Good morning, IT IS FRIDAY!
Those of you who know me personally are probably aware why I have dogs and not human children.
To say that I am not the most patient individual is a vast understatement. I also like my privacy and my independence. So yeah, in an unvarnished nutshell: I’m a selfish and squeamish and un-cuddly person who (thankfully, in my opinion) had sufficient self awareness to recognize that raising kids was not my life’s calling.
Which is why I was definitely not looking forward to the volunteering stint my husband signed me up for two months ago – working the teal pumpkin Halloween party at the East Greenbush YMCA. (In case you’re not familiar, this is an allergy-safe gathering at which small non-food prizes replace edible treats so kids can have fun and not worry about potentially deadly contamination).
When the day of the party rolled around, I was signed up to help run a game that was basically a human roulette wheel – impossible to lose, really, but very silly and fun for younger kids. I put on my black cat costume (all-black top and jeans and boots, as is pretty standard for me, coupled with some ears and face makeup) and somewhat reluctantly reported for duty.
I didn’t expect to enjoy myself at all. But, surprisingly, I enjoyed myself A LOT – maybe even more than the kids themselves did. Seeing them experience joy in an unfettered and safe space was incredibly satisfying. I left feeling like I had accomplished something – and all it took was three hours of my time.
I am a workaholic and a long-distance runner. Both of these things take up a lot of time. I also have three dogs and a husband and friends and a house to take care of and aging parents. I like to read and spend hours sifting through other people’s discarded items in antique stores and thrifting clothes at Goodwill. I am not a habitual volunteer. But on that day I got a glimpse into what drives people to give of themselves.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau and AmeriCorps, more than 75.7 million people across the U.S. (28.3 percent of the population) volunteered formally between September 2022 and September 2023. I say “formally” because these are the recorded instances of people giving of their time at nonprofits, churches, etc.
There’s a whole other category of “informal” volunteering – neighbors helping neighbors, if you will – that never gets officially recorded. It’s estimated that in that same aforementioned time period, an estimated 54.2 percent of Americans helped those in need with simple tasks like running errands, shoveling snow, etc., though that percentage fluctuated from state to state.
Those 75.7 million people gave a total of 5 billion hours of formal volunteering, which breaks down to about 66 hours per person (a little over 8 working business days). This may seem like a lot, but the reality is that formal volunteering hours have dropped – even as more people sign up to volunteer, they’re doing it for shorter periods of time.
Volunteering hit a major low during the pandemic when most people weren’t physically able to engage with one another due to lockdowns. It has rebounded since then, but as people’s lives get busier and more tech-focused more are leaning toward informally helping when and where they can and also opting for virtual volunteering.
If you are interested in volunteering – especially over the holidays when giving one’s most valuable asset (time) is at a premium – and need a little push, consider what Gandhi said: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
Volunteering isn’t just good for the people you’e assisting, it has numerous benefits for the person who’s volunteering – boosting mental health and self confidence and even helping you to stay active and fit.
Today is International Volunteer Day, an observance mandated by the UN since 1985. According to the official UN website: “It is a day where volunteers are acknowledged and the spirit of volunteerism is promoted at the local, national and international levels…amplifying the importance of people-led solutions to our common challenges.”
It’s going to be very cold today, with cloudy skies and temperatures struggling to get out of the low 20s. The weekend is looking slightly warmer – highs in the low-to-mid 30s both days – and dry, though generally overcast.
In the headlines…
The U.S. military blew up another alleged drug-trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific, killing four male “narco-terrorists” and continuing its lethal counternarcotics campaign as scrutiny over the Trump administration’s early September operation intensifies.
Navy Adm. Frank Bradley appeared on Capitol Hill yesterday to privately brief bipartisan lawmakers in both chambers on the details of a September attack on a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean.
President Donald Trump intends for the U.S. to keep a bigger military presence in the Western Hemisphere going forward to battle migration, drugs and the rise of adversarial powers in the region, according to his new National Security Strategy.
Trump and his administration blame the EU and migration for what they say is imminent, total cultural unravelling in Europe.
Trump has replaced the architect he handpicked to design his White House ballroom, ending the involvement of a boutique firm whose selection raised questions from the start about whether it had the capacity to complete the massive, high-profile endeavor.
Trump proclaimed his love of “all of our great citizens” including the ones he dislikes last night after lighting the national Christmas tree just south of the White House.
Federal agents arrested a Virginia man on charges that he planted two pipe bombs on Capitol Hill the night before Jan. 6, 2021, a breakthrough that came after years of false leads and rampant conspiracy theories.
The man, Brian Cole Jr., 30, has been charged with transporting explosive materials across state lines and with the attempted destruction of buildings with explosives, according to court papers filed in Federal District Court in Washington.
Accused DC pipe-bomber Cole Jr.’s face was revealed for the first time since he was busted for allegedly planting explosive devices outside the Republican and Democratic National Committees ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot.
The Justice Department failed to secure a new indictment against New York Attorney General Letitia James after a judge dismissed the previous mortgage fraud prosecution encouraged by President Donald Trump, according to a person familiar with the matter.
It’s the second time in recent weeks that the case against James, for allegedly falsifying mortgage paperwork related to property in the Norfolk, Va, area, has flamed out.
