Here's how:

After Super Storm Sandy hit the New York City area, Audra Jones volunteered her time to the Food Bank for New York City, the city’s major hunger-relief organization working to end food poverty throughout the five boroughs, as well as working to provide victims of much-needed basic supplies after a major disaster. Working with other volunteers, she sorted through a room full of donated clothing and blankets to be distributed to Staten Island residents. Working with the Food Bank for New York City was a gratifying experience, and Audra continues to volunteer, serving food to Harlem residents.

Right to Play is a nonprofit that uses sport and play to educate and empower children and youth to overcome the effects of poverty, conflict, and disease in disadvantaged communities. The UN recognizes play as the right of every child. Play is NOT a luxury; it is a tool for education and health. It can bring entire communities together and inspire every individual. A game of football can teach children about tolerance and peace, and a game of tag can teach about malaria. Play helps teach important life lessons and develop skills like cooperation, leadership, and teamwork.

Caitlin Halle  volunteered for Right to Play at their bi-annual Gala. It was a wonderful experience to learn more about the cause, meet the Olympic athletes that donate their time, and see the generosity of people who donated to the amazing cause.

The Reece Center has provided equine therapy for Metro Atlanta’s physically and mentally challenged children and adults for the past 25 years. I was inspired to support the center once I learned about the valuable work they were doing to meet an unmet need. It is an amazing place for children and adults to interact with each other, providing a productive environment for families to come together and watch their children grow both mentally and physically. It is a heartwarming and inspiring experience to watch both the participants and volunteers at this center and see what they are accomplishing.

The programs available at the Reece Center are currently restricted to their outdoor facilities, which limits the activities during inclement weather. To this end, TSP created this video for the Center to submit for a contest being held by Pepsi in which the winner would receive a substantial donation. The center was hoping to receive this donation to build an indoor stable so the program could continue on regardless of poor weather. In addition to utilizing this video for a submission to this contest, it is also posted on the Reece Center’s website showcasing what they do for challenged children and adults in the Metro Atlanta area. I invite you to watch this video and help support the Reece Center for Handicapped Horsemanship.

Watch the Video!

326,140 participants + 39,060 teams throughout 50 states + $44,500,000 raised nationally (and counting) = 1 Amazing year for Walk to End Alzheimer’s!

Since 1989, the Alzheimer’s Association has mobilized millions of Americans in the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk, an event that helps raise funds for research, and spreads awareness of this debilitating disease.

Once again, Team Smiling Redheads participated in the Riverside Park walk, in honor and memory of Shirley Street. With a turn-out of thousands, it was an inspiring morning.

“Dear Team Smiling Redheads, Thank you for supporting the 2011 Walk to End Alzheimer’s! Because of your dedication, participation, and fundraising efforts, this year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s was a great success! Thank you for coming out on such a beautiful day dressed in purple with your friends, family, and dogs! Your support has brought us one step closer to a world without Alzheimer’s disease. We have already raised $900,000 and expect to reach $1 million dollars!”

Operation Frontline is a nutrition education and financial planning program run by City Harvest. This direct outreach program mobilizes culinary and nutrition professionals to teach cooking classes focusing on nutrition and food budgeting to people who are at risk of hunger and malnutrition in New York City.

These hands-on, interactive classes are provided at City Harvest agencies including community centers, food pantries, soup kitchens, after-school programs, senior centers, and rehabilitation centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City. Consisting of eight different curricula in five different languages, Operation Frontline is designed to meet the needs and interests of adults, children, teenagers, families, and persons living with HIV and AIDS.

In November/December, Aimee Adams volunteered her time as class manager in the program
“Well Seasoned: A Nutrition Education Program for Seniors”

Working with a nutritionist and chef, each week she went to Staten Island to shop, prep and assist a group of 6-8 seniors in preparing a meal that reflected that week’s nutritional lesson. For example, one week focused on: Medications and SideEffects; What to do when you’re not up to cooking. So the meal that week was a quick and easy corn chowder. If you’d like the recipe, click the link below.

Recipe

Sunrise Day Camp, for children ages 3-16, is the only dedicated day camp in the nation for children with cancer. It is a camp designed to meet the emotional, social, recreational and physical needs of these children while allowing them to enjoy the comforts and safety of their own homes at night. Children, and their siblings, are invited to attend the camp free of charge.

“Thank you Michael Korn, and the incredible “Red Army” for turning an incredibly hot day into a remarkably fun day for the kids! Your encouragement, smiles and cheers were infectious and the kids enjoyed every minute you were there. You guys were so “cool” ….and not just because you were in charge of the water spritzers! Thank you for giving up a part of your Friday to spend some time with our special kids! “

With gratitude,
Beth

Beth R. Fetner
Vice President of Agency Development
Friedberg JCC

Dear Todd,

On behalf of the Board of Directors, staff, volunteers and clients of the Alzheimer’s Association, New York City Chapter, we extend our greatest thanks. Your hard work, dedication and commitment brings us closer to the reality of living in a world without Alzheimer’s. We are humbled by your accomplishments and deeply grateful.

*You, our 440 Team Captains, ensured that /Memory Walk 2009/ was a remarkable day. You got up early on Sunday morning and joined us on an incredibly beautiful day to help us MOVE our cause forward and helped us raise over $900,000. You made the difference.

Adam Stehle and Todd Street of TSP journeyed to Aqaba, Jordan to participate in and document a Seeds of Peace graduate conference. Seeds of Peace is an organization dedicated to empowering the leaders of the next generation.

The focus was on SOP graduates who have achieved positions of power and influence in government, media, education, medicine and community leadership. Three days, and many conversations later, it became clear that Seeds of Peace is an effective organization that is slowly but surely changing the mindset of the younger generation to embrace the value of peace. It became evident that even if peace treaties in troubled areas were to be signed today, real peace would be very difficult without a mind shift of the public. That’s where SOP comes in.

Adam and Todd produced a film illustrating the effectiveness of SOP, and how by empowering the leaders of the next generation, they are influencing the hearts and minds of the average citizen towards achieving truly lasting peace. This film was shown at the SOP fund-raising gala in May 2008. Please click on the button to see it for yourself.

<– Watch it now.