Without volunteers, ASTEP would be unable to operate. They are the bones, heart and soul of our organization. From teaching impoverished children in rural India, to running errands and answering phones in our New York office, every volunteer performs a key task in the ongoing functioning and growth of ASTEP.
Whether you have an hour to work in the office, an afternoon to share your artistic talents, or a week to go abroad to work with kids in Africa or India, ASTEP can always use you! Here are a couple of ways you can help:
Volunteer Artist
Our volunteer artists, in particular, have a major role as the primary purveyors of ASTEP's core mission of bringing arts education, HIV/AIDS awareness, and the development of self-empowering, decision-making skills to youths in disadvantaged communities in India, Africa, and the U.S..
Under the guidance and direction of founder Mary-Mitchell Campbell, our expanding network of global artists has taken to heart the words of Mahatma Gandhi, "Be the change you want to see in the world." We are always looking for one more good candidate who encapsulates that idea.
To become a Volunteer Artist in one of our programs, download the following application form:
2009 ASTEP Volunteer Artist Application
Complete the application, then mail it to: Artists Striving To End Poverty, 165 West 46th Street, Suite 1308, New York, NY 10036. Please allow a few weeks for a response.
Prospective volunteers are asked to carefully read over the program descriptions (listed under Our Work) before filling out the application.
The dates for the programs are as follows:
Homestead, FL: Session 1 (Middle School; May 31st-June 28th)
Homestead, FL: Session 2 (High School; July 5th-August 2nd)
Bronxville, NY: TBA
Shanti Bhavan, India: Year-Round
Project Africa: Camp Sizanani (September & December); Refilwe (November 27th-December 22nd)
In the ASTEP NYC Office
-Data Entry- ASTEP has a HUGE database filled with donors, volunteers, prospective partners etc. We need some computer savvy people to jump in and help organize all of these entries.
-Fundraising Research- Internet prolific people wanted! ASTEP needs volunteers who are willing to take a lead and investigate over the internet- and then follow up with it. For example: Grants we might be eligible for, private foundations that may be interested in ASTEP, wealthy contributors/entrepreneurs of other organizations/businesses…
Hosting a Benefit Concert or Change Drive
-Concerts- Similar to our past ArtCents Concert Series, ASTEP is looking for responsible individuals who can organize an event(s) to help raise money for the organization.
-Change Drives- ASTEP asks working arts professionals on- and off- Broadway to set up private spare change deposits in donation to ASTEP.
Companies that have participated in spare change drives for ASTEP include Altar Boyz, Jersey Boys, Sweeney Todd, The Wedding Singer, the Juilliard School, Carnegie Hall and the Urban Bush Women Dance Company and Cirque du Soliel (Montreal). With these drives, ASTEP endeavors to prove that within the art community, Small Change can indeed create Big Change for children in need.
Get Active Online
Givenik. Givenik.com is a unique fundraising program that provides ASTEP supporters access to special savings and added-value offers for a variety of Broadway and Off-Broadway shows! For every ticket purchased through Givenik, 5% of the total price will be donated to ASTEP!
GoodSearch. ASTEP is now a participating charity on GoodSearch.com. GoodSearch.com is powered by Yahoo! and raises money for charities using a model similar to paid searches on Yahoo or Google. Each search raises $0.01 for ASTEP. The more people who use GoodSearch, the more money will be directed towards our cause. The sky is the limit!
GoodShop. Are you an online shopper? Then go to GoodShop.com before cyberspending and see if your favorite online store is a charitable contributor on GoodShop. Use the links on the website to click through to your favorite store and the retailer will donate a percentage of your sale to ASTEP! Participating stores include: The Apple Store, Barnes & Noble, Fandango, ITunes, Target, Macy’s and many many more!
iGive. Can't find the store you want on GoodShop? Become an iGive member and shop at over 600 different online stores! iGive will also donate an extra $5 to ASTEP when you make your first purchase within 45 days of signing up! Use this link and start shopping for ASTEP today!
Join the ASTEP College Campaign
Are you in college/university and want to help out? Besides volunteering or donating, college students interested in ASTEP's work can form their own "ASTEP Student Group". ASTEP Student Groups are already in existence at Juilliard, NYU, Clark University and Boston College. For instance, The Juilliard School in New York has their ArtREACH group which is supported by ASTEP on various community projects:
We are a group made up of students looking to share our talents with the people of our communities...We combine the visual arts, theater, music and dance to reflect the necessity of community and to exemplify the act of working together for a better world. The most notable accomplishments of ArtREACH have been Community Service Projects, Site-Specific Performance Events, Riker’s Island Performances, and Open-Mic Nights.
You can view the ArtREACH Facebook group page here (Facebook account/registration required).
Guidelines and applications to form an ASTEP Student Group will be available soon. In the meantime, for more information on creating an ASTEP Student Group at your school, contact us using the inquiry form to the right or email our Volunteer Coordinator.
Public Representation
Being an ASTEP ARTIST-ACTIVIST is all the rage! All that is required is to spread the good word that there IS an organization trying to use art as a communicative catalyst for affecting change. ASTEP will provide you with PR materials for anyone who is interested in getting involved or donating.
