FORT GREENE — Give back this holiday season by lending a helping hand in your own community.
Before you get the Thanksgiving turkey cooking, consider volunteering with a local non-profit organization. Several groups in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill offer opportunities for all abilities and ages, whether you’re a bookworm, have a green thumb or an excellent conversationalist.
Here are a few places where you can give back in your neighborhood:
► Clinton Hill and Walt Whitman Libraries
Locals can volunteer at the Brooklyn Public Library branch this holiday season. Whether you’re shelving books, helping a librarian host a storytime, or reading aloud at a nearby hospital, the library is always in need of a helping hand. Teens ages 12 to 18 can also volunteer to be book buddies and read to younger children. To sign up, fill out a form on the BPL website.
The Fort Greene Council is looking for volunteers to help serve and prepare nutritious meals at one of the non-profit’s 13 senior centers across Brooklyn. Volunteers can also sign up to help with clerical duties like filing and record-keeping. The organization offers up to 20 volunteer hours per week.
If you don’t mind getting down and dirty, sign up for one of Fort Greene Park’s many volunteer opportunities, including planting, mulching, erosion control and weeding. Time commitments vary, from daylong events like the Leaf No Trace 2016 cleanup which will take place on Nov. 19 to a weekly 90-minute shift with the park’s Volunteer Gardener Program. Volunteers can register on the park’s website.
► Good Neighbors of Fort Greene and Clinton Hill
Be a good neighbor this holiday season with Good Neighbors of Fort Greene and Clinton Hill. The organizations connects volunteers with residents who need assistance with a variety of tasks, such as driving, gardening, grocery shopping, computer support and errands. You can also sign up for home visits, book readings or phone calls with neighbors who just need to chat or hear a friendly voice.
► The Brooklyn Hospital Center
Help out your local hospital by pitching in with clerical work like filing and data entry. The Brooklyn Hospital Center requires volunteers to be up-to-date with vaccinations and asks for 150 hours or six months of service.
