Volunteering
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We would love for you to be part of the team at HHC. We offer many opportunities for you to get involved and donate your time and talents to our patients. Spend a few hours every week playing with sick children or reading to elderly patients. Or join our local auxiliary or community advisory groups to help raise funds, support our mission and provide a voice for your community. Our volunteers are valuable members of our healthcare teams, making a real difference in people’s lives.
Volunteering at HHC Facilities
Each year, more than 8,600 volunteers contribute more than 715,000 hours of service to HHC facilities. Volunteers give of their time and talents in countless ways. Some even create special programs that utilize their own special skills and interests. As a bonus, volunteers often find that in serving, they enrich their own lives in unexpected ways.
Community Advisory Boards
Community Advisory Boards (CABs) are the formal and direct links between each HHC facility and its patients and local advocates. The CABs contribute to planning, program development and service delivery. Members also provide invaluable advocacy and advice from the local community perspective.
Learn more about the HHC Community Advisory Boards.
Hospital Auxiliary Groups
Many HHC facilities are supported by members of an auxiliary, a group of volunteers who work in collaboration with hospital administration to advance the quality of patient care services. Auxiliary members help fundraising efforts to support clinical enhancements, purchases of medical equipment and evaluate requests for other necessary grants that will advance our mission to provide quality health care with dignity and compassion.
Contact your local HHC facility to learn more about the auxiliary groups.
More Volunteer Opportunities
What can I do as a volunteer?
No matter what your preferences and skills, there are many opportunities at each of our facilities. Volunteer activities include:- Personal services for patients, like reading aloud or writing letters
- Escorting patients to and from activities
- Assisting occupational and physical therapists
- Assisting with art therapy programs
- Assisting chaplains
- Providing entertainment, such as music, magic or comedy, to adults or children
- Playing with children and babies
- Tutoring pediatric patients
- Gardening and landscaping
- Clerical and computer work in virtually any department
What are the requirements for becoming a volunteer?
We ask that our volunteers come with plenty of energy, willingness to work and a smile. In addition, we require:- Time commitment. We ask our volunteers to commit to a set number of hours per week and to a minimum length of service. This helps us support continuity of services for our patients. Specific commitment requirements vary, but the range is from three to six hours per week for a period of three to six months.
- Training. Some programs, such as patient advocacy or counseling, require special training. HHC provides the training programs free of charge. These training sessions often give volunteers new skills that are valuable in their professional life.
- Medical requirements. Each facility has medical requirements that volunteers must meet before they begin their volunteer activities. Most facilities require that volunteers:
- Received a physical exam within the previous 12 months
- Have a PPD test for tuberculosis
- Have immunization for tetanus, chicken pox, measles, mumps and rubella
- Be vaccinated against the flu each year, if your service coincides with the flu season
Do volunteers receive any benefits?
Volunteers who work three consecutive hours are eligible to receive a free meal. Some volunteer programs provide academic credit, if arrangements have been made with your high school or college. Additional benefits may be available at some facilities.How can I volunteer at a facility in my neighborhood?
There are HHC facilities in every borough of New York City. Find the facility closest to you and call the director of Volunteer Services listed below to arrange for an interview. We can help you find the perfect program to meet your preference and availability.
Bronx
Jacobi Medical Center
1400 Pelham Parkway South, Bronx, New York 10461
Luisa Hernandez, Rm. 1S20Z
718-918-4881, luisa.hernandez@nbhn.net
Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center
234 East 149th Street, Bronx, New York 10451
Giselle Torres
718-519-5111, giselle.torres@nychhc.org
North Central Bronx Hospital
3424 Kossuth Avenue, Bronx, New York 10467
Luisa Hernandez, Rm. 3H-16
718-519-4840, luisa.hernandez@nbhn.net
Brooklyn
Coney Island Hospital
2601 Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn, New York 11235
Misty Teitel, Rm. 904
718-616-3161, misty.teitel@nychhc.org
Kings County Hospital Center
451 Clarkson Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11203
Corinna C. Grant, Rm. T-144
718-245-3121/3122, corinna.grant@nychhc.org
Dr. Susan Smith McKinney Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
594 Albany Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11203
Angela Cooper
718-245-7161, angela.cooper@nychhc.org
Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center
760 Broadway, Brooklyn, New York 11206
Samaris Rivera, Rm. 10AB239
718-963-8467, samaris.rivera@woodhullhc.nychhc.org
Manhattan
Bellevue Hospital Center
462 First Avenue @ 27th Street, New York, New York 10016
Priscilla A. Daniels, Rm. A104
212-562-4858, priscilla.daniels@bellevue.nychhc.org
Coler Rehabilitation and Nursing Care Center
Campus, 900 Main Street, Roosevelt Island, New York 10044
Pamela Hargrow, Rm B1-6
212-848-6011, pamela.hargrow@nychhc.org
Henry J. Carter Specialty Hospital and Nursing Facility
1752 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10035
Pamela Hargrow, Rm. 2-301
646-686-1187, pamela.hargrow@nychhc.org
Gouverneur Health
227 Madison Street, New York, New York 10002
Che Kuang Yu, Rm. 876
212-238-7730, che.yu@nychhc.org
Harlem Hospital Center
506 Lenox Avenue, New York, New York 10037
Stephanie M. Harewood, Rm. MLK-3162
212-939-3516, stephanie.harewood@nychhc.org
Metropolitan Hospital Center
1901 First Avenue @ 97th Street, New York, New York 10029
Linda Takourian, Rm. 4M13
212-423-6894, linda.takourian@nychhc.org
Queens
Elmhurst Hospital Center
79-01 Broadway, Elmhurst, New York 11373
Jayne Maerker, Rm. A1-26
718-334-5175/5172, maerkerj@nychhc.org
Queens Hospital Center
82-68 164th Street, Jamaica, New York 11432
Daphne Dominique, Rm. 4A11
718-883-2280, dominiqd@nychhc.org
Staten Island
Sea View Hospital Rehabilitation Center and Home
460 Brielle Avenue, Staten Island, New York 10314
George Taylor, Rm. 133
718-317-3293, taylorge@seaviewsi.nychhc.org
