Rachel Sangalang
After ten months of exceptional leadership in our volunteer recruitment efforts, Rachel Sangalang and Amita Umaranikar will be culminating their Civic Corps services here at Riis Settlement at the end of the summer. During their time here, Rachel and Amita have not only been integral to coordinating and managing our agency’s volunteers but have also been enthusiastic members of our local community.
NYC Civic Corps, an AmeriCorps program run by NYC Service, unites a diverse group of professionals to serve full-time with partnering organizations, working to increase their organizational capacity to engage volunteers and build sustainable volunteer initiatives. Both Rachel and Amita began their services with Riis Settlement in October 2012. Rachel has been overseeing the volunteer efforts for Riis Settlement’s Immigrant Services and our Riis Academy campuses at I.S. 126 and Information Technology High School. Amita has been managing the programs for Senior Services and Riis Academy at Queensbridge, Ravenswood and P.S. 166.
A recent college graduate from SUNY Geneseo, Rachel decided to become a Civic Corps member to learn more about the non-profit industry. “When I graduated from college in 2012 with a degree in English and Communications, I knew I wanted to get involved with non-profits organizations but wasn’t sure in what capacity,” Rachel explained. During that summer I worked as a Development intern at Riis Settlement. It was there that I learned more about the Civic Corps program and its strong emphasis on volunteer management. It piqued my interest so I applied to become a Civic Corps member.”
After receiving her Master’s in Urban Policy from the New School in 2012, Amita wanted to get more direct experience with non-profit organizations. “I wanted to gain more experience in direct services and gain professional skills within the non-profit industry. Becoming a Civic Corps member at Riis Settlement has given me skills in a wide variety of areas and I hope to translate those skills into a long-lasting career.”
When they began the program, Rachel and Amita first oriented themselves to the organization. “Our first priority was to meet with the program managers and coordinators to learn about their volunteer needs,” Rachel explained. “Getting to know the services and the program firsthand really helped us acclimate ourselves to the Riis Settlement community,” Amita said. From there, Rachel and Amita started quickly working with the staff to coordinate, manage and conduct various volunteer programs throughout Riis Settlement sites. Some of the programs they’ve successfully coordinated include:
Snacktivities – a New York Cares program held every Saturday during the school year for Queensbridge youth. Volunteers teach the elementary aged students about how to prepare and enjoy different types of healthy snacks. The students are taught the nutritional value of the snack and how they can easily make it at home. We also incorporate activities into the lesson (arts and crafts projects, games, etc.).
Conversation Partners – Immigrant Services program for ESOL students. Volunteers engage the students in English conversations in order to practice their English speaking skills. This is also a partnership with New York Cares.
Citizenship Class tutors – Volunteers help students prepare for the civics portion of the naturalization exam.
Rachel and Amita also helped facilitate many of Riis Settlement’s large-scale community events such as: Asthma Education and Screening Day, Fall Family Feast, Multicultural Festival and the Spring Arts Festival. They explained Riis Settlement’s programs to attendees, coordinated volunteers and assisted in set-up preparation and clean-up on the day of the events. Outside of these activities, both have been involved in many other activities. Amita tutored an Immigrant Services student to prepare her for the U.S. Citizenship Exam, which she successfully passed. She also taught Microsoft Excel skills to twelve staff members. Rachel has been volunteering with the Snacktivities programs on Saturdays. “Working with the kids on Saturday mornings has been such a wonderful experience,” Rachel said. “They’re so smart and enthusiastic!”
When looking back at their year of service, both have fond memories of their experiences. “It’s been great to work with people who are so determined to volunteer with Riis Settlement, even when they have full and demanding work schedules. I have been exposed to a diverse group of people, which has made my job that more enjoyable,” Amita said. “I have grown a lot- even though I knew about professionalism beforehand, my experience as a Civic Corps member here has definitely taught me professionalism firsthand. It’s by working with the staff, volunteers and participants through Riis Settlement that made this experience that much more rewarding for the both of us,” Rachel said.
We would like to thank Rachel and Amita for their incredible contributions to our Riis Settlement community and wish them the best of luck in all of their future endeavors!
