The YCP is dedicated to reducing hunger while promoting dignity and self-sufficiency.  YCP champions the cause of the hungry through food pantry and meal distribution programs, nutrition education, basic hygiene services, homeless support, and related services. YCP’s community based programs focus on East Harlem and other underserved communities throughout New York City.

Dress for Success
Twice a year, DfS hosts a sale in Manhattan/Harlem and sell clothes to all of their partner programs and female clientele, including all those who haven’t yet been suited by Dress for Success. Clients will have the opportunity to purchase suits, professional separates, and accessories at super low prices. MYDers will staff the sale and get a taste of what it feels like to work in retail (for those of us that don’t already know) much like the women of the Living Wage campaign that MYD supports.
Saturday, November 5th
Shifts 9:45am – 1:00pm
          1:00pm – 4:00pm
Contact Heather at women@GOMYD.com to sign up.

Yorkville Common Pantry
On Saturday, November 19th MYD will heading up to the Yorkville Common Pantry in East Harlem to help them prepare for Thanksgiving.  Volunteers will help sort through the many donations they receive to be distributed during Thanksgiving week.  There will be some heavy lifting.  To sign up, email Kim: secretary@GOMYD.com.

And check out all of our upcoming events on our calendar.

Check out photos from the day:

It feels so great to know our canvasses will be hanging in classrooms for years to come.  To see our amazing masterpieces, check out the slideshow below!

After you’ve done that, and are sufficiently jealous of the awesome time we had, you can sign up for our next community service event at the Bowery Mission.  Email Kim at service@gomyd.com for more info.

Special thanks to Heather, Ahmed, Jen and Darryl for coming out to help!

Blaire and Jee, two of our amazing volunteers, ran with Richard, a civil rights attorney who also happens to be almost completely blind.  He said something that really struck me: if volunteers don’t show up for these runs, he is forced to run on a treadmill.  Because we were there, he was able to do a 5 mile run in Central Park on a gorgeous, sunny day.

These athletes were amazing.  Most of them were doing 5 and 6 mile runs; I could barely do 2!  It was a truly inspiring day and I encourage everyone to get involved.

We will be organizing another MYD event later this month, but Achilles is out there every Saturday.  So just show up at 90th and 5th around 10:15 am, they’d love to have you!

http://www.achillesinternational.org/chapters/national

It’s been six months since Haiti’s deadly earthquake and over two million people are still displaced and living in refugee camps.  The women in these camps lack basic supplies, such as feminine hygiene products, soap and underwear.  Please help these women by donating these badly needed items.

This month the Manhattan Young Democrats will be working with 1199/SEIU and We Care for Haiti to collect donations.  Wednesday, July 14th is the official MYD Donation Day!  Between 7am and 11pm you can drop off donations at 1199/SEIU 310 W. 43rd St., in the lobby.  There will be two large bins set up for collection.

Items Needed:

Underwear of all sizes
Sanitary Napkins
Pantyliners
Travel size disposable wipes
Toothbrush & Toothpaste
Soap & Sanitizing Products
Washcloths
Sandals
Deodorant
Lotion
Energy bars
Zip lock bags (1 gallon size)

If you have any questions please contact Kim at service@gomyd.com.

MYDers helping out at the Lower East Side Ecology Center

This past Saturday members of MYD participated in a day of garden stewardship at the Lower East Side Ecology Center in East River Park.  The Center is a non-profit organization that offers free public compost collection and education, electronic waste recycling, stewardship of public open space and environmental education.

We pulled weeds and distributed wood chips to keep n ew weeds from growing.  We all had a great time and learned a lot!  If you’re interested in helping out the Lower East Side Ecology Center, you can check out their website for future garden stewardship days here.

Official position description:

e) The Community Services Director, who shall be responsible for assisting the Executive Board in coordinating with various volunteering opportunities and to connect MYD members with those opportunities.

In other words, the CSD is responsible for one service event a month (generally keeping within a theme for the quarter, currently the theme is greening NYC). They are responsible to recruit, attend, document (via the gomyd blog) and follow-up with all service events. They are not in any way limited to 1 event a month, for example we participated in NY Cares Day and the AIDS Walk as separate events.

Sound like you? Download the application HERE and email it to me at president [at] gomyd . com by Tuesday, May 25! Please let me know if you have any additional questions.

*Applicants must be dues-paying MYD members, please note that the Eboard members are required to attend two meetings a month, on the first and third Tuesdays from 7-8pm*

Photos from the event:

Rock 'em Sock 'em

MYD has teamed up with Hands on New York for a good ole’ fashioned toy drive. Donated toys will be distributed to children with the misfortune of living in domestic violence or homeless shelters in Manhattan. So, while you’re out this weekend doing your holiday shopping, grab a toy or two of any value and bring it on down to the MYD general meeting next Tuesday.

Seriously, any toy will do, so don’t be timid. You’ll be handsomely rewarded with big smiles and good karma.

Draw Four, aww man.

MYD TOY DRIVE
Tuesday, December 15
7:00PM
461 Park Ave South, 10th Floor
Bring a toy of any value for kids in NYC shelters.