Volunteer Recognition Ceremony At The UJA- Federation Of New York

From left to right: Marc Utay, Rita Rosenthal, and Pattie Cippi Harte of the YM & YWHA of Washington Heights & Inwood, who nominated Rosenthal for the award.

New York often feels pervaded by a culture of busyness: people working, going to school, making art, raising families, going out for dinner, walking their dogs. So it’s inspiring to see a group of people who have given so much of their time to helping others through volunteering. To recognize these individuals and the work they do, UJA-Federation held a Volunteer Recognition Ceremony on April 22nd as part of National Volunteer Appreciation Week.
Staff from UJA-Federation’s network of agencies nominated outstanding volunteers to be honored, and this year 34 volunteers were chosen. “This group of honorees represents thousands of hours of service and many more lives touched, and your accomplishments have not gone unnoticed,” said Marc Utay, chair of UJA-Federation’s Volunteer & Leadership Development Division, addressing the volunteers.
One of them, Rita Rosenthal, is 102 years old, and she has been volunteering at the YM & YWHA of Washington Heights & Inwood, a UJA-Federation beneficiary agency, for nearly three decades. After retiring from the small custom jewelry business she had run with her husband, Rosenthal bumped into a neighbor who needed help getting to and from the Y. She started helping her attend lectures and was soon volunteering five days a week and even served on the board.
“I enjoy, number one: to be useful to an organization, and number two: the friendliness. I’ve met many people and even friendships have developed,” she says. “I enjoy doing it and I’m very, very happy and thankful that I can still do something [to help].”
While many people have more time to volunteer after they retire, Simone Carvalho, volunteer department assistant manager at Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, says that the organization, a UJA-Federation beneficiary agency that works with more than 1,000 volunteers a year, sees all kinds of people looking to lend a hand.
Anyone Can Volunteer
“We get a lot of families, kids, professionals, retirees. We never say ‘no’ so we have a really diverse volunteer base,” she says. “I think [volunteers are] an invaluable resource that people don’t take advantage of enough.”
Karim Lopez, who volunteers at the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services also explained why she donates her time taking troubled youngsters on field trips to museums and art workshops. “I think it’s great to give money but it is more meaningful for kids when you take the time to talk to them, show them that you care and that you enjoy being with them,” Lopez says.
Alisa R. Doctoroff, chair of UJA-Federation’s board; Alisa Rubin Kurshan, senior vice president for Strategic Planning and Organizational Resources; and Roberta Marcus Leiner, UJA-Federation’s senior vice president for Agency Relations, also thanked the volunteers for their service and dedication.
 
At 102 years old, Rita Rosenthal is an exceptional volunteer at the Y . Working with the agency for decades, Rita had to reduce her volunteer service to 500 hours per year, now that she is more than a century old. The Y still relies on Rita to perform crucial administrative tasks for the Center for Adults Living Well @the Y. By managing membership data, coordinating special events, and performing many other duties, she contributes to the welfare of her fellow seniors. Our entire community appreciates Rita's sheer determination and concern.
Congratulations, dear Rita!
 
The article is a courtesy of the UJA-Federation of New York
Photography by the UJA-Federation of New York