Volunteering is an important aspect of any community. The collaboration and selflessness shown by volunteers is something that binds people together. Cold Spring offers many valuable volunteering opportunities to interested students, and, on top of helping strengthen our community, most also fulfill membership requirements for the National Honor Society.
The Topfield Equestrian Center is an equestrian therapeutic barn that focuses on solving various issues, using the power of horses. The center services veterans with mental health issues, and aims to make horseback riding accessible for people with physical disabilities. It also offers other services, including physical and speech therapy. Student jobs usually include: mucking out stalls, grooming horses, keeping the general barn tidy, and assisting with training horses. Students aged 16 or above may also start training to assist with riding lessons. Interested students can visit their official website to apply as a volunteer at www.topfieldcenter.org.
The Cold Spring Fire Department (CSFD) is a high-commitment, demanding volunteer opportunity for high school students. For those who join the company as active members, the constant calls and training sessions are intense, yet highly rewarding, providing a terrific supplement to put on college applications. Training sessions are mainly on Tuesday nights from 6 to 9 p.m. at the department. But if that’s not your scene, there are many positions available that don’t require as much rigorous training or preparation. Junior firefighters help to direct the Junior Fire Academy, a CSFD-run camp that teaches kids about fire safety and firefighting in general. Joining the committee of the fire department—which assists with the financial side of the department—like fundraisers or event planning—is also an option. More information is available at https://www.coldspringfireco.org/
The First Presbyterian Church of Philipstown offers many volunteering opportunities, regardless of your religious affiliation. One of their partner programs is Midnight Run, a nonprofit with the aim of fostering connections between the homeless and the housed. Student volunteers help in many ways, from making sack lunches to riding down to New York City with a trained team to help distribute food and supplies. Another well-known weekend volunteer opportunity at the church is with the Philipstown Food Pantry, which operates at the church’s Academy Street location, distributing food for those in need. Student volunteers perform tasks like setting up, assisting patrons, cleaning up, and re-stocking carts to prepare for the following week. You can find them at https://www.presbychurchcoldspring.org/food-pantry.html
Constellation Health Services is a hospice service that accepts volunteers ages 15 and above who are willing to help support a terminally ill patient at the end of their life. This responsibility includes reading books to the patient, sharing music, watching films, or just having a calm, considerate conversation with them. As a volunteer, your main purpose is to comfort and offer companionship to the patient when they’re at their most vulnerable time in their life. Constellation Health Services has locations in Manhattan and Syosset. Although it may seem like a journey to get there, the experience rewards volunteers with a deeper compassion and empathy for others, and the gift of knowing they’ve helped bring peace and comfort to others. If you’re interested in pursuing hospice care as a career, this volunteer work is a perfect experience! As previously stated, multiple locations exist. If you’re interested, find which one works for you at https://constellationhs.com/
