Volunteer & Donate




VOLUNTEER

CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities is an organization that supports low-income and immigrant Asians in New York by supporting housing advocacy, language, and youth leadership programs. They are accepting volunteers and donations.

Heart of Dinner is a Chinatown-based organization that provides meals and produce to Asian-American seniors in the surrounding community while supporting local businesses. You can volunteer by delivering meals, helping with outreach and fundraising, illustrating or writing notes for seniors, or donate by visiting this page.

The St. Lawrence County Public Health Department in Canton, NY is seeking medical and non-medical volunteers to assist in COVID-19 vaccine distribution. This includes pre-vaccination screenings, administration, data entry, traffic flow, and other tasks based on skill set. If interested, register through the link on this page.


Albany Medical Center in NY is seeking medical professionals and students with clinical experience to help with vaccine administration. Volunteers can sign up through ServNY.

The Open Door is an organization in New York and New Jersey that provides English and computer classes to immigrant families. They have a few open volunteer positions such as teaching online classes and are accepting donations.

New York Common Pantry is asking for volunteers in Manhattan and the Bronx to help provide and pack food. Volunteers can sign up for shifts on this schedule.

Genesis is an organization that provides transitional housing and support services in Queens, and needs volunteers to help with meal prepping.

In God's Love We Deliver is looking for volunteers and donations in order to cook, package, and deliver meals to those living with severe and chronic illnesses in the area during the COVID-19 crisis. See their updated volunteer protocol on the sign-up page.

NYC United Against Coronavirus has compiled a document listing volunteer opportunities by borough.

Grand Central Food Program is a mobile soup kitchen that delivers approximately 1,000 meals to the homeless in New York. They are still delivering during COVID-19 and could use volunteers.  This link contains more information and the routes they take. They also take donations.
Dream Center Food Delivery volunteers needed; see COVID-19 Volunteer Protocol


NYS Department of Health Volunteer Assistance Program is asking for qualified health professionals to help with the surge in hospitalizations due to COVID-19 by treating other patients and providing other services. Fill out the survey in the link above.

Hunger Free America’s Volunteer Hub has posted numerous volunteer opportunities, both remote/virtual and in-person across New York State. These postings range from graphic design volunteer, to accounting volunteer, to in-person food pantry volunteer missions and food delivery. You can sign up for a volunteer position on their website.

Food Bank for NYC has posted numerous volunteer opportunities to help prepare and pack meals. These opportunities include packing emergency food boxes, working at pop-up food distributions across all boroughs, as well as providing food delivery support  You can sign up on their website.

New York Cares is sending out lists of volunteer opportunities as they become available, and you can sign up here to receive the updates.

Jackson Heights (Queens) New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE) is an organization that gives out groceries and meals to their neighborhood with an emphasis on supporting immigrant worers, and they need volunteers and donations.


Corona Connects matches people with time on their hands with organizations who need their help, taking into account organization need and volunteer skills/preferences.  Find opportunities, submit a need, or spread awareness with the “cup challenge” here.

Brooklyn Shows Love is an organization that provides non-perishables and COVID-19 supplies to households in Brooklyn. They are asking for volunteers and donations. Contact them through their website for material donations such as groceries, medications, etc. 

Samaritans NYC is part of the National Samaritans organization which provides crisis support groups, hotlines, public education workshops, and more. They are asking for volunteers to work the hotlines to provide support for those struggling with their mental health, especially during COVID, and for donations. 

Queens Community House is an organization focused on strengthening the surrounding neighborhood by providing youth and elderly care services. They are asking for volunteers to provide virtual support through weekly phone calls to isolated older adults as part of their Friendly Visitor program. You can sign up on their website here.

Heights and Hills is a Brooklyn based organization that provides support to home-bound older adults. They are asking for more volunteers to help their Shopping Squad with no-contact deliveries in 19 neighborhoods  The application and more information can be found here. They are also accepting donations to support these services here.

Long Island Council of Churches is providing their surrounding communities in Nassau and Suffolk counties with essential goods through their food centers and are asking for donations so they can continue their work during the pandemic. From this link, you can choose to donate towards specific food items or to give general donations. 

