Vol. 2: Brunch in Carroll Gardens, a doc I can't stop thinking about, and a way to deeply engage with local college students as they career-plan
Your biweekly (at least!) guide to joyful civic engagement and connection in NYC
Give it a watch: I’ve recommended this documentary about 37x, and I predict it will boost your interest in getting involved in your community x10! It covers the decline in civic engagement (from local clubs to bowling teams) and what that means for you and for society at large. It’s brief and more energizing than depressing, in case that helps motivate you! Free with your or your friend’s Netflix login. More here.
Dine for a cause: Brunch at Emma’s Torch, a restaurant/social enterprise in Carroll Gardens which provides refugees with a community and in-depth culinary training. More here. Bonus: Bring a new friend(s), and stretch your Carroll Gardens day date beyond Emma’s Torch: stop/shop at Yesterday’s News antiques store or get crafty at the Painting School.
Coach and connect: Support 5-8 college students in preparing for and accessing quality first jobs after graduation. This intensive but transformative volunteer opportunity provides you with training and support before/during your 10-week virtual engagement with young people. If you’ve ever felt grateful for the folks who helped you with early career moves, this is a great way to give back and “lift as you climb!”1 More here. Note: the application deadline is July 9!
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What made me do a doubletake:2 An estimate that social isolation costs the United States healthcare system more than $50 BILLION (think: early childhood isolation is associated with chronic illnesses later in life, those without social networks are more likely to face housing instability which leads to health challenges, etc.). More here. I’m so curious about what targeted investment in boosting social connection would mean for NYC!
*Note, unless otherwise noted, I am not directly involved in any events, so please confirm fine print/availability via links. That said, I curate recommendations and only suggest opportunities I would happily participate in myself (I might see you there)!
"Lifting as we climb" is an expression typically attributed to Activist, Suffragist, and Co-Founder of the National Association of Colored Women (NACW), Mary Church Terrell. It became the NACW motto and has been used as an inspiring reminder of one’s duty to help lift others as you rise yourself! More here.
This category includes things I heard/learned in the last few weeks of working in the nonprofit sector that really made me think! I predict it will often relate to volunteerism, connectedness, and/or NYC.
This is amazing!!!!