Meet Ilana! She has been a committed volunteer with the Changemakers Team for the past four years. She has been such a great help during this difficult time. Ilana stepped up as one of our first virtual volunteers to help create a Community Resource Sheet for seniors in the neighborhood. We asked Ilana, what does Civic Engagement at MCC mean to her and she replied:
“The work we do here is really important and tied to addressing how worldwide and national political events affect you on a personal level. There are things happening in your community that you can’t address on the national political level until you address them locally. In NY especially this work feels inaccessible, there are a lot of barriers to people being civically involved, this (civic engagement) is a way to break down those barriers and take the power back. It feels like it happens to you but what if you could happen to it? I have gotten so much personally out of this building and this neighborhood. Volunteering here is a chance to be more active in and to give back to something that has benefited me, and to get to know a place that has been a pillar of the community.”
As a changemaker, volunteers are part of a movement of engaged New Yorkers taking action to strengthen Lower East Side and beyond. Our spotlight series provides an opportunity to share the stories of why community members get involved, what they gain from the experience, and the impact they are able to make at the Manny Cantor Center and in the community. Thank you to all who choose to come through our doors to help build the neighborhood we want to live in.
If you are interested in volunteering or getting involved with us here at Manny Cantor Center, we have opportunities available for a variety of schedules and interests. Learn more about being a Volunteer Changemaker at MCC here.