Invisible Hands Deliver is looking for volunteers to deliver groceries to at-risk individuals, as well as remote volunteers for other tasks. The areas of New York which they cover can be found here. They also accept donations.

DOROT is a Jewish organization which provides services to the elderly in New York City, and they are asking for volunteers for their Caring Calls Program which provides emotional support to isolated seniors over the phone. 


SUPPORT THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY


Gov. Cuomo’s office has provided the following phone number and email to connect PPE donations with hospitals who need equipment: 646-522-8477 or COVID19supplies@esd.ny.gov.

Public hospitals in NYC are accepting monetary donations through Network for Good in order to provide meals, groceries, living accomodations, transportation laundry, and scrubs for medical staff. Donate here.

SUNY Downstate-University Hospital of Brooklyn, one of three COVID-only facilities, is accepting medical equipment donation inquiries at the email address Donations@downstate.edu, and are asking for the donor name, details of the donation, where the supplies were sourced, and drop-off or pick-up information.

Bellevue is directing all requests to donate any items to the email address BellevueCommandCenter@nychhc.org such as masks, other equipment, flowers for patients, etc.

PPE2NYC is an organization started by medical students across New York which accepts donations of PPE and will distribute them directly to staff at hospitals throughout NYC. They have options to drop off or have the equipment picked up.


ADVOCATE


Incarcerated Folks + Family Members
  • #ClemencyCoast2Coast Campaign Toolkit (here)
    • Advocates are calling on Governor Cuomo (NY State) and Governor Newsom (CA State) to grant clemencies and other releases immediately to elders and others in prison who are vulnerable to Covid-19. Script included in toolkit.
  • Free Them All for Public Health toolkit (here)
    • Call to action for today: Targeting the Director of the Major's Office of Criminal Justice to initiate discharge plans for people inside both NYC jails and NYS prisons. Script included in call to action.
    • Financial solidarity for formerly incarcerated people and their families (here)
    • Petition to make prison and jail communication free during and after covid-19 pandemic (here)

DONATE

Think!Chinatown provides resources and support to local businesses, advocates for Asian equity, holds workshops, and organizes cultural and arts programs. You can donate to support their ongoing projects here.

New York Materials for the Arts is an organization that collects and distributes materials for Creative Reuse projects at schools and community centers. They accept a range of materials but the current most wanted items include buttons, fabric, and small appliances. More information and links to donate, either through drop-off or mailing, can be found here.

Troop 6000 is a Girl Scout program for girls living in more than 20 shelters across the New York City Shelter System, helping to provide them with service opportunities and social support even during the pandemic. Order your annual supply of cookies from Troop 6000 here or donate to them directly.

Fund For Public Schools is a non-profit partner to the NYC Department of Education and is collecting donations for their NYC Schools COVID-19 Response Effort which is working to support students and their school communities.

Books4Cause organizes book and electronics drives in a few cities and college campuses in the US, and they are currently doing pick-ups in Manhattan and the Bronx. They have a $35 service charge that can be waived if you are unable to pay. These donations help children get access to books both in the US and abroad. 

Fuel The People is an organization that provides food and other resources to protestors from local POC-owned restaurants and businesses, and donates to local organizations fighting for racial equality. They will be providing support to those in the DC area, specifically people without housing, in the wake of the Capitol riots. They are also based in NY, and are accepting donations for both locations.

A fire at the Middle Collegiate Church in the East Village also damaged a neighboring women’s shelter called the Hopper Home, displacing 22 of the women residing there. The shelter’s organization, Women’s Prison Association, is accepting monetary donations to help rebuild the area damaged by the fire.

Nourish NYC provides direct material and financial support to NYC based activists and they take donations through PayPal and CashApp.

PEN Writer's Emergency Fund was started by PEN America to collect donations to support writers and playwrights who are struggling during COVID-19.

Give Directly is a global non-profit that provides emergency cash response to households in need.

