Meet Marta and George, They both volunteer in the Teen Center as support volunteers, both started in September of this past year and although they have never met, they both are committed to the teen center and enjoy the work they do here at MCC.
As support volunteers, George and Marta sign in the teens when they arrive and make sure that they get to the classes they signed up for. They both have grown to really love the teens and the environment here at the Manny Cantor Center as well as have gotten a great feeling from giving back to the community!
George got a job at Educational Alliance as a teenager, and is now back to give to the community.
“I decided to volunteer because I needed community Service hours and I’ve had volunteer experience in the past and wanted to do more in the community. I enjoy working with the teens, I have made friends with several of the teens down there and I like them a lot. I like the environment and the people here are nice. The building is great and I love being here because the space is so nice. Volunteering feels meaningful to me, I feel productive and I learn new things when I volunteer.”
Marta is transitioning into going to social work school and wanted to volunteer here at Manny Cantor to get a sense of what working in social services would be like and to give back to her community.
“I really wanted to be in a program that was in a social services setting, and being here has completely confirmed everything I want to do. This is such a nice place, everyone is so friendly and genuine, all of the programs and people I have talked to have been so nice.
I have never worked with teenagers, so it was a new thing for me. It is amazing for me to see these teens even doing more than just school; they are making an effort to fill their days with even more meaningful activities. I wish there had been programs like this when I was growing up, I would have loved it. It’s amazing, they have everything here, and it’s so impressive that they travel from all over the city which really shows that this place is special to them too.
Volunteering is really important to me, I feel like I do it for really selfish reasons, like it makes me happy, I don’t feel like I am doing anything particularly for other people. It brings a lot more meaning into my life. I’m really passionate about a lot of issues and it feels good to contribute.
I have heard so many wonderful things about the impact this place has had on the community
And when I first came here and met Andrea (The Associate Program Director for Edgies) and she gave me a tour, I hadn’t realized the range of things that happen here, its mind-blowing, its really amazing how it’s from birth to old age, nobody is left out. This place feels so inclusive and open to everyone and I really like that. It’s been great to see how the program is administered as well, to be able to come to someplace consistently, and see what people do to make the programs happen. My favorite part of volunteering here is that everyone that works here is so kind, from the security staff, to the maintenance staff, everybody is so friendly, everybody is so kind, I feel so welcomed and comfortable here
To me, volunteering really means being involved in my community in a way that isn’t just taking, it is also giving. Feeling like I’m contributing is important to me. It makes me happy and that’s why I do it.”