In a statement, James said: “I am grateful to the members of the grand jury and humbled by the support I have received from across the country. Now, I will continue to do my job standing up for the rule of law and the people of New York.”
A federal judge suggested she may disqualify a Trump loyalist as the top federal prosecutor in the Albany area, which would extend a string of losses in the Trump administration’s gambit to circumvent the Senate confirmation process to install U.S. attorneys.
The legality of the appointment of acting U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III was argued in front of a judge as attorneys for the Justice Department and James sparred over whether his temporary status should invalidate an ongoing federal grand jury investigation.
Gov. Kathy Hochul is warming up to hiking corporate taxes as she faces continued hounding from the Mamdani left — but blamed President Trump for making an increase necessary.
Rep. Elise Stefanik and two state lawmakers are accusing Hochul and the state Department of Health of undermining plans for a partnership between two financially struggling North Country health care providers “to make a desperate political point.”
Nearly a year after Hochul vetoed legislation to overhaul New York’s hospital closure process, the state released updated guidance that largely preserves the status quo — disappointing both industry leaders and patient advocates.
Hochul gave some tone-deaf advice to businesses as they force customers to pay more because of congestion pricing — saying that they should use overnight deliveries to save money.
Sen. Zellnor Myrie introduced a bill to impose consistent standards on foreclosure auction sales following a Gothamist and New York Focus investigation into irregularities that can cost former homeowners thousands of dollars while boosting lenders’ profits.
Seven months after students spent four days taking tests in reading, writing and math, their results have been released by the state Education Department.
A risk of misidentified corpses, shoddy efforts to check for signs of life, and poorly monitored embalming rooms are among the major gaps in New York’s oversight of the funeral industry, according to the state comptroller’s office.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch apologized to Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani after her brother called him an “enemy” of Jewish people, the mayor-elect said.
The head rabbi at the historic Park East Synagogue is calling for local and state legislators to outlaw protests near houses of worship following a tumultuous pro-Palestine protest that lead Tisch to apologize to the congregation last month.
Mamdani did not rule out revoking an executive order issued by Adams that threatens city government employees with disciplinary action if they take any official actions that “discriminate” against Israel or its citizens.
Mamdani vowed to stop clearing homeless encampments throughout the Big Apple — ending a signature initiative pushed by the Adams administration since taking office.
Benjamin Netanyahu taunted Mamdani this week, saying he would return to New York, defying the socialist mayor-elect’s pledge to have him arrested on charges of war crimes.
Mamdani and the presumptive City Council speaker are signaling a new era of stricter corporate regulation is on the horizon — and business leaders are becoming uneasy.
From Mamdani’s election to the intrigue surrounding the jewel heist at the Louvre, keeping up with this year’s news also left some Americans struggling with pronunciations.
The New York City Council voted to override Mayor Eric Adams’ veto of a bill stopping a potential rent hike for thousands of low-income New Yorkers who use city assistance to help cover housing costs.
The city government’s corruption watchdog is still investigating Adams over potential violations of local law in connection with his federal indictment — and has secured permission to obtain evidence from Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office.
Adams reversed course yesterday and admitted that a Holocaust survivor with pro-Israel views should’ve been allowed to speak about antisemitism at a Brooklyn middle school.
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso has launched a bid for the soon-to-be-vacated Big Apple house seat — representing one of the most left-leaning districts in the country.
A 6-year-old boy from Queens was separated from his father and placed in federal custody in New York City as President Trump’s deportation crackdown has swept up increasing numbers of migrant families and children.
Their separation, which was first reported by The City, has drawn outrage from community leaders and elected officials, including Mamdani.
James’ office announced that it will not pursue criminal charges against two NYPD officers who last year shot and killed a 19-year-old who was experiencing a mental health crisis in his Queens home.
The AG’s Office of Special Investigation concluded after a lengthy probe that a prosecutor would not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the actions of Officers Matthew Cianfrocco and Salvatore Alongi were unjustified.
Federal agents wearing tactical gear and wielding assault rifles busted into an apartment in Jackson Heights Thursday morning as a helicopter hovered overhead, according to eyewitnesses and video.
Cops have arrested a teenager for setting a homeless man on fire aboard a No. 3 train in Manhattan, police said. Hiram Carrero, 18, is facing charges of attempted murder, arson, assault, criminal mischief and reckless endangerment.
A dozen Starbucks strikers were arrested at a picket line outside the coffee company’s Midtown corporate headquarters yesterday, according to authorities.
The homeless sex offender parolee arrested for an unprovoked slap attack on a 20-year-old NYU student was nabbed in a vacant penthouse apartment in a university-owned building — with belongings stolen from his unsuspecting neighbors, prosecutors say.
Flu season is upon us. But infectious disease experts say it’s not too late to get vaccinated ahead of the winter holidays.
Prosecutors in western New York dropped their efforts to retry a man whose murder conviction was overturned in the 1993 killing of a woman near Buffalo — right as the new trial was set to begin.
The three locations of Delmar-based Swifty’s Restaurant & Pub are closed temporarily, according to an Instagram post from the business that was published late Thursday morning. It did not give a reason.
A state Department of Taxation and Finance spokesman said the business was seized because owner Dave Swift owes a total of $2.2 million.
A City of Albany man has pleaded guilty to a single count of attempted assault for stabbing his wife in front of their children in an attack that took place hours after police had been called for an earlier disturbance.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
