UlsterCorps volunteers assist the Queens Galley team in preparing and serving one of 9,000 monthly meals on National Service Day, Monday, January 19th.
with service opportunities in Ulster County
UlsterCorps, a new non-partisan community service network in Ulster County, coordinated a county-wide day of service to commemorate Martin Luther King Day, on Monday, January 19th. Volunteers from across Ulster County responded to the call for service at 16 different agencies and organizations dedicated to a diverse array of services including feeding the hungry, protecting the environment, and providing emergency fire and rescue response. Events continue through the week of Jan. 19th. More can be learned about local volunteering activities this week and in the future at www.ulstercorps.org.
A team of UlsterCorps volunteers showed up at Family of Woodstock ’s Midway Program in Kingston Monday, which provides shelter, intensive case management, life skills training and after care for homeless 16-21 year old adolescents. The volunteers spent the day painting inside the house and the program could use many more volunteers like this group on an ongoing basis says Midway case manager Moira Dwyer.
“As a non profit, we are always in need of volunteers and assistance in tackling the projects that we as a small staff cannot complete,†said Dwyer. “UlsterCorps volunteers came in ready to work and helped our house look more like a home. Without the support of volunteers in our community, essential services like Midway cannot survive. We’d like to thank all of the volunteers who came to help us.â€
Family of Woodstock’s Midway Program in Kingston got a fresh coat of paint on National Service Day, Monday, January 19th, thanks to a team of volunteers from UlsterCorps. Midway provides the skills its residents need to live independently after they leave the program.
Another large group of volunteers worked in three different shifts Monday at the Queens Galley soup kitchen. The Queens Galley addresses food insecurity in Ulster County by staying open every day of the year, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner to anyone seeking a meal.
“We serve 9,000 meals a month from this kitchen and we couldn’t do it without the help of volunteers,†said Diane Reeder, executive director of the Queens Galley. “Volunteers like those from UlsterCorps help us accomplish our mission of connecting working families struggling with food insecurity with resources they need to maintain housing, medical and childcare payments. We look forward to a long relationship with the volunteers of UlsterCorps.â€
UlsterCorps mission is to introduce potential volunteers to the non-profit, non-partisan agencies which serve the Ulster County community, from fire fighters and youth mentors to blood donors and senior services organizations. More information about volunteering in Ulster County can be found at www.ulstercorps.org.
UlsterCorps volunteer events for later this week include:
• Red Cross – Blood Drive Jan. 20 and Open House Jan. 23 10am-12pm
• Ulster Literacy Association – Tutor Training Jan. 21st-23rd
• RSVP – Open House Jan. 22 9am-5pm
