New York Cares Day (Fall)

New York Cares was founded by a group of friends in 1987 who wanted to take action against social issues in New York City. Today, the organization engages 56,000 volunteers in service each year, helping 400,000 New Yorkers in need. Today is New York Cares Day Fall, one of the signature programs of the organization. It is also the organization's largest volunteer day, mobilizing about 6,000 volunteers to over 90 NYC public schools. The event is a 'serve-a-thon', in which volunteers raise money in honor of their work they do. Volunteers paint, organize, clean, and revitalize classrooms of public schools. I joined several groups of volunteers in painting hallways and murals in the Alexander Humboldt School PS 115 in Washington Heights in northern Manhattan.