Give a second chance, Volunteer!
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The Bookstore Café
The Housing Works Bookstore Cafe is powered by a vibrant community of volunteers who sort books, manage our cafe, and staff concerts, readings, and other special events.
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Housing Works Inc.
Engage with our clients one-on-one, help in the administrative offices, participate in advocacy and outreach events, and more! Learn all about Housing Works from the inside out while putting your good skills to work.
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Thrift Shops
Volunteers at our ten upscale Housing Works Thrift shops lend their time, dedication and personal style to New York City’s premier home for modern and vintage treasures.
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Upcoming Event Opportunities
From the Open Air Street Fair to Design on a Dime, from sorting thrift donations in Queens to painting a new retail space, we have lots of semi-annual and one-time events that need your help!
Ten Year Volunteers
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Michael Adams, Volunteer
"I know that while I'm doing a tiny bit of good, I will also learn something, laugh a lot, and feel that we are all truly appreciated for the time we spend there. I doubt there are many such places that can compare." -
Mike Panchak, Volunteer (10yrs)
"I volunteer for the fun of it, the mission, and the great friendships among staff and volunteers. There’s a lot of hard work, comradery and mutual respect." -
Deborah Braff, Volunteer (10yrs)
"I saw men being ostracized and neglected, losing jobs and apartments. I knew I had to do something." -
Jane Klain, Volunteer (10yrs)
"Housing Works has always represented an important mindset, which is one of hope." -
Shelly Woolman, Volunteer (10yrs)
"I am grateful for the opportunity to learn even more about fashion and merchandising from my “on-the-job” experiences."
Volunteer Appreciation Party
Volunteer Updates March 2010
The Moment We’ve all Been Waiting For!
Housing Works is excited to announce the grand opening of our highly anticipated Hell’s Kitchen location on Tuesday, March 23. Our tenth thrift store promises a collection as vibrant and eclectic as its neighbors. If you’ve expressed interest in volunteering at this location, we invite you to start with set-up on Monday. This will give you a chance to see the store and get to know your fellow volunteers. To sign up, please contact volunteer@housingworks.org or the manager, Theresa Buchheister, at t.buchheister@housingworks.org.
Grand Opening VIP Party
To celebrate the grand opening of the Hell’s Kitchen thrift store, we will be hosting a VIP opening night party on Tuesday, March 23. Volunteers are needed to check in guests, serve refreshments, and maintain the area. This is an exciting opportunity to mingle with celebrities and see the new store and its collection! To sign up, please contact volunteer@housingworks.org.
Spring Preview Success
Recessionista style and the success of past excursions boded well for Housing Works’ spring previews. This year’s previews performed better than ever, bringing in over $30,000. We thank all our volunteers for making these events successful!
Ten Year Volunteer Appreciation
At its inception in 1990, Housing Works was the only organization in the United States to provide guidance and job training to people living with HIV/AIDS. Since that time, much progress has been made as a result of greater public awareness and the expansion of our programs. We wish to honor those volunteers who have been with us since the early days and witnessed the many changes in public policy and in Housing Works itself. They will be honored at a volunteer appreciation dinner on March 24, and their stories can be seen at http://www.housingworks.org/blogs/detail/housing-works-celebrates-our-10yr-volunteers/.
Volunteer Opportunity – March 19-21
The weekend of March 20 is an especially good time to enjoy a traditional Italian meal at Sofia’s Cucina in Little Italy. When you do, Sofia’s will donate 10% of the proceeds to Housing Works’ relief efforts in Haiti. Housing Works needs volunteers to help get the word out that weekend by distributing flyers and reaching out to the community. To sign up for a two-hour shift, please contact volunteer@housingworks.org.
Job Training Program Tutor Orientation – March 25
Housing Works is getting ready to start the spring semester of our client-centered Job Training Program. The program provides classes in basic math and writing skills and gives students the one-on-one help they need to excel and improve.
Orientation for new tutors will take place on Thursday, March 25. If you are interested in this opportunity and able to commit to our twelve-week semester, please contact volunteer@housingworks.org.
Rare Books Seminar with Nancy Cooper
Nancy Cooper recently celebrated her tenth anniversary with Housing Works Bookstore Café, where she is known for her rare-book expertise. Join her on March 25 at 7 pm for an overview on identifying rare books, understanding why they are collectible, researching them, and learning about modern first editions. If you’ve ever admired Housing Works’ selection of rare books, this is a great way of expanding your knowledge! To RSVP to this event, please contact volunteer@housingworks.org.