Hot Bread Kitchen provides COVID-19 support to small business owners, meals for healthcare workers, and virtual job interview training among other resources and they are accepting donations here.

Bronx Works is an organization that provides its surrounding community with teaching programs, housing services, and essential goods. They have an Amazon wishlist for resources to support children’s remote learning and a separate fund which will go towards COVID-19 assistance.

NYC Schools COVID-19 Response Fund is collecting donations to continue promoting racial equity, college-readiness, and to increase access to necessary technology/supplies in New York public schools.

East Bronx Mutual Aid Fund was started by Bronx residents to provide grocery gift cards to the elderly, vulnerable, and others in need of food assistance during the pandemic, and they’re accepting donations to continue helping their community.

Harry Chapin is a Long Island food bank that is asking for donations to go towards continuing to provide meals for the surrounding community.

Hope for NY is accepting donations which will go towards helping their affiliates such as the Bowery Mission and The Salvation Army get through the pandemic and continue providing those in need with essentials such as food and clothing.

First Book is a national organization active in New York State that provides school supplies and educational resources to low-income children. They are accepting donations to continue helping children learn from home during the pandemic.

Little Essentials offers children’s supplies, clothing, and other essentials to at-risk families living in poverty. They are accepting donations here and have a drop-off donation drive in Brooklyn for which information can be found here.

St. Ann's Corner of Harm Reduction provides supportive services to people in the Bronx who struggle with substance use, homelessness, or have marginalized racial or gender identities. They are also providing to-go meals for their community and are asking for donations to continue providing these services. 

St. John's Bread and Life is an organization working to alleviate hunger and poverty in Brooklyn and Queens, and they are taking donations to continue serving meals.

WINNYC is an organization that provides housing and support to homeless people, with an emphasis on women and children, and are accepting donations to provide housing-insecure children the necessary supplies and resources to continue their education remotely.

Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn is accepting blood donations for plasma and monetary donations to help with fighting COVID in their community.

The Ali Forney Center provides LGBTQ youth with housing and other support services, and needs donations to continue its work during the COVID crisis to keep LGBTQ youth safe.

The Salvation Army is accepting donations to continue providing national COVID assistance such as food delivery, shelter, and support and has listed specific volunteer opportunities across New York on New York Cares.

Vision Urbana provides youth and senior services to residents of the Lower East Side and is taking donations to continue supporting its food delivery program. They are also looking for volunteers too take delivery shifts through New York Cares.  
World Central Kitchens has a program called Chef’s for America which needs donations to continue providing meals across several states including New York to those in need while helping support restaurants struggling with the effects of COVID-19.

Brooklyn Gives has posted multiple donation matches and challenges from various organizations, each up to $2500.

CHiPS (Community Help in Park Slope) in Brooklyn is asking for any small food business or individual donations of individually packaged food to feed the surrounding community. They are also accepting monetary donations to continue providing food, clothing, and housing.

The Bring Back Brooklyn Fund, started by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, is accepting donations in order too support small businesses which have been negatively impacted by COVID-19.

NYC Health + Hospitals is asking for donations to go towards COVID-19 relief, including meals for hospital workers, scrubs, transportation, groceries, and laundry. These services help hospital workers who don’t have any extra time between long shifts. 

New York Presbyterian Queens is collecting donations for their Patient Care and Healthcare Worker Funds which will go towards COVID-19 related expenses for patients and supporting the physical/mental wellness of healthcare workers.

Meals on Wheels of Staten Island needs donations in order to continue providing 2 meals a day to homebound seniors in Staten Island. They are also accepting volunteers here.

Emergency COVID Relief for NYC Sex Workers is a GoFundMe started by Alex Andrews, one of the founders of SBB which is a Brooklyn-based organization that provides support for incarcerated sex workers, which will serve to house and feed sex workers during the crisis.
Laal is a nonprofit in the Bronx that provides resources for Bengali women, such as a safe place to practice literacy and learn about health and wellness. They are requesting donations to provide aid for those dealing with hospitalizations and job losses. Directions for donations are on their website.


