volunteering

Our incredible virtual volunteers are still finding ways to connect with the isolated Isaiah 58 residents, who are immunocompromised because of HIV/AIDs. 

In addition to Stories of Hope from His Toy Store Reimagined events, here are more stories from our affiliates about how Christmas cheer is being shared in their communities!

Note: We asked young mom Bethany Barnes to share and expand on her experience volunteering at Expect Hope.

 

Our volunteers continue to connect with virtual opportunities like sending notes of love and encouragement to residents of Isaiah 58. Since June, more volunteers have continued showcasing their creativity by sending handmade letters and art to the immunocompromised residents. See the latest below!

 

Hope for New York volunteers are used to getting proximate in person with our affiliates, and the communities they serve. But when everything changed during COVID-19, our volunteers found new ways to serve! 

When the coronavirus hit, we were concerned that we would have to shut down our Wednesday Night Meal program. But God provided a way for us to continue offering meals throughout the pandemic.

My wife, Celine, and I first served our city through Hope for New York eight years ago, when we volunteered with All Angels’ Church with our Community Group. Together, we committed to serving with All Angels’ on Sunday evenings once a month. This was an incredible experience for us to not only serve the Upper West Side neighborhood but also come together as a community.

While New York City was "on pause," some of our volunteers have made connections by reaching out to isolated and immunocompromised residents at two HFNY affiliates. Volunteers of all ages got creative when writing letters and making art to send to Upper East Side Rehabilitation Nursing Center and Isaiah 58.

This post was written before the Gifted Hands outreach programs were temporarily suspended because of COVID-19. Currently, Gifted Hands has refocused attention on using their emergency financial funding for communities they serve. Here is Melissa's volunteer story.

There are some basic do's and don'ts when deciding whether or not to volunteer, but there are also less obvious nuances to consider. We put together a visual aid below as a guide toward discerning whether you should serve right now, and how you can serve (in person or virtually).