According to the Corporation for National & Community Service, New York State ranks 49th among the 50 states and Washington, D.C., for civic engagement and volunteering. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. hopes to change that.
Diaz announced the Hour New York Challenge this week in the Bronx to encourage New Yorkers to take the pledge to dedicate at least one hour each month throughout 2018 to civic engagement. The campaign is in partnership with the civic engagement platform OrangeUGoing.com.
Research indicates that lack of accessibility is the primary barrier to civic engagement. The offerings of New York City’s nearly 100,000 community, nonprofit and government organizations are scattered across thousands of websites, newsletters and social media accounts, leaving New Yorkers struggling to find and keep track of it all.
Residents across the city are encouraged to join the Hour New York Challenge and pledge to dedicate at least one hour each month to being civically engaged in their communities or in issues they care about. Organizations can post events to the site for free through March and can participate as Hour New York Partners.
Go to OrangeUGoing.com to learn more. Those taking part in the challenge are encouraged to use hashtags #HourNewYork and #OUGBronx to share their participation on social media.