Blogs

At the New Haven Animal Shelter, it takes a village to help abandoned dogs and cats find their forever homes. Although the city funds and staffs the shelter, the dedicated volunteers with the Friends of the New Haven Animal Shelter provide vital assistance with socializing the animals and getting them ready for adoption.

“It’s a real passion,” says Elaine Spinato, treasurer of the nonprofit volunteer organization. “I find it therapeutic. Whatever your problems are, they’re gone when there is a big set of eyes looking at you. The rewards are unending. And when a dog is adopted, it’s like seeing your kid going off to college.” Continue reading.

When migratory songbirds reach New Haven after flying across Long Island Sound, they immediately hunt for safe perches on which to rest and recover. Audubon Connecticut’s Urban Oases initiative ensures that even in the heart of this urban area, a corridor of green habitats is waiting.

Created with the help of community volunteer teams in parks and schoolyards, the habitats are the product of a larger mission by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to “bring the wildlife to the people,” says Michelle Frankel, Center Director for Audubon Greenwich and CT Team Leader for Bird-Friendly Communities.

Beyond the benefits to birds, wildlife and the larger ecosystem, the oases are also outdoor classrooms for students. They provide leadership opportunities for young people. And they are tranquil green spaces for neighborhoods with an abundance of asphalt and concrete.

“Our focus is not just on birds, but also on communities,” says Frankel. Continue reading.

Volunteer Administrative Assistant

Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen, Inc.
Part time, 20-30 hours per week

Overview

Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen (DESK) seeks a dedicated and passionate volunteer who will assist the Executive Director in a variety of administrative and development duties.  The appropriate volunteer will be a self-starter with strong computer skills, and the ideal candidate will have previous experience working in an office setting, preferably for a nonprofit organization.

Mission & Background Information

Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen serves people who are experiencing homelessness or living in poverty by providing food assistance and services that promote health, community, and equity.  Since 1987, DESK has offered evening meals and a weekly food pantry to the Greater New Haven community.

Position Summary

The Administrative Assistant will work with the Executive Director to accomplish a variety of tasks related to Fund Development, Finance, Governance, and overall administration.  Fund Development includes external communications (email, social media, direct mail, website, etc.), event planning, grant writing, and donor relations.  Finance includes general bookkeeping, bill payments, and donation processing.  Overall administration includes a variety of day-to-day office tasks.   Most work will take place at DESK’s main office, located at 311 Temple Street in New Haven; there will be occasional off-site work.

Qualifications and Requirements

Volunteers interested in this position should be enthusiastic about providing much-needed services to the target population, but they should also have a strong sense of the importance of the administrative support that goes into social service work.  Ideally, the volunteer will be very comfortable using a variety of computer programs applications, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat, and social media and web applications.  Background in nonprofit administrative or other office experience is preferred.

Compensation and Benefits

This is an unpaid volunteer position.  The primary benefit will be in the form of direct services experience, university credit (if applicable), and the overall satisfaction of helping those in need.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should email a letter of interest and résumé to Steve Werlin at swerlin@deskct.org with “Volunteer Administrative Assistant” in the subjection line.

DESK is an equal opportunity employer who values greatly the role of diversity in the workplace and encourages applications from people of all backgrounds and lifestyles

New Haven Mayor Toni Harp is joined by (back row from left) Members of the Youth Conservation Corps, Youth @Work Program Coordinator Tomi Veale, United Illuminating Program Manager Maritza Estremera, Youth Conservation Corps Supervisor Shequerra Hobby and New Haven Youth Services Director Jason Bartlett to launch the Home Energy Solutions- Income Eligible canvassing program as part of the city’s "Clean Energy Summer"

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (July 13, 2017) — On Wednesday, July 5, 2017, members of the New Haven Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) were joined at City Hall by Mayor Toni Harp, other local dignitaries and employees from United Illuminating (UI) to launch the fourth consecutive year of their energy efficiency canvassing program. These efforts were announced as part of New Haven’s "Clean Energy Summer," a city-wide commitment to combatting climate change as part of Mayor Harp’s agreement with the Compact of Mayors – a national group working to develop a low-emission society.

The YCC will spend the summer visiting an estimated 10,000 New Haven homes promoting the financial benefits of the Home Energy Solutions – Income Eligible program. These no-cost assessments provide an average of $1,000 worth of efficiency services designed to increase comfort and lower monthly energy bills for those meeting certain income requirements.

As a partner of the Energize Connecticut initiative, UI committed $5,000 to the efforts, in addition to supplying brochures, applications, backpacks, shirts and other useful materials.

After decades of effort, the health of Long Island Sound is beginning show signs of improvement. But long stretches of coastal waters remain imperiled by pollution. Connecticut Fund for the Environment/Save The Sound is on a mission to clean them and continue protecting the region’s air, water, and land.

Originally two separate organizations that were founded in the 1970s, Connecticut Fund for the Environment/Save The Sound merged in 2004 to become one of the leading environmental advocacy and policy groups in the Connecticut and New York region. Its advocates work with state legislatures in Hartford and Albany as well U.S. representatives to pass strong environmental laws and policies. And when municipalities and companies violate clean water laws, staff attorneys hold them accountable. The organization also tests water quality, cleans beaches, restores habitats, removes dams, and installs green infrastructure such as raingardens that reduce storm water pollution.

“We have a diverse set of tools we use to protect and clean the water, land and air,” says President Don Straight. “We use the right tool for the project at hand.”Continue reading.

When neighbors transform a vacant lot or trash strewn curbside into a flowering pocket park or garden, they are doing more than planting bulbs and shrubs. They are building strong communities where people care about one another and the places where they live.

For more than two decades, the Community Greenspace program has helped volunteers around the city take charge of making safe and livable neighborhoods. The beautiful spaces that result from their work typically begin with a group of neighbors who come together with a vision for what they want their community to look like.

“They will say, ‘I want my community to look beautiful,’ or ‘I want to create a safe place for kids to play,’ says Collen Murphy-Dunning, Executive Director of Urban Resources Initiative (URI), which runs the program. “These places undergo magical transformations. Children are now playing in parks that had been dumping grounds.” Continue reading.