Thanks for your interest in volunteering with GrowNYC! We offer numerous employee volunteer opportunities:
- Garden Builds (outdoors)
- Seed Packing (indoor at your site)
- Grant Reading (virtual)
Our volunteer events (with the exception of Grant Reading) occur Monday - Friday and are for persons 18+. GrowNYC does require a donation for hosting volunteers to cover the costs and help NYC gardens grow.
GrowNYC also offers engaging educational workshops and presentations that can be done both in-house (your site) or virtually. [Currently on Hold] Click here for more information.
For an example of a completed volunteer project, take a look at this photo gallery of volunteers at United We Stand Community Garden in the Bronx and this New York Times article profiling the garden after construction was complete.
GARDEN BUILDS
Bronx
Stevenson High School (Castle Hill)
1980 Lafayette Ave [map]
65,000 square feet - can fit 20 to 250 people
A large 1.5 acre orchard connected to a High School in the Bronx. Site was very successful but fell into overgrowth and disrepair starting in 2020, and they need a hand rejuvenating the site. A super exciting project that will require lots of weeding, pruning, and cleanup, and is great for a big group.
Castle Hill NYCHA Residence
625 Castle Hill Avenue [map]
Can fit up to 20 people
The Roxanne Reid Memorial Garden is dedicated to the late Tenant Association President and stronghold for the Castle Hill Community, Roxanne Reid. It was a pleasure to bring her dream to life. Currently, the garden is open and available for the entire community.
Pelham Parkway NYCHA Residence
780 Astor Ave [map]
Can fit up to 20 people
The Pelham Parkway Community Garden is growing a host of vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs for the Pelham Parkway residents to water, beautify and learn about urban agriculture.
Brooklyn
McCarren Park Demonstration Garden (Williamsburg/Greenpoint)
457 Leonard Street [map]
6,000 square feet - can fit 20 to 100 people
A large, conveniently located site where we can use help with building and art projects, which includes building garden beds and benches, and decorating produce bags. A 2020 update on what we're up to at this garden and here are current photos of the garden space.
Bushwick Houses NYCHA Residence
50 Humboldt St. [map]
Can fit up to 20 people
The Bushwick Community Garden encompasses both the Bushwick Houses and the Hylan Senior Center. It is regaled as a herb, flower, and healing garden for seniors and community members.
Manhattan
Governors Island Teaching Garden
The Governors Island Ferry leaves from 10 South Street in downtown Manhattan [map]
45,000 sq ft - can fit 20 to 200 people
A one acre foot urban farm dedicated to education that has pivoted to growing food to donate to food pantries over the past year - that work was recently highlighted by the NY Times. The farm features a beautiful view of the downtown Manhattan skyline and is our most popular volunteer location.
Volunteers generally help us with farm maintenance like planting, harvesting, watering, weeding, and preparing food for donations, as well as building and art projects.
Governors scheduling: We hold volunteer days at Governors, primarily, on:
- Tuesdays from 1:30pm to 4pm
- Wednesdays from 1:30 to 4pm
- Thursdays anytime
- Fridays anytime
The site is very popular for volunteers - we have a minimum group size of 25 but most volunteer groups are around 50-60 people.
SEED PACKING
FOR VOLUNTEER GROUPS SIZE UP TO 50 (larger can also be arranged)
This is an INDOOR EVENT where we come to you.
GrowNYC supports school and community gardens across the city by buying seeds in bulk and repackaging them, with your help, for distribution. This is a great opportunity to host a volunteer event at your site, learn about seeds and their vital role in gardening, and support gardens across the city.
GRANT READING FOR COMMUNITY GARDENS (VIRTUAL)
Want to help us choose our next batch of projects? Every spring, we get dozens of worthy submissions from NYC groups interested in having GrowNYC build them a publicly accessible garden. Help us read those applications and hear about the interesting and unique garden projects New Yorkers are proposing. You'll read 2-4 applications, submit your feedback in a rubric, and will get kept in the loop as we progress through selecting and building out some new gardens within 4-6 months!
GrowNYC's has built more than 160 community gardens, urban farms, and school gardens throughout the five boroughs, adding more than 1 million square of green space to New York City. We've also completed hundreds of renovation projects, built green infrastructure elements like rainwater harvesting systems and bioswales, and much more.
The magic of how volunteers can help GrowNYC transform NYC lots to thriving greenspace:
