How Volunteer New York! Empowers Adults with Developmental Disabilities Through Inclusive Volunteering

If you’re looking to diversify your volunteer base and strengthen your organization’s connection to the community, Volunteer New York! Is offering the blueprint. This Points of Light Global Network Affiliate is celebrating its 75th anniversary, and in honor of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, we’re looking at its innovative RISE program, which actively improves the lives of adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD) through volunteerism.

We spoke with Patti Colombo, manager of the RISE Program, and Katie Pfeifer, senior director of Programs at Volunteer New York!, to hear their reflections on what has made this initiative such a success.

“When we started the program, we were seeing that many people with and without disabilities were using our site to find meaningful places to volunteer,” Katie said. “What we didn’t want to happen – and what was occasionally happening – was they were being turned away, or not encouraged in a way that created strong volunteer opportunities. We were able to obtain funding for this program, build it out and bring on Patti to help elevate the program.”

“The program has been around for nine years,” shared Patti. “It’s all about community inclusion. These individuals want, need and are actually mandated to be in the community. Forty years ago, individuals were still being housed in institutions without meaningful or productive lives, and that’s no longer the norm. There’s a very strong movement toward inclusion and acceptance in our communities.”

RISE, which stands for ” Readiness thru Integrated Service Engagement,” connects individuals with I/DD to meaningful volunteer opportunities. Volunteer New York! works with over 300 different nonprofits, conducting site visits and talking to nonprofit and corporate teams to identify projects that could be a good fit for a RISE group.

Often, they identify roles and responsibilities that can be broken up among multiple volunteers. And recurring projects tend to be popular as they are able to be fine-tuned over time. Plus, both the hosting teams and volunteer participants can anticipate what to expect and count on regularly scheduled projects as part of their routine.

“We know exactly how volunteering builds community and builds skills,” Patti said. “A lot of these individuals have goals, like employment. And if they’re not necessarily able to work, they still want to be involved in meaningful community engagement. We’re specifically working with people with intellectual disabilities, people who often have their needs misunderstood or unsupported. We’re able to help with that.”

One of the core goals of the program is to foster community inclusion by creating integrated volunteer projects where people with and without disabilities can work side-by-side. This approach has proven to be incredibly successful in breaking down barriers and promoting understanding.

During a recent corporate activation event, 45% of volunteers surveyed shared that they had no prior way to engage with individuals with I/DD. However, after participating in the integrated projects, a remarkable 97.4% of volunteers reported feeling a stronger sense of community with those with I/DD, compared to 71.5% prior to the projects.

“People want to be seen. They want to be able to have a purpose,” reflected Patti. “That’s really what community inclusion is all about. People with I/DD or autism often feel invisible. There are so many wins with this program – there are multiple layers of impact.”

Indeed, the impact of the RISE program is undeniable. In the past year alone, 185 RISE volunteers have dedicated over 3,000 hours of service to 33 community partners. They have supported a wide range of causes, including:

• Providing school clothing to 750 students to prevent absenteeism.
• Supporting 600 students with educational resources.
• Assembling and distributing 1,120 Period Kits to teens.
• Creating and mailing 735 birthday cards to Senior Corp volunteers.
• Packaging 1,000 feedings of donated breast milk for deliveries to local NICUs.
• Caring for 18 horses.
• Supporting 175 individuals with disabilities in social and job readiness skills.
• Helping 4,500 new immigrants find a clean and safe place to learn.

“We know that everybody has a role to play in our community – people of all ages, stages and ability levels,” Katie expressed. “We want people from all backgrounds to be part of solutions that help solve our community challenges.”

As Volunteer New York! celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, the RISE program is proving that inclusive volunteering isn’t just a nice idea – it’s a powerful tool for positive change. When people with and without disabilities work side-by-side, it breaks down stereotypes and builds genuine connections. Volunteers – especially those with diverse experiences and representing a variety of perspectives – can gain valuable skills and confidence, while the wider community benefits from their contributions: a win-win that’s creating a more welcoming and inclusive society for everyone.