Giving back: One-time volunteer opportunities on Long Island

On a recent sunny fall day, Karen Nobel, of Oyster Bay, and her teenage son, Will, walked on the beach at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park in Oyster Bay.

Rather than collecting stones and shells, they patrolled for trash, finding bottle caps, wrappers, and other objects during a beach cleanup, sponsored by the Friends of the Bay.

"We feel it’s important to clean up our beaches," says Nobel, 45, who works as a librarian. "I like that we get to hang out and chitchat as we go along."

While many people around the holiday season think about gratitude, volunteering can be a way to show it. Volunteers often chip in regularly, but it’s also possible to volunteer once, and again if you choose, for many groups.

"Volunteers are the backbone of the nonprofit industry," says Diana O’Neill, acting executive director of the Long Island Volunteer Center in Garden City. "One-time volunteers provide immediate help for an immediate need."

Cleanups are particularly popular, as groups gather once to make a difference and restore areas to a more pristine state.

"It’s great to get the community involved in volunteer cleanups," says Amanda Hornung, volunteer coordinator for Friends of the Bay, which patrols beaches and recently did a cleanup with the Oyster Bay Main Street Association. "There's always a lot of positive energy at these events and people enjoy helping the environment."

In addition to cleanups, one-time opportunities include fundraising events, cellphone drives, helping dog shelters, work at food banks and ushering plays.

"What are you good at or what do you want to learn about?" O'Neill asks. "You may have an interest in environmental causes and, now, you get involved."

Food for thought

With Thanksgiving around the corner, would-be volunteers may look for ways to help with food. Island Harvest Food Bank has more than 15,000 registered volunteers but is looking for more this time of year.

"During the holiday season we recruit hundreds and hundreds of one-time volunteers," says Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO of Island Harvest Food Bank.

Volunteers can help pick up, pack up and deliver food or help on the group’s 2-acre farm. "Our team is supervised by someone who gets to know what the interest of each volunteer is and matches them with the work we need to support," Dresner says.

Melville-based Island Harvest surveys volunteers after their service to learn how the group can do better, but Dresner says they typically get very positive reviews.

"The holiday season is a time that most people remember they can and should give back," Dresner says. "We make it as easy as possible to accommodate that need from the community."

They also have many volunteers with developmental and intellectual disabilities, doing things such as helping with the food program or shredding paper.

Friendly fervor

The Friends of the Bay, based in Oyster Bay, has a small army of about 200 volunteers who help with beach cleanups from February to November and other projects.

Executive director Christine Suter notes that garbage piles up, sometimes washed ashore by the tide. "Every time people go to the beach, they leave trash," Suter says. "It’s a constant battle."

The group also cohosts cleanups with the Oyster Bay Main Street Association in downtown Oyster Bay Village.

"We do some networking with local schools and environmental clubs," Suter says. "When they find out about us, they help spread the word and bring members from the groups."

They set up a cleanup station at Oyster Bay's Centre Island Beach with baskets that volunteers can use to collect garbage.

"It’s our pilot cleanup station. It’s a self-service volunteer activity," says Suter. " A lot of garbage goes up in the winter. People walk the beach all year."

Paws of War

Paws of War, a Nesconset-based group that rescues and pairs animals with veterans and first responders as service and companion animals, trains volunteers to work in its kennel and at events.

"They can volunteer once," says Gail Holt, director of volunteers and events. "If we know they’re coming once, it would be helping us move or build something or taking a dog to an appointment."

The group, which has 160 volunteers, uses volunteers in kennels, as well as running information tables and selling products at events.

"They love the mission," Holt adds. "It gives them a sense of being able to help the community, veterans and first responders."

One-time volunteers also can help move dog bed shipments or dog food palettes to a warehouse. "Pets are therapy," Holt says. "Just petting an animal makes you feel at ease."

House of ushers

More than 20 years ago, Russell Pulick first began ushering Theatre Three’s production of "A Christmas Carol" when his daughter Julia performed in it. Today, as front of the house coordinator, he leads volunteer ushers.

"They direct patrons to their seats, help sell candy or raffles during intermission and help with a light cleanup at the end," Pulick says of the more than 400-seat theater.

"They’re always looking for ushers, which can be as often or as limited as people wish," says Jeffrey Sanzel, Theatre Three executive artistic director.

Ushering can be your ticket to see shows such as "Driving Miss Daisy," "Matilda The Musical," "The Producers" and "Murder on the Orient Express."

"They get to see the show, but they will miss the first minutes of each act," Pulick says.

Nature’s way

Whether you love birds or plants, volunteering can be a way to help and get closer to nature.

Based at Nassau Community College, the Hempstead Plains is a 17-acre nature preserve, open April through mid-November, that needs maintenance. One-time volunteers remove invasive species, cut shrubs, remove debris and collect seeds.

"It’s mostly outdoor work," says Betsy Gulotta, a board member. "Sometimes we get school groups, family and people come in by themselves."

Meanwhile, the 9-acre Garden City Bird Sanctuary, open from Arbor Day (the last Friday of April) to the last weekend in September, has opportunities beyond those dates. During their main season they use one-time volunteers to fill bird feeders, mow the lawn, plant, garden, keep trails clean and move debris.

They also use one-off help during the offseason, such as a recent Halloween event that raised more than $16,000 and for the upcoming Winterfest setup and for filling bird feeders. 

"Volunteers can help with the ceremony," says John Cronin, first vice president of the board of directors.

While people can volunteer once, groups typically encourage them to return — and many do. "You hope the next time you put out an announcement that you’re doing an event that needs extra hands, they’ll respond," O’Neill says.

While volunteers typically aren’t paid, she says they can and should be treated well. "We have a saying in our group. ‘You have to thank and feed volunteers,’" O’Neill says. "We err on the side of generosity."

Crayon collection

In 2011 after Bryan Ware watched his sons color a restaurant menu, he asked what happened to the Crayons. They were discarded for health reasons. He let irritation be his inspiration.

Ware launched the California-based Crayon Initiative, now more than a decade old, that collects, recycles and provide Crayons in kits to children at hospitals.

Board Member Marissa Ware said individuals and groups can help by "starting a Crayon collection as well as offering many ways to support The Crayon Initiative."

"We get millions and millions of crayons sent to us from states all across the country and countries outside the U.S. as well," says Ware.

You can drop off Crayons at Staples stores on Long Island, which ships them to the group; ship them yourself; or start Crayon drives through schools, sports teams, religious groups, chambers of commerce, community clubs or charities.

You can also get restaurants to donate their Crayons, or simply hand out cards at restaurants and schools encouraging them to participate or donate. And of course, fundraisers are always welcome.