It Takes a Village: Volunteer Opportunities Abound

Scarsdale is a Village run by volunteers and relies on people like you. Now that school is back in session, Scarsdale is in full swing and there are many opportunities for adults to participate in community activities, along with the kids. Volunteering is a great way to meet your neighbors, make new friends, understand how the Village works and make an impact on your community. In turn, many Scarsdale organizations depend on volunteers to carry out their missions, so it’s a win-win.

We reached out to several local organizations to see how you can join them. See below for descriptions - and if you would like to add your group to the list, email us the details at [email protected].

Scarsdale School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC)

The Scarsdale School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC) invites residents to become part of a long-standing community tradition that helps shape the future of our schools. Being a part of SBNC is one of the most effective ways Scarsdale residents can impact the quality of our schools with a limited time commitment. Strong community involvement in the school board nominating process helps to ensure we get the highest quality of candidates for the Board of Education.

Members play an active role in selecting Board of Education candidates, build connections across the community, and participate in a thoughtful process that has guided Scarsdale schools for decades. All residents who are qualified voters, defined as a person at least 18 years of age, and a resident of Scarsdale for at least 30 days prior to the petition deadline of October 24, 2025, and are interested in maintaining the excellence of Scarsdale schools are strongly urged to consider running for an SBNC position. For more information, visit scarsdalesbnc.org or email [email protected].

Citizens Nominating Committee

The Scarsdale Procedure Committee is seeking 10 nominees from the community to serve on the Citizens Nominating Committee (CNC), the cornerstone of Scarsdale’s unique non-partisan system of local government. For more than a century, Scarsdale has relied on the CNC to select qualified candidates to run for election for the offices of Mayor and Village Trustee. This time-honored system ensures that local leadership remains focused on experience, integrity, and the needs of the community—rather than partisan politics.

Who Can Serve?
-Any resident of Scarsdale who is a registered voter having resided in Scarsdale for at least 2 years.
-Individuals who are not currently serving as an elected Village official.
-Community-minded residents who are willing to dedicate time by attending 6 meetings in December and January, participate in deliberations, and uphold the principles of nonpartisanship and confidentiality.

Why Serve?
-Serving on the CNC offers residents the chance to:
-Contribute meaningfully to Scarsdale’s civic life.
-Help shape the future leadership of our Village.
-Carry forward a democratic tradition that has kept Scarsdale governance responsive and effective for over 100 years.

How to Get Involved
Interested residents are encouraged to step forward as candidates for the upcoming CNC Election to be held on November 13th at the Scarsdale Library. Members serve a three-year term, with 2 representatives elected from each of Scarsdale’s neighborhoods (Fox Meadow, Greenacres, Quaker Ridge, Edgewood and Heathcote).

To learn more, download the nomination form here.

Contact: Ralph Geer, Chair and Dan Besikof, Vice-Chair, Scarsdale Procedure Committee, [email protected]. https://www.scarsdaleprocedurecommittee.org/

Scarsdale Adult School

Scarsdale Adult School (SAS) is a pre-eminent, independent, not-for-profit adult education organization, offering a wide range of intellectually stimulating, best-in-class courses, lectures, and cultural activities along with skill-enhancing and recreational classes. In 2025, SAS was awarded the Scarsdale Foundation Spotlight Award for making a significant impact and bringing about positive change in community engagement. Registration for classes is open 24/7 at ScarsdaleAdultSchool.org, with staggered class start dates and varied meeting days and times throughout the year.

The Board of Trustees convenes quarterly and the Advisory Committee meets once each semester, where volunteers get sneak previews of special events and courses being planned. Opportunities for more focused volunteer work include strategic planning and fundraising. The nominating committee begins meeting in January but accepts names and recommendations at any time. To volunteer, email Executive Director Jill Serling at [email protected].

Scarsdale Adult School Board: Photo Credit Andi Schreiber

Scarsdale Conservation Advisory Council

The Scarsdale Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) advises the Scarsdale Village Board of Trustees on environmental and conservation issues of local interest. The CAC collaborates with staff to develop and recommend solutions to concerns associated with land, water, energy, waste, and other areas impacting sustainability; members may also have an opportunity to participate in implementation activities.

Notable examples of CAC projects include developing and launching the first curbside food scrap recycling program (and the first to have home pickup!) in Westchester County, converting Scarsdale’s streetlights to LEDs, increasing Scarsdale EV fleet and charging, expanding Scarsdale’s gas leaf blower ban, banning pesticide use on Village properties, adding battery, paint, soft plastics, tennis ball, book, cork, eyeglasses, and cooking oil recycling to the Scarsdale Recycling Center, installing trash and recycling bins in all 26 Village Parks (including tennis ball recycling bins), working to install trash and recycling bins in the Scarsdale Village Center, and updating the Residential Recycling Guide.

The CAC is seeking residents to sign up for the Scarsdale Food Scrap Recycling Program - email [email protected] to sign up. Let’s all do this and help the environment! The CAC is also seeking resident volunteers to help staff events to sign up residents for food scrap recycling. Please email [email protected] to volunteer! 

Scarsdale’s Volunteer Firefighters…. Answer the Call. Be the Difference

When the alarm sounds in Scarsdale, volunteer firefighters often respond alongside our career firefighters—rushing to structure fires, assisting during severe storms, and staffing the firehouse when crews are deployed for mutual aid, we’re always ready to serve.

We are not just volunteers. We are New York State Certified Volunteer Firefighters who proudly support Scarsdale’s career firefighters. While they handle the majority of emergencies in our village, we stand ready to back them up and keep Scarsdale safe—together.

Our service goes beyond emergencies. Scarsdale’s volunteer firefighters also support beloved community traditions—from fireworks displays, holiday events and parades to two cornerstