Give and Get: Volunteering as Public Health Action

Early Thanksgiving morning, my fellow Mailman students Alex and Caroline woke at 4:00am with the moon and stars still in the sky. Tired, we lazily changed into our cold-weather clothing to help Alex with her tradition: every Thanksgiving for the last six years or so, she goes with a group from her local church to bring food to a homeless shelter.

Aside from cooking the food early and handing it out, as volunteers we also offered a patient ear to the people in their moment of hardship. I heard stories from a man named David who was wearing grey sweatpants and an Ed Hardy tee shirt. David told me about his escape from an exploitative parent, providing for his daughter and estranged wife, and attending college for railway engineering. He was emphatic and humble, but his voice was low as if burdened by the weight of his experiences.

When I said goodbye to David, the kitchen and the other volunteers, I felt a sense of fulfillment but I was also reminded me that after all the research and policies and evaluation, the majority of public health comes down to one human helping their fellow humans.

Serving in a soup kitchen is a popular volunteering activity and Food Bank for New York City provides prospective volunteers with opportunities from food donation to food distribution. According to the Food Bank’s website, “32 percent of New York City residents (approximately 2.6 million people) reported difficulty affording food.” Volunteers could reduce the likelihood of insufficient nutrition by providing “food for approximately 64 million free meals per year.”

New York Cares is a major volunteer management organization that oversees projects from feeding the hungry to animal care, but perhaps their most prominent project is the New York Cares Coat Drive, which collects thousands of coats to help protect against the hardships of winter. According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, those who lack shelter or the elderly are especially sensitive to the dangers of cold weather. Any coat you can spare will help reduce that risk.

Urban Gardening is another New York City volunteering opportunity. The United Way of New York City’s volunteerism guide recognizes that certain New York neighborhoods lack access to healthy foods, and urban gardens provide “approximately 1,200 pounds of fresh produce” that may improve health outcomes in their respective communities.

Along the same line, why not spend a day outside? Perhaps you can clean up your local park or your local beach. A clean park may not only encourage members of the community to exercise, but, according to a 2013 study from scientists with the CDC, cleaning the park may improve your health by getting you moving. If you’re a fellow Angeleno who enjoys the beach, you can do this by taking part in Heal the Bay’s beach cleanups.

Removing a partially smoked cigarette from your park, sheltering someone from the cold, or starting a garden for healthier meals are just a small sample of volunteer opportunities that anyone can do to improve the health of the public. As an added benefit, you might hear an interesting story from an amazing person, get some exercise, or make a connection with another volunteer. Either way, you’ll help improve the health of your neighborhood while getting that fuzzy feeling because you did something nice this holiday season.

If you would like to contribute to Mailman Student Voices, please send a three to five-sentence pitch outlining your topic to mailmancomm@columbia.edu.