Our volunteers come from all walks of life, but have one thing in common — a passion for making a difference. We call these great volunteers "New Yorkers Who Care" and we love sharing their stories with you. This year, we're highlighting volunteers, Team Leaders, and Community Partners to see what they're doing to make New York City great.

25 Challenge

To celebrate our 25th Anniversary we asked our volunteers to do more work than ever. And with that, the 25 Challenge was born. Volunteers could sign up to complete 25 hours in the course of a year, or do 5 projects in each of the 5 boroughs. Check out the superstar volunteers who met the challenge.

New Yorkers Who Care

Keith Soans: Champion For Students

Volunteering has a sense of purpose, it's very tangible, you can see and feel that you are making an impact in someone's life or in your neighborhood. In addition, I have always learned something new during a project. New York Cares has created opportunities for me to learn about my local environment, and has given me skills you can't learn in a classroom. Through volunteering, I've learned to be patient, I've learned how make the most out of what you have, and that listening is just as important as talking. These lessons have helped me become an effective leader.

2900+ Projects

2500+ Projects

2100+ Projects

1200+ Projects

1100+ Projects

1000+ Projects

900+ Projects

800+ Projects

700+ Projects

600+ Projects

500+ Projects

400+ Projects

300+ Projects

200+ Projects

100+ Projects

50+ Projects