blog
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Rare Books with Nancy Cooper
Nancy Cooper recently celebrated her tenth anniversary as an employee of the Housing Works Bookstore Café, where she is the resident rare-book expert. Join her on Thursday, March 25 at 7 pm for an overview on identifying rare books, understanding why they are collectible, researching them and learning about modern first editions. If you’ve ever admired Housing Works’ selection of rare books, this is a great way of expanding your knowledge! To attend, please RSVP volunteer@housingworks.org. -
Housing Works Celebrates our 10+yr Volunteers
At its inception in 1990, Housing Works was the only organization in the United States to provide guidance and job training for people living with HIV/AIDS. Since then, much progress has been made as a result of greater public awareness, the expansion of our programs, and the inspiring, committed group of volunteers who have been with us since the early days. Many of our volunteers joined Housing Works at the height of the AIDS epidemic and knew they had to do something to help. Their desire to make a difference brought them to support our organization, and the relationships they have formed with staff, volunteers and patrons alike, have helped make Housing Works what it is today. In appreciation of their ongoing work and dedication, Housing Works will honor our 10+ year volunteers with a special dinner to celebrate their service, including: Molly, Michael Adams, Deborah Braff, Jane Klain, Dick…
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Meet Sharieka Mason, Housing Works’ Merchandising Intern
We love our interns at Housing Works, and they love us too! Meet Sharieka Mason, one of the Thrifts Merchandising Interns: ‘Housing Works does commendable things for people in need, and I wanted to help in anyway I can. I volunteered to not only give a helping hand but also use my creative talents and fulfill my long time dream to become a visual merchandiser. Having a Bachelors in Fine Arts from Molloy College, and studying at Fashion Institute of Technology in Visual Presentation/ Exhibition Design, gave me the tools to learn how to be creative and learn more about art and various talents. What Housing Works has given me, is the knowledge to actually put these tools to work. Gaining hands on experience, something that will always be cherished. My visual merchandising dream is slowly becoming fulfilled, and I want to thank Housing works for that. Further more, hope…
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UPDATE: Who Wants to Go to Disney World?
Housing Works is pleased to announce its involvement in the “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” program. As part of a service initiative, Disney wants to give one million volunteers free day passes to its parks throughout 2010. Several of this year’s special events volunteers have come to us through this program, and we encourage our regular volunteers to take advantage of this promotion too. Visit http://www.handsonnetwork.org/disney for more information. Update: The Disney Give a Day Get a Day program has ended. Thank you to all the volunteers who participated with Housing Works!
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Head Over Heels: Housing Works Has Heart
By: Annie Cofone, Volunteer The attraction to volunteering with Housing Works naturally comes from the organization’s ability to draw committed staff and community to bring awareness and funding to support homeless New Yorkers living with HIV and AIDS… and yet I’m willing to admit that before I knew this firsthand, I was initially drawn to their 23rd Street location’s fantastically decorated window displays.Amid a row of other historically valued charity shops including The Salvation Army and Goodwill, its immediate appeal is that it’s only shop to transform its storefront windows weekly, with an aesthetic edge that attracts locals, fashionistas and, as I personally witnessed last winter, Bill Clinton. It’s been very easy to fall in love with the Housing Works crew and the fundraisers they host; from ‘Bride for a Buck’ to ‘Fashion for Action’ to ‘Design on a Dime’, HW attracts the most decorated of NY fashion’s elite, with… -
RSVP Yes to Retired Volunteers - Benefits for Everybody
Sponsored by the Community Service Society (CSS), the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) has led the nation’s efforts to recruit older adults for volunteer positions at non-profit agencies. Retirees over 55 have daytime hours to give and a lifetime of personal and professional experience to enhance their service. As a thank you to volunteers, RSVP provides accident insurance coverage and partial transportation reimbursement. To take advantage of this program, please email Anthony Alexander of Housing Works at a.alexander@housingworks.org for an application. -
Meet Our Newest Merchandising Intern!
The new year is a great time to make a new start, and this is especially true for Shannon Fresca, Housing Works’ newest visual merchandising intern. She came to New York City armed with a bachelor’s degree in textiles, fashion merchandising, and design from the University of Rhode Island, ready to fulfill a lifelong dream. A holiday internship with Macy’s visual merchandising team convinced her that this industry was where she wanted to be, and now she’s applying her talents to Housing Works’ thrift shops. She enjoys the end results of the auction windows, the constantly changing supply of upscale designer products, and the knowledge that the stores help the homeless and HIV positive.
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UPDATED: Housewares a la George
Have you ever wondered how the Thrifts decide on how to price and merchandise their Housewares? Well you’re not alone, and now you can finally find out by attending our very first volunteer taught seminar ‘Housewares a la George,’ which will cover how the Thrifts identify and price merchandise, mystery behind “sets vs. lots’, and merchandising a la Housing Works! The seminar will be simple and easy to understand at any level of interest, and lead by long time Chelsea Volunteer, George Rojas. RSVP volunteer@housingworks.org to attend. Please include seminar title in subject line! Send us an email if you want more info about teaching your own Volunteer Seminar. Due to the pending snowstorm, the seminar has been rescheduled for February 24th at 7pm.
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Volunteer Appreciation Party Tomorrow!
It is gonna be so much fun! Food, prizes, karaoke and YOU! Can’t wait!
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In the Media: Tribeca Volunteer, Leigh Ray
Check out Tribeca Thrift store volunteer, Leigh Ray! She was recently spotlighted in A&U magazine as an “A&U Hero”. Congrats Leigh! We appreciate your service.
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Volunteer Appreciation Party
Thank you for “Giving a Second Chance” to the thousands of clients we serve by volunteering with Housing Works! Where would we be without all of our volunteers who dedicate countless hours serving in our thrift stores, bookstore, and client services departments? Housing Works staff would like to take the time to show our gratitude to our volunteers on January 28th at our Bookstore Cafe in Soho. This is a chance not only for current volunteers to relax and enjoy free food, drinks, prizes and entertainment, but also mingle and get to know each other! Please RSVP volunteer@housingworks.org to attend.
