Below is important info on volunteering and what you can gain here. Please read it completely before your info session.

Whatever your skill - there's a way to help from anywhere on Earth (and elsewhere if you can manage a phone, fax or e-mail connection).

Gain a wide range of experience. Help with our End Poverty Campaign^SM, website, publicity campaigns or Youth for Change^SM and Seniors for Change^SM programs, using creativity and innovation to encourage public service. A summary of all our projects.

Utilize your abilities, sharpen your skills and grow in new areas. Learn from others' experience while helping millions of people to make a difference.

Skills and experience
Experience and/or specialized skills are useful but not required. We may provide training. Many, though not all, of our activities do require some computer experience with an Internet browser and Microsoft Word. Some of our activities, including accounting and computer tech, require somewhat substantial previous education or experience. If those are your interests, let's talk before you come in to make sure we can provide a good opportunity for your interests.

Sapna, a Hearts & Minds volunteer, enjoying gaining experience while helping us help millions of people

Develop a wide range of skills
Get involved in your choice of hands-on work. Gain some valuable experience in your choice of a wide range of activities in our Working Groups.

When
Volunteer three or more hours/week, scheduled at flexible times that are convenient for you. You can start any time. There's no minimum total hours for regular volunteers.

Excluding major holidays, our office is usually open 12 pm to 6 pm Mondays through Thursdays. Currently, we're open additional hours only occasionally.

Where
We are in an interesting, pleasant neighborhood in New York City, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Many activities can also be done from outside our office, anywhere in the world, including these projects.

Hearts & Minds is an all-volunteer organization. Your local commuting expenses may be covered. There are other ways we help our volunteers and interns. We do not provide housing, but here is some helpful advice.

Chizuko, another Hearts & Minds volunteer, does valuable research for the End Poverty Campaign, participates in strategic planning meetings and more. Here she writes to an elected representative to help end global poverty. You, too, can choose from a wide range of interesting activities.

Internships, Co-Ops and more
Internships total at least 250 hours. Extended internships are at least 400 hours. Advanced internships of 700 hours and Co-ops of 1,000 hours are also available.

We also offer Leadership Opportunities for more ambitious individuals.

Students may also fulfill community service or internship requirements and gain valuable experience. Course credit and independent study are possible in collaboration with your school.

Volunteers under age 18 can participate in most of the same activities as our older volunteers. They do need a parent or legal guardian to co-sign our Volunteer policies. Hearts & Minds works with volunteers age 14 or older.

Parent and guardians are welcome to attend our info session and meet our president .

Special Needs
For hearing impaired individuals, we usually communicate by typing on a computer. This has worked well so far.
For physically challenged individuals, this may include regular meetings in a fully accessible part of the building that houses our offices. Our main office is on a second floor accessible only by steps. We regret that we cannot afford to install an elevator.

Court-required community service: more info

What you need to know before attending an info session

• You will meet with Bill Blackman, the president of Hearts & Minds. He will talk with you about the organization, your areas of interest and skills you'd like to improve. The info session usually takes about an hour.

• We are an all-volunteer organization. All positions are unpaid. We provide other benefits.

• We are open Monday thru Thursday from 12 to 6pm. Some volunteer work can be done remotely outside of those hours.

• Info sessions are held in our office Wednesdays at 4:30. If you can’t make that, we can arrange an alternative time.

• Bring the original and a copy (black and white is fine) of your government-issued ID such as your driver’s license or passport.

• If you are under 18, a student ID is acceptable. We will need to see a copy of a parent or legal guardian’s ID.

• Please bring a resume if available.

• If you’re interested in art, photography, writing, graphic design or website development, please bring samples of your work or links to your web pages. We don’t need to keep these, just to take a look. If you're not interested in these areas, none of this is required`.

• You can dress casually, Jeans or shorts and sneakers are fine. (Clothing required. : )

• Even if you know the city well, we recommend you print out and bring directions to our office.

• Please call us if you're unable to attend the session you scheduled.

• We look forward to meeting you!

Please note: Everyone who volunteers at our office is required to sign our Volunteer and Intern Introduction and Agreement before working with us. This is usually done during the info session, so you have a chance to ask questions, but you can email or call and ask to speak to Bill Blackman about it in advance, as well.

Here's a brief Copyright Agreement we make with some professional writers and artists who allow us to publish their work.

If you like, you can apply now!

For other messages or questions, you can also Contact Us,

Directions to our office

Free Newsletter  |  Blog
Global Survival  |  End Poverty Campaign^SM

Top of Page  |  Home Page  |  Site Guide
Contact Us  |  Join/Donate

This web page and website © Copyright: 1997 - 2010 by Hearts and Minds Network, Inc., photos © by Bill Blackman for Hearts & Minds at http://www.heartsandminds.org/volunteer.htm - online 1997, latest changes April 7, 2010

Helpful Info
Inspiration

Help Yourself

Help Others

Site Guide

Hearts & Minds
Home

About

Contact

Donate/Join

Volunteer from Anywhere

Copyrights, Reprints & Important Notes