Brooklyn Volunteers In Action

Apr 28, 2025

Between feeding chickens, recycling electronics, organizing children’s books, distributing groceries to their neighbors, and more, over 250 volunteers—including dozens of teens and kids as young as 6—took action across the borough on Saturday, April 26, for our second annual Brooklyn Org Volunteer Day in partnership with The Service Collective. Stay connected to The Service Collective to discover volunteer opportunities year-round!

We are thankful for everyone who shared their time and efforts to make the day such a success. Our hope is to build this to become a true boroughwide day of service across every community, and your continued partnership will help us grow our impact year over year.

We designed this day of service to introduce Brooklynites to borough-based nonprofits, as part of our goal of making it easier for residents to give back to their communities: volunteers participated in 15 family-friendly events across 11 sites throughout the borough, hosted by BloomAgainBklyn, Brooklyn Book Bodega, Brownsville Community Culinary Center, CHiPS Soup Kitchen, Good Call, Gowanus Canal Conservancy, Mixteca, Parent-Child Relationship Center, Red Hook Initiative, Sure We Can, and Technology for Families in Need.

Activities included community street and park cleanups, urban farming, book sorting and organizing, service at a local soup kitchen, food distribution, canvassing to spread awareness about accessible legal counsel, and sorting at a recycling facility and e-waste center; see event highlights below.

Three people wearing matching shirts and hats sort carrots, onions, and cabbage at an outdoor produce stand near a brick wall.

Two women wearing "BROOKLYN ORG" shirts stand in a chicken coop, each holding a chicken and smiling at the camera.

Four people standing arm-in-arm in front of crop rows, wearing "Brooklyn Backs Brooklyn" shirts, facing away from the camera on a cloudy day.

A group of people wearing "Mixteca" and "Brooklyn Org" shirts pose together outside in front of a pink tent and brick building.

Several people wearing "Brooklyn Backs Brooklyn" shirts sort and organize stacks of books on tables in a bookstore or library.

Two women smile as they hold a large bag of carrots together at an outdoor food distribution event, with other volunteers and supplies visible in the background.

A man wearing a "BROOKLYN.ORG" t-shirt stands in a bookstore, smiling and holding an open illustrated book in front of bookshelves.

Three women wearing "BROOKLYN ORG" shirts smile for a photo outside a shop with a red "CHiPS" awning.

Two people wearing matching black "BROOKLYN.ORG" t-shirts stand indoors, smiling at the camera. The younger person has an arm around the older person.

A person wearing glasses and a black T-shirt is packing or sorting items into a cardboard box in a room filled with storage containers and boxes.

Five people stand outdoors under a shelter near a pink trash bin and signs, including one that says "DRINK WATER." They appear to be at an event or gathering.

A person sitting next to a black storage bin, untangling electronic wires, wearing a black cap and a "BROOKLYNOG" T-shirt.

A smiling woman with gray hair and hoop earrings holds a chicken while standing inside a chicken coop.

Volunteers wearing Brooklyn Org shirts distribute boxes of apples and organize produce at an outdoor community event beside a table of assorted fruit.

Two women wearing matching shirts stand behind a table filled with books in a bookstore or library setting, each holding a book and looking at the camera.

Four people stand and smile behind a table of packaged baked goods outside a building with a "CHiPS" sign. They are wearing t-shirts that say "BROOKLYNORG.

Five people smile while sorting and displaying children’s books at a table in a well-lit room lined with shelves filled with more books.

Two women stand side by side indoors, smiling at the camera. One wears glasses and a black shirt; the other wears a "Brooklyn Org" shirt and a tan waist bag.

Four people sit on crates and kneel while planting or weeding in a garden bed on a farm. Two green buckets are used for collecting debris. The field has several parallel rows.

A group of people, including children and adults, stand outdoors holding trash pickers and wearing casual clothes, some in "Brooklyn" shirts, with trees and a building in the background.

Two people wearing "Brooklyn Org" shirts and gloves stand in a kitchen next to trays of prepared food on a shelf.

A woman organizes books on a table while others sort and pack items in a room filled with boxes and shopping bags.

Volunteers under a pink tent pack food items into boxes beside a brick wall during an outdoor community event.

Three women stand together smiling in a community garden, two wearing matching "BROOKLYN.ORG" t-shirts, with rows of planted crops visible in the background.

A person with short brown hair, wearing a "Brooklyn Backs Brooklyn" t-shirt and white pants, walks through an outdoor urban area carrying a box.

A person sorts stacks of books on a table in a well-lit bookstore or library with shelves and boxes in the background.

Three people stand around a Dell cardboard box, smiling and talking at a recycling event in a modern indoor space with Industry City signage in the background.

Two people inside a building lobby; one wears a "Brooklyn Backs Brooklyn" shirt, the other holds a box and has a medical boot on his left foot. Recycling bins and signage are visible.

Four people stand side by side in a storage room, smiling at the camera; two wear matching "Tech F.I.N." shirts, one wears a "Horace Mann Swimming" hoodie, and one wears a "Brooklyn" shirt.

A woman in a black jacket stands under a canopy, touching her chin, with a group of people blurred in the background on a sidewalk.

A young woman holds and discusses a children's book in a room filled with books, while another person wears a shirt reading "Brooklyn Backs Brooklyn.

A woman stands indoors and smiles while holding up a children's book titled "The Riddle and the Robin." Several books are stacked on the table in front of her.

A man wearing glasses and a "BROOKLYNORG" shirt opens a large red mesh bag of onions at an outdoor market stall with more onions on the table.

Two people hold a large bag labeled "America's Best Potatoes" at an outdoor event under pink tents, with others standing nearby.

Several people wearing "Brooklyn Backs Brooklyn" shirts stand outside, one holding carrots and talking to others near a street with parked cars.

Five people stand outdoors, clapping and watching something off-camera, with trees and buildings in the background.

Two people lift a large mesh bag of onions onto a wooden pallet at an outdoor food distribution event, while others work in the background under a pink tent.

Two people stand indoors, smiling at the camera while sorting electronic cables into a cardboard box at a community event.

Two people stand and talk in a brightly lit indoor space with string lights, a wagon wheel, and other people in the background.

Two people stand side by side outdoors, smiling at the camera. The man has his arm around the woman, who is wearing a "Brooklyn, N.Y." shirt and a tan waist bag. Trees and buildings are in the background.

Rows of crops growing in a community urban garden with greenhouses, bare trees, and an IKEA store in the background under a cloudy sky.

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If you’re still feeling the love from Brooklyn Org Volunteer Day, keep that momentum going! Here are a few ways to stay connected and support Brooklyn’s nonprofit community:

Become a Brooklyn Org Member: Join a movement of everyday people who believe in the power of local giving. Membership starts at just $100/year and helps fund organizations doing vital work across our borough.
Make a Gift: Every donation fuels community-led solutions rooted in love, justice, and care.
Start a Fund: Maximize your personal giving by opening a tax-efficient Donor Advised Fund (DAF) at Brooklyn Org, or by transferring your existing fund from another provider.
Spread the Word: Follow us on Instagram @BklynOrg, share your BKO Volunteer Day experience, and help others discover how they can give back to the borough they love.