LOWER MANHATTAN — While you're shopping for last-minute holiday gifts, there are plenty of Downtown charities and nonprofits that could use a little bit of your giving momentum.
Whether you want to volunteer or just donate money, we've put together a few local organizations that work to feed the homeless, beautify parks, offer children-friendly programming and more — and will take your help, financial or otherwise, year-round.
The New York City Rescue Mission, 90 Lafayette St.
The longtime TriBeCa shelter is always in need of volunteers to help prep and serve meals — it serves more than 400 people a day.
Other than money, when it comes to donations, the shelter needs warm clothing for men and women, especially coats. It also needs toiletries for women.
Manhattan Youth, Downtown Community Center, 120 Warren St.
The community center has been providing programs for children, teens and seniors for more than 20 years. A financial donation to the nonprofit can help bolster a specific program, or the center’s work in general. Head here for more details.
South Street Seaport Museum, 12 Fulton St.
A donation to the keeper of New York City’s maritime history helps fund a variety of programs, including after-school programs for New York Harbor School students and expansion of sailing programs for kids, along with restoration of historic ships — and growing and maintaining the museum’s collections.
Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, 125 Maiden Lane
The LMCC is a longtime supporter of the arts, giving young and emerging artists the studio space and mentorship to blossom. It also puts on the yearly River to River festival, which offers up dozens of free dance, theater and performance art pieces each summer in Lower Manhattan. All those things could use some help, either financially or from volunteers working to make the organization's year-round events go smoothly.
Free and open to the public, this spot for poetry lovers has more than 60,000 volumes of poetry — one of the largest collections in the country. Poetry House depends on donations large and small to maintain its collections and offer its free programming and exhibits.
Greenwich House, 310 Greenwich St.
The longtime charitable organization offers a variety of programming, including running several senior centers, like one at TriBeCa's Independence Plaza. The site needs volunteers and funds.
Help Maintain a Local Park
Many spots of greenery in Downtown Manhattan can use some help to maintain free programming and green space. Smaller community spaces like Borgardus Garden or Washington Market Park, and larger parks like The Battery, need both volunteers and money to keep them going. For more volunteer opportunities, you can also head to the Parks Department website.
