You don’t have to be 18 to make a positive change in the lives of shelter pets! ACC’s Community Kids Program offers a variety of ways that young people can get involved to support ACC’s mission of ending animal homelessness in NYC. From individual volunteering, classroom and community group presentations, tours of our shelters, DIY toys and donation drives, to fun, public workshops, we welcome and support young people who want to make a difference in the lives of animals in our shelters, their communities, and their homes.
For more information on how to get involved, how to join upcoming volunteer orientations, or to book a visiting speaker or a tour of a shelter, please reach out to CommunityKids@nycacc.org to talk to a member of our team. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Individuals and small groups ages 5-17 can join our Junior Volunteer team for our in-shelter volunteering opportunity, Books with Boroughbreds. This opportunity invites young New Yorkers to read to our pets, helping them feel calm, confident, and comfortable around new faces and voices. This heartwarming initiative was featured on Reading Rain and helps homeless animals gain visibility and, ultimately, find loving homes.
Young people who are 15 and older can also join our Community Outreach Volunteer team and attend tabling events across the city to help spread the word about the services and resources our shelters offer to New York City’s pet owners.
Students in 1st through 12th grade, along with community groups and clubs, can learn about how ACC supports both pets and people across New York City by visiting one of our Care Centers. Tours typically last 45 to 60 minutes and you can visit the cats, dogs, guinea pigs, and rabbits who are waiting to find their forever homes.
ACC is happy to educate young New Yorkers! If you’re a teacher or troop leader interested in hosting an ACC educator at your school or meeting location, we offer engaging presentations that cover topics such as how our shelters operate, pet behavior and body language, the importance of adopting, and what it means to be a responsible pet guardian. If your group has a specific area of interest, we’re also happy to tailor a presentation to focus on particular animal welfare topics.
Interested in helping from outside of the shelter? We also welcome donations of DIY toys and bedding. Kids can help us Draw Attention to Adoption by creating portraits of animals looking for homes that will be uploaded into their official adoption profiles on our website and shared with our social media teams!
For young people who want to host donation drives or fundraisers for the shelter, we can share our Wish Lists and high-need supplies. Monetary donations can be made to support our organization in general, or if you can donate to specific programs, resources, or your closest ACC Care Center.
The Community Kids Program loves partnering with artists, musicians, writers, and crafters of all ages to host fun, public workshops that let students get creative while supporting our pets. Keep an eye on our social media for upcoming workshops, or reach out if you’d like to partner with us and bring your own idea to life.
Want to play an instrument for animals in the shelter? Working on an Eagle Scout Project or a Gold Award? Interested in hosting your birthday at one of our Care Centers, or have a unique idea for how to help? We’d love to brainstorm with you about creative ways for classes, groups, or individuals to get involved, spread awareness, and support our mission to end animal homelessness in New York City.
326 East 110th Street,
New York, NY 10029
1906 Flushing Ave,
Ridgewood, NY 11385
3139 Veterans Road West
Staten Island, NY 10309