WagnerCares Week of Service 2021
Join WagnerCares for our annual Week of Service on Monday, April 5th to Sunday, April 11th where we bring together the Wagner community in service and volunteerism. The Week of Service presents opportunities for Wagner students, alumni, faculty, and staff to participate in meaningful volunteer projects, including virtual activities.
In light of the pandemic, we have chosen projects that center on community resilience and engagement. We are also offering several initiatives that focus on self-care and supporting our own Wagner community through what has been an incredibly challenging year. For the first time, we are also hosting a panel discussion on careers in volunteerism to highlight a potential public service career path.
We are excited to announce our 2021 volunteer projects and hope you will join us. Please see below for descriptions of each project and how to sign up. More projects and details will be added as they are confirmed.
Throughout the week, tag @WagnerCaresNYU and #WeekofService2021 on Instagram to share your volunteer journey.
WagnerCares Week of Service: Fundraising Drive for Personal Care Items
Help us reach our goal of donating 500 personal care items to the Food Bank for New York City! With your donations, we can provide our community with necessary items, not often covered by government assistance programs, that most people take for granted. Example items include shampoo, diapers, personal clothing items, and other personal care hygiene products.
Click here to access the Week of Service YouGiveGoods drive page. To donate directly through YouGiveGoods, click on SHOP NOW to purchase the goods you would like to donate. All goods ordered online will be shipped directly to the Food Bank after the drive ends. This event is co-sponsored by Wagner Philanthropy.
WagnerCares Week of Service: Spring Cheer with Peers
Send letters to Wagner peers during the WSA WagnerCares Week of Service, April 5-11! During a week where we're focused on volunteering and giving to our external communities, we also want to focus on the needs right here in our own community. To participate, please fill out this brief form by Saturday, April 3rd, and you'll be paired with another Wagner community member and exchange letters, e-cards, or video messages. We encourage everyone to write and send their letters during the week of April 5th. This event is open to any Wagner student, alumni, faculty, or staff member. This event is presented in partnership with the WSA Events committee.
WagnerCares Week of Service: Give Blood & Advocate for Change
Give Blood
Give blood with WagnerCares! As the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the traditional blood drive model, New York Blood Center (NYCB) recently announced a blood emergency one year into the pandemic. NYCB is urging community members to make an appointment to give blood.
During the Week of Service, join WagnerCares and visit a donation center in your local neighborhood to donate blood to your community.
Schedule your appointment at bit.ly/nybcappointment.
There are many blood centers throughout all 5 boroughs. Not in New York City? Search for your local blood center and make an appointment. Every drop counts.
Advocate for Change
Join WAPA and WagnerCares as we send letters to demand the abolishment of discriminatory blood donation policies. The FDA’s unjust, inequitable guidelines prevent gay and bisexual men from donating blood. Together, let’s bring awareness to this prejudiced policy and send emails and letters. Find more information and advocate for change here.
Tuesday, April 6th
WagnerCares: Careers in Volunteerism
5:30-6:30pm
Join WagnerCares for our Careers in Volunteerism panel to hear from Wagner students and alumni about their careers and experiences working in the volunteer management field. The panel will explore topics such as the role volunteerism plays in an organization, how to recruit volunteers, how to evaluate volunteer programs, and how to get into the field of volunteer management. Panelists include Ashley Otto (The Fortune Society), Dana Schneider (Taproot Foundation, and Iris Zalun (New York Cares). Register here.
Wednesday, April 7th
Birthday Cards for Seniors with Dorot
4:00-4:45pm
Join WagnerCares in creating birthday cards for seniors! Making a card is an easy and fun creative outlet. But it's also incredibly important-- during the ongoing pandemic that is keeping people apart, help us contribute to the work DOROT does to decrease social isolation among older adults. Check out https://tinyurl.com/BdayCardTips for suggestions on materials to bring to this virtual event and inspiration on what to include in your card(s). Please register here: https://tinyurl.com/April7Registration
WagnerCares Week of Service: Meditation Hour
9:00-9:30 pm
Volunteering and giving back to our communities is only possible when we take care of ourselves first. Join us and other members of the NYU Community for an evening meditation session on Zoom. The session, led by Doyeon Park, will start with light stretching and transition to sitting meditation with discussion on mindfulness-related topics. No sign-ups necessary. For more information and all of NYU’s virtual yoga and meditation offerings click here.
Friday, April 9th
Flowers for a Purpose
“Bringing new life to flowers and joy to others”
5:30-6:30pm
Join Wagner Cares for a delightful flower workshop led by Bloom Again Brooklyn on April 9th at 5:30 pm est. Professional Florists will be demonstrating how they upcycle flowers for those at risk. This workshop will give Wagner students a "virtual" hands-on experience from floral preparation to arrangement creation to delivery, culminating in an enjoyable team-building experience and opportunity to give back to the less fortunate. Participants are encouraged to donate directly to the BloomAgainBklyn website. All funds donated will be directed to underwrite flower deliveries to domestic and trauma survivors. They will be accepting donations all month! Register Here.
Sunday, April 11th
Wagner Cares Week of Service: Phone Banking for Food Access
5-7pm
Join Hunger Free America to help connect families in need to food assistance resources via their phone-banking hotline. During the COVID-19 pandemic, countless families have faced unprecedented circumstances that have caused financial strain and limited access to basic amenities like food and shelter. Volunteers will get a brief training at the start of the session and then use a web based tool to contact community members with a guided script. Sign up here. For additional volunteer opportunities with HFA beyond the Week of Service, please visit their calendar of events for NYU students.