Starting the year as a volunteer

HARLEM VALLEY — While the time for making New Year’s resolutions may have passed, it’s never too late to start thinking about how to contribute to one’s community. For those looking for a chance to give back to the communities that have nurtured them, the Harlem Valley is brimming with local organizations that have opened their doors to people interested in volunteering. Below is a smattering of some volunteer opportunities.

Millerton

The North East Community Center (NECC) in Millerton takes pride in its volunteers and the vital role they play in the organization’s continuation.

Given its steady reliance on volunteerism, NECC Executive Director Christine Sergent remarked that “the use of volunteers has really consistently enabled us to extend our ability to serve people in the community and how far we can extend to people.”

In terms of experience, Sergent said NECC hopes its volunteers experience the joy the organization feels in serving the community as a united group. Whether lending a hand at the Millerton Farmers Market, working alongside the Teen Team or volunteering with students with its After School Connection, NECC volunteers have an opportunity to get involved with a range of people. With their level of involvement ranging from casual (such as helping with the garden at North East [Webutuck] Central School District) to complex (such as training for a specific NECC program), volunteers can elect which opportunities they would like to participate in.

“It’s a really wonderful circle that we create here between our clients, our volunteers, our donors and our staff,” she said.

Looking ahead, Sergent said NECC’s new formal volunteer program will help document volunteer hours and programs to further engage volunteers and allow them more opportunities to choose how to help.

For more information on how to volunteer with NECC, individuals can send an email to info@neccmillerton.org. At some point in time, Sergent said NECC hopes to include a volunteer form on its website.

Wassaic

The Wassaic Fire Company is a community resource for safety planning, emergency response and cooperative emergency support. With the help of its volunteers, the company is able to carry that mission out in support of local residents.

“Volunteers are everything,” said Wassaic Fire Company Commissioner Jeff Barnett-Winsby. “We are so honored by the endless time our members and those who came before them have dedicated to learning, responding to and supporting our community. Our company is a big family and we would be nowhere without them.”

In light of the significant role that education and safety awareness play in community outreach, the Wassaic Fire Company wants to empower the community. It promotes training to prevent and respond to accidents, from free on-site CPR training to fire safety classes at the Webutuck school district. Along with providing emergency services to the community, the company takes responsibility for preserving important regional and community traditions, such as raising money for student scholarships and fellow first responders in need, hosting the Toys for Tots program and participating in local community parades.

To date, the Wassaic Fire Company has 75 active members, and while members are actively recruited twice a year, the company accepts applications on a rolling basis.

As far as experience is concerned, all active members must submit to yearly physicals and basic training for their own safety since “the only way we are safe and helpful is if we are good at our jobs,” said Barnett-Winsby. 

“We want to provide a challenging, informative, engaging and rewarding experience for all involved,” Barnett-Winsby said. “The work isn’t always easy and it’s not all lights and sirens, but our volunteers come out of training empowered to help save lives. We know and respect the challenges volunteers face in their personal lives and are grateful for the commitment they can give.”

For more on how to volunteer time with the Wassaic Fire Company, call the firehouse at 845-373-8807.

Pine Plains

The Pine Plains Food Locker is always open to volunteers interested in distributing groceries to the community once a month.

Operating out of the basement of the Pine Plains United Methodist Church at 3023 Church St. (Route 199), Pine Plains Food Locker Director Patricia Nannetti said it’s always nice to have help available since the pantry serves about 30 families a month. Since the food locker is considered a community organization, volunteers are typically found through word of mouth, sometimes drawing in students from the Pine Plains Central School District looking for community service credit for class.

“Our organization is 100 percent volunteers,” Nannetti said. “Without volunteers, we couldn’t do this.”

The bulk of volunteer work takes place on the second Saturday of every month when the food locker distributes food to families in all nine towns that compose the Pine Plains school district, including Pine Plains, Stanford, Ancram, Clermont, Clinton, Gallatin, Livingston, Milan and North East. The morning distribution is organized from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and the food locker generally welcomes between eight and 10 regular volunteers to help distribute groceries.

When asked how much of a commitment volunteers should make, Nannetti replied that she asks volunteers if they can show up once a month and give an hour and a half of their time on a Saturday morning. Once they’re finished distributing food, they can help restock shelves, break down cardboard boxes and take out trash.

Volunteers interested in serving their community through the Pine Plains Food Locker can contact Nannetti at 518-398-7692.

Millbrook

In addition to being an active parish in the village of Millbrook, Grace Episcopal Church offers four major community programs with plenty of opportunities to volunteer, including Latino Outreach, Millbrook Community Preschool, Food of Life Pantry and Engaging People in Change (EPIC).

Starting in 2006, the Latino Outreach of Grace Episcopal Church serves to “assist all immigrants in need with finding medical care, legal counsel, translating and transportation to job interviews and doctors’ appointments,” according to the church website. Led by a certified teacher from the Dutchess County Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) and assisted by community volunteers, the church offers immigrant outreach by providing English as a Second Language (ESL) classes two nights a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 p.m. Meals and child care are provided to attendees on both evenings. The church also partners with the Cornell Extension Program to provide nutrition programs to community members and with Catholic Charities to assist with filling federal income tax forms.

Aimed at providing a safe environment for children ages 3 to 5, the Millbrook Community Preschool is open on Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to noon. While the preschool is primarily run by paid staff members, Matthew Calkins, the rector of Grace Episcopal Church, said the preschool has opened its doors to parent volunteers.

Operating as a three-day pantry, the church and its volunteers frequently lend a helping hand to the Food of Life/Comida De Vida Food Pantry, located at 40 Leedsville Road in Amenia. Open every Friday from 3 to 5 p.m., the food pantry works to provide three days’ worth of food, or nine meals, to each of its clients. Since its opening in 2009, the food pantry dispenses meals that include fresh produce from its Giving Garden as well as bread, eggs, dairy, meat and non-perishable food. Volunteers can also help at the pantry by giving out necessary toiletries on a regular basis as well as other hygienic items when available.

Every Friday evening at 6 p.m., the church opens its doors to high school students involved with the leadership-building program EPIC. With a mission of advocating for social transformation in their communities, students involved with EPIC often volunteer at local nonprofits in order to promote spirituality, leadership and justice, Calkins said.

Located at 3328 Franklin Ave. in Millbrook, Grace Episcopal Church currently has close to 100 volunteers overall with recruitment running on an ongoing basis. At this time, the church is looking to develop a senior volunteer network for senior citizens interested in giving back to their community.

“We believe the church is one of the important civic communities that helps tie a community together, that helps build bonds of social trust in a time where bonds are fraying,” said Calkins. “It’s neighbors looking out for neighbor and it’s as He told us, ‘Love our neighbors.’”

For those looking to help their community, Calkins has advised volunteering at the church and to feel free to try different things. Volunteers may contact Calkins at 845-677-3064.

“Without volunteers, the program wouldn’t work,” Calkins said.

Look for other ideas on how to volunteer throughout The Millerton News on a regular basis.