Volunteers have always been a vital part of the OHEL family. Their impact is immeasurable.

And in these tough times, with the demands on OHEL ever more, the need for volunteers is ever greater.

While OHEL’s dedicated staff provide loving and professional care, it is important to understand the enormous value a client places in volunteer contact. To many it is very personal, because they know themselves the sacrifices it may take.

OHEL’s volunteers range in age, from teenagers in high school trying to do acts of altruism, to retired senior citizens looking to provide a little love for a child. We currently have hundreds of people volunteering with our children, adults and families in the Foster Care, Preventive Care, Medicaid Waiver, Domestic Violence and Recreation Programs. Additionally, we have volunteers working with adults with developmental and / or psychiatric disabilities within group residence settings. The benefits derived by the individuals living in our residences when they spend time with volunteers is immense; volunteers can come to learn with them, take them for a walk to the store, or just hang out and be their friend.

Whether you are looking to work with a child or an adult, with someone with a disability or with a different problem, in an office setting or a home environment, there is something perfect for you at OHEL.

Bring comfort and joy to another by becoming an OHEL volunteer today!

The life you change just may be your own!

To join the hundreds of OHEL Volunteers call David Sharvit at (718) 686-3103 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Typical volunteer positions include:

Babysitting
Many people come to OHEL to receive much needed counseling. During these therapy sessions, there may be need for someone to watch their small children during these sessions. Volunteers play with these children during this time so their family can get the needed assistance and reduce the stress of not knowing what to do with the children during the sessions. Additionally, volunteers provide babysitting services for babies in our young children involved in programs such as Foster care and Preventive Care.

Provide transportation to and from family visits and therapy
A significant contribution is made by volunteers who take time out of their day, be it 20 minutes or 2 hours. The volunteer brings a child on a regular basis to an appointment at OHEL or an outside therapist and then escorts the child home. This is one of the most important volunteer jobs, as it aids the clinicians, care takers, and individual in care.

Big Brother / Big Sister Program
Work one on one with a wide variety of OHEL’s individuals. Some options include:

• Individuals with developmental disabilities and or a mental illness - The benefits derived by the individuals living in our residences when they spend time with volunteers is immense; volunteers can come to learn with them, take them for a walk to the store, provide some much needed respite for 24/7 care takers, wok on daily living skills or just hang out and be their friend.
• Foster Care – For children who have been placed in foster homes, OHEL’s Big Brothers and Big Sisters are instrumental in providing a positive role model along with OHEL’s Foster parents. In addition these children rely on volunteers to tutor, baby-sit and escort them to their appointments.
• Preventive Care
  Volunteers assist families with tutoring, babysitting and general respite in order to relieve the family of any additional financial or other stressors.
• Adolescents at Risk – Be a positive role mode for a teen or young adult having difficulties adapting to the social norms of society. There was recently a case involving a young boy who was acting out in class and fighting with his parents on a regular basis. He started to spend time with a big brother, who took him out once a week and who told the young boy to call whenever he needs to talk. After a while, his behavior began to change. It was clear that he was improving as a result of getting the positive attention he so desperately needed and no longer felt the urge to attract negative attention. The child’s parents reported an improvement in their lives as well, since they had the ability to receive some much needed respite when the big brother spent time with their child. This gave them the opportunity to spend some quality time together and to recharge their own batteries.

Domestic Violence
Over the years, the OHEL volunteers who work with victims of domestic violence have done and continue to do everything and anything to offer comfort, from holding a hand and listening to their problems to driving them to appointments and even accompanying them to court. To have someone you can talk to and rely upon when you are starting your life over, someone who is non-judgmental and who cares enough to take time out of their busy day to help you is indescribable. It is this help that gives so many victims the strength to fight on, survive and prosper.

Celebrate your Special Occasion with OHEL
Many children and adults have taken it upon themselves to include others in their own happy occasion. They show appreciation for what they have in life by giving to those less fortunate. Bar/Bat Mitzvah children have performed group activities to enhance the lives of others less fortunate in honor of their happy occasion. Others have even raised money to help pay for a needy child’s own Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Over the years, many of OHEL's kind and warm-hearted volunteers have helped make possible many occasions such as weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvah’s, Brisis and much more. For example, Gabriel wanted to do something special in honor of his Bar Mitzvah and decided to raise some money to help pay for the bar Mitzvah of a child who could not afford one. After some fund raising, he was able to hand over an envelope with over $11,000 which went to helping a number of children experience a fantastic Bar/Bat Mitzvah.

Group Activities
While many individuals volunteer to do one on one work, there are others that love to work together in a group. Examples of group volunteer work include the following:

• High school students collectively visit residences for adults with disabilities and enjoy arts and crafts lessons with them.
• A group of students help out with a basketball program for children in our Preventive Care Program and a local High School.
• A group of women with disabilities go to a high school for exercise and dance on a regular basis and join in with the students.
• People with disabilities are engaged in learning programs at local schools and Synagogues.

While these activities add to the quality of life of the individuals under our care at OHEL, it is the volunteers themselves that report amazing life-altering experiences from these interactions.

Drives
There are many drives to get your school, Synagogue or community involved in that would benefit OHEL’s families throughout the year. School supplies, toys, paper goods, clothing and supplies for camp are just a few examples of the items collected which have extremely enhanced the quality of life to those in need. Please note that all supplies received should be new.