Volunteer Week in Schenectady
For the final day of our Volunteer Week- on June 23rd members of our team visited Things of My Very Own in Schenectady, NY. Vice President Joe Venezio was accompanied by Seamus Donnelly, Jessica Brudzienski and Vicky Bolognino who all dedicated their morning to volunteering at the local organization to support their efforts in our community.
Things of My Very Own is a local non-profit organization that provides crisis intervention services for children who are escaping abusive homes, including basic necessities they can call their own. The organization’s goal is to keep children together with their non-abusive family members, as well as keep children of out the foster care system. Additionally, the organization aims to create a safe space and environment for the children.
While volunteering, our team helped create butterfly chrysalises, which are used as a symbolic item to represent each child’s goals. The children use the chrysalises to make a wish, and once their wish is completed, the item symbolizes their transition and journey into a healthier future. This activity helps give the children a sense of comfort and positivity in their lives, all while getting to enjoy the crafts that our team made for them.
Volunteering at Things of My Very Own was a very rewarding experience for our team members. “It’s great seeing the good work organizations like this are doing in our community. TOOVO provides crucial services for children and their families when they are in serious need. Not only do they provide basic necessities but they provide a sense of comfort and care for these people that have just been displaced. TOOVO makes such a huge impact on these folks, glad we could do our little part to help them,” said Lead Broker, Seamus Donnelly.
Our team has worked with Things of My Very Own in past years as well. The organization plans a “Stuff the Truck” Fundraiser event with Mohawk Honda where it collects school supplies for the children to use for the new school year. Northeastern Insurance donated brand-new notebooks, pencils, folders, and other basic supplies for the children to use. We have also contributed to other fundraising events throughout the year.
To learn more about how you can volunteer and contribute- please visit the Things of my Very Own website for more information- https://thingsofmyveryown.org/
As our first Volunteer Week comes to a close- we are so proud to have dedicated a full week to helping so many great organizations in our community. Thank you to all of the participating organizations for having us, we look forward to supporting your efforts in the Capital Region again in the future!
Click the links below to read about the other organizations we helped throughout the week: