Cost: Free Date: Tuesday, November 12, 2024 @ 2:00-3:30pm Link: Enroll here! GRANTS AND RESOURCES Daily Grants  The Pollination Project The Pollination Project offers seed funding of up to US$1 thousand to compassion-driven individuals, informally organized groups and organizations, and formally registered or incorporated non-profit organizations based anywhere in the world. Topics for projects include education, clean water, afforestation, animal advocacy, and many others.  Deadline: Applications accepted on a rolling basis. Link: Learn more The Resiliency and Recovery Fund The Pollination Project The Resilience & Recovery Fund (RRF) will provide fast, small one-time grants of $1,000 to support grassroots volunteer responses to natural disasters, pandemic, humanitarian crises, or similar emergent events. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and existing TPP grantees in good standing who have not previously received RRF funding are eligible to apply. Deadline: Applications accepted on a rolling basis. Link: Learn more Gardens for the City Program New York Restoration Project Is there a community space in your neighborhood you’d like to see transformed? If so, apply for NYRP’s help. NYRP provides support for projects of various scales — from building a few vegetable beds to large-scale restoration work. NYRP helps provide materials, horticultural knowledge, environmental education, and construction expertise in order to help create community gardens and accessible landscapes in under-resourced neighborhoods.  Deadline: Applications accepted on a rolling basis. (Due to the high volume of applications, all future GFTC inquiries will be considered for 2025.) Link: Learn more The Awesome Foundation  The Awesome Foundation The Awesome Foundation is a global community advancing the interest of awesome in the universe, $1000 at a time. Each fully autonomous chapter supports awesome projects through micro-grants, usually given out monthly.  Deadline: Reviewed monthly Link: Learn more For questions or concerns, contact Community Engagement Director Vlad Cruz at vcruz@cityparksfoundation.org Partnerships for Parks A joint program of City Parks Foundation and NYC Parks Facebook | Instagram | Twitter www.partnershipsforparks.org Copyright © 2024 City Parks Foundation