Events Calendar

THIS EVENT IS RAIN OR SHINE

Spruce up Prospect Park on this national day of service by taking part in a variety of Prospect Park Alliance improvements, from painting benches, edging pathways, cleaning litter and more.  

To register, please contact Andrew Burgie directly to make sure you are on the Yale Alumni team.

I Love My Park Day, held the first Saturday in May, attracts thousands of volunteers from across the state to participate in cleanup, improvement, and beautification events at New York State parks, historic sites and public lands.

Join Prospect Park Alliance as we support this effort in Brooklyn’s Backyard.

Contact: Andrew Burgie '87

GallopNYC offers therapeutic horsemanship programs to New Yorkers with disabilities and special needs, including veterans, seniors, and at-risk youth. Volunteers support our programs by working with our riders in their lessons and providing care for our therapeutic horses. Our Sunrise Stables is in a verdant NYC park - join us for a fun day! 

Volunteer requirements
Age 16+ or by special permission
Ability to stand and walk for an extended period (at least 30-minute intervals) 
Ability to briefly jog with the horse and rider
Ability to lift at least 25lbs
Interest in kids, people with disabilities, animals, and the outdoors is encouraged! No experience is necessary. We provide all required training.

Who's Coming?

Contact: Alicia Kershaw '78 JD

Grab a Yalie, friend, or family member (or two!) and visit one of three Blood Donation Centers to give the greatest gift - a donation of life-saving blood.  Register online at the NY Blood Center. Locations and specific times below:

Grand Central Donor Center
Chanin Building, 115 East 41st St
8:30am-2:30pm

Upper East Side Donor Center
310 East 67th St
8:15am-2:15pm

Brooklyn Donor Center
30 Flatbush Ave
9am-3pm

Join the Association of Asian American Yale Alumni (AAAYA) and YaleWomen for this year's Yale Day of Service in Chinatown!

We'll be helping out at P.S. 124 (Yung Wing School) – named after the first Chinese student to graduate from an American university (Yale Class of 1854). Yale alumni families and friends of AAAYA have volunteered at this school since 2007.

Activities may include organizing and cleaning out closets, as well as clearing gardens and outdoor space around the school.

Plan to arrive at 8:30 for sign in and intros over coffee. Official activities will start at 9. This is a family friendly event and kids are welcome. No specific supplies or materials are needed - just bring yourself!

Who's Coming?

Contact: Jasmine Zhuang '13

New York Common Pantry reduces hunger and promotes dignity, health and self-sufficiency. Our Choice Pantry Program offers fresh, culturally appropriate and nutritious food free to participants who qualify. Pantry packages are supplemental grocery packages in five food categories: protein, dairy, grains, fruits and vegetables, proportional to the number of individuals in the family and provided every two weeks.

Volunteer roles for the Harlem Choice Pantry include:

- Distribution of food bags to pantry clients. This job is done outdoors.

- Sorting and packing of fresh produce and shelf stable groceries in an assembly-line style process to ensure social distancing standards.

 All volunteers must (i) be 16 years of age or older, (ii) wear clothing that can get dirty and closed-toed shoes, like sneakers, (iii) be vaccinated against Covid-19, (iv) sanitize your hands (the pantry has a hand-sanitizing station in the pantry), and (v) wear gloves, which the New York Common Pantry can provide if necessary.  

By signing up, volunteers are expected to commit to the entire shift, which may include standing for 3.5 hours and handling up to 30 lbs of groceries. If you find that you can no longer keep your commitment, please provide a minimum of 24 hours notice from the start time of the shift. Additionally, a waiver must be signed by all volunteers in advance. Please see the NY Common Pantry Volunteer Hub for more information.

Who's Coming? 

Contact: Taureen Newland, Yale College

The Saturday Lunch Program at the Manhattan Church of Christ provides hot meals to the homeless with dignity and compassion.  

All shifts are family-friendly. Volunteers help prepare meals, place meals in to go containers, place to go containers in bags, and distribute meals to guests, as well as distribute coffee, tea & bottled water, while observing safety protocols. 

Volunteers must wear masks and gloves, and adhere to social distancing and wipe down policies. 

Please notify us if you are registered but can no longer attend in order to open the opportunity for others.

Who's Coming?

Contact: Natalie Silverstein '96 MPH

Nido de Esperanza is a non-profit organization that seeks to break the cycle of poverty by changing the first 1,000 days of a child’s life through nutrition, education, community and support and materials goods.

Volunteer roles will include sorting and bundling donated clothing, packing food bags, and sorting children's books.

• Families welcome - minimum age is 10 years old
• Volunteers should dress comfortably and bring a water bottle
• Nido de Esperanza is located at 41111 Broadway between 173rd and 174th streets, inside Christ Church Washington Heights. There is a red door to the left of the gates with a doorbell that has "Nido de Esperanza" on it.
• Getting there
  • By train: A train to 175th or 1 train to 168th
  • By car: metered street parking in the area is usually available, but allow 10-15 minutes for parking if you plan to drive.
• Volunteers are welcome to gather at a nearby place for lunch afterwards - details TBA

Who's Coming?

Contact: Alison Gardy '88

Help prepare Rockaway Beach for the 2023 beach season! We'll be clearing sand off of access ramps, removing debris, and beautifying the beach and boardwalk. All ages are welcome to participate. 

Boardwalk concessions will be open for a bite and a drink afterwards.

What to Bring:
Bring a hat, sunglasses, and shoes that can go on the sand (or barefoot).

Directions:
Rockway Park Shuttle trains Q52 or Q53, SBS or Q22 bus.
Onsite parking is available.

Who's Coming?

Contact: Eric Peterson '99

Co-Sponsored by Yale Blue Green

The American Red Cross will be partnering with Yale Day of Service on May 17, 2023 to perform a lifesaving mission by installing smoke alarms in apartments in Manhattan. Yale alumni can sign up to install alarms with full support and training from the American Red Cross. Yale Day of Service volunteers will be directed to create a volunteer account or sign in to an already existing account through the American Red Cross volunteer system in order to register for this program.

Fire installation location:  Historic artists residence space (Westbeth Artist Housing Complex) in Chelsea, Manhattan.  A chance to visit artists and help protect this vital and significant NYC community!  

The American Red Cross responds to over 50,000 apartment and home fires across the nation each year, providing comfort and assistance to traumatized disaster survivors. Tragically, on average, seven Americans die every day in these fires. In 3/4 of fire deaths, there is no working smoke alarm in the household. 

As a Yale Day of Service Participant, you will: 
• Help save lives by installing smoke alarms in homes and apartments through appointments in the community. 
• Provide residents with important fire prevention information and education. 

The Red Cross will support Yale Day of Service by providing: 

TRAINING: Red Cross will schedule a training session for your members that includes: Hands-on alarm installation instruction. 
• Instruction in the fire prevention education materials and information for homeowners. 
• Review of tracking forms needed to document smoke alarm installations. 

MATERIALS: The Red Cross will provide all necessary materials including fire alarms, fire prevention education materials, as well as outreach and promotional materials.  Appointments with residents desiring smoke alarm and fire training will have set appointments and will be expecting you.  

Breakfast and lunch also provided!   

SUPPORT: The Red Cross will provide you a dedicated point of contact for questions & submitting your forms. 

Contact: Arikha Moses '98 PhD