Bettering our society is a collective effort. Most worldly crises are caused by people, so everyone should be dedicating their time and money to humanitarian causes if they have the means to do so.  

During the summer break is when most students dedicate their time to charitable causes and volunteer work. Whether it be for philanthropic or referral reasons, students should volunteer within a field they genuinely enjoy. 

There are countless opportunities abroad, but most college students might not be able to afford room and board, so they seek volunteer work within their community.  

New York is known for being a state of opportunity but behind the façade is a homeless population of over 90,000 people.

Feeding Westchester, a member of Feeding America, is a food bank in Elmsford, New York that Westchester residents can rely on for fresh produce, meat and all other groceries. Although they are not accepting volunteers at their main location due to COVID-19, there are still off-site and at-home projects you can help with.  

Visit https://feedingwestchester.org/ to sign up.  

People are not the only beings who need care and love. What about the fluffy kittens and wide-eyed puppies waiting to be adopted? 

Humane Society of Westchester, Mt. Vernon Animal Shelter and Paws Crossed Animal Rescue are all superb animal shelters that are always in seek of volunteers to feed, clean and comfort the animals who’ve been abandoned or given in.  

For those who love children, Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Valhalla, New York and GiGi’s Playhouse, a Down syndrome achievement center in Ardsley, New York are childcare centered. They heavily rely on volunteers to keep their non-profit programs afloat to progress the health, well-being and learning of the children who visit them.  

Visit: https://www.mariafarerichildrens.org/volunteerhome   

https://gigisplayhouse.org/volunteer/ 

The Westchester Women’s Agenda, an anti-racism, pro-feminism organization, works to ensure that the social and economic climate in Westchester County offers women equal access to opportunity. Volunteers are mostly needed for social media marketing and content creating.  

Visit: https://wwagenda.org/volunteer-opportunities/ 

Besides making local change that can develop into larger-scale change, students themselves also benefit from volunteer work. Developing social skills, making emotional connections and learning to work with others will help students prepare for a job setting.  

Your mental health is also positively affected through volunteer work, especially in times of a pandemic when in-person contact is limited. According to the CDC, more than a third of Americans reported feeling symptoms of anxiety and depression in 2020. Volunteering is intrinsically rewarding, so relief of anxiety, depression or loneliness may be possible if you dedicate some time to help those in need.  

Do not feel as if you are not doing enough if you follow in a small volunteer trek. Anything helps – whether it be a random act of kindness, donating clothes or creating your own fundraiser, e.g. having a bake sale and donating the profits. They are all as fundamentally equal as large-scale volunteer work.