Staten Island Immigrant Emergency Fund is asking for donations to support La Colmena  Community Job Center, which is an organization that advocates for the immigrant community. These funds will go directly to members of the La Colmena community.

The Jahajee Sisters' Emergency Fund supports victims of gender-based violence in New York. They and are asking for donations, which will go to purchasing baby items, childcare, temporary housing, and attorney fees. The Jahjee Sisters is an initiative of the Center for Transformative Action, and it focuses on providing community, empowerment, and support to Indo-Caribbean women. 

Robin Hood COVID-19 Relief Fund needs donations to help fund NYC-based non-profits focused on fighting poverty. You can donate here

NYC Mutual Aid Grocery Fund

Hunger Free NYC needs donations to continue delivering food to senior citizens and giving families access to Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program benefits.

Sex Workers Outreach Project

LGBTQI+ Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Mutual Aid Fund

The Bowery Mission needs donations of goods such as food supplies, cleaning supplies, and bedding to continue feeding, clothing, and housing homeless people in NYC.

NYC Coalition For The Homeless Donations - Needs $$$ to continue helping provide emergency shelter, food, and other services to the homeless population in NYC. The linked page also has an Amazon Charity list which people can use to shop for them.

Food Bank for NYC - Needs volunteers & $$$

NYC Dyke Bar Takeover Direct Action Emergency Fund for Gig Workers

Service Workers Coalition NY - Needs volunteers & $$$

New York Blood Center - Seeking blood & platelet donations across Tri-State area, and seeking Convalescent Plasma (CP) donations from people who have recovered from COIVD-19


Breaking Ground helps people escape homelessness, providing many in vulnerable communities access to housing and supporting services like education and counseling. During the outbreak, they are having a campaign called #SupportOurSeniors which directs financial donations towards buying necessities for the seniors housed by Breaking Ground (toilet paper, groceries, cleaning supplies and PPE). To donate, click here.

The Afya Foundation is collecting donations to buy PPE for healthcare workers in New York and is accepting donations of hand-made PPE such as masks. They have instructions here on their website on how you can help by sewing or 3-D printing here.

St. John's Bread and Life is an organization in Brooklyn and Queens that serves meals to New Yorkers every day. They are asking for financial assistance. Donate here.


The Queer Detainee Empowerment Project (QDEP) assists people leaving immigration detention in securing educational, legal, emotional, and other support and services. They are asking for donations for their COVID-19 Emergency Fund.

Street Vendor COVID-19 Emergency Fund is collecting donations to help support NYC Street Vendors who have been financially impacted by COVID-19. The fund is organized by The Street Vendor Project of the Urban Justice Center with support from the North Star Fund. The funds will go to provide $200 relief payments to individual street vendors.

United Way NYC has established a COVID-19 Community Fund to raise money for organizations that provide food and other essential services for underserved New Yorkers.

Health Research Incorporated is collecting donations for their First Responders Fund which helps healthcare workers and first responders with associated costs such as childcare and PPE.


Resources for Artists 
 
Fund application for LGBTQ2S artists, performers, & tip-based workers who have been negatively impacted

Fund application for US-based Black, Indigenous, People of Color working as artists who have been negatively impacted

Covid-19 Freelance Artist Resource List

NYC Low Income Artist / Freelance Relief Fund 

Artist Relief is a national organization that has created a fund to give artists financial and informational assistance during COVID-19 (donate here)

ArtBridge COVID-19 Artist Relief Fund is providing grants of $250-500 to artists in NYC impacted by the pandemic (donate here)

Resources to Support Black Communities

Black Trans Fund

Black Lives Matter Emergency Fund

Supporting Organizations/Workers

Domestic Workers Alliance Fund for Workers

Make The Road NY Fund



The website was developed as a service provided by medical students in New York City.

This website provides selected information available about a range of disease topics. Like any printed material, it may become out of date over time. It is important that consumers rely on the advice of a health care professional to employ good clinical judgment for the specific conditions of individual patients. This information is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a health care professional, or a recommendation for any particular treatment plan. External sites are not necessarily endorsed by the medical students who created this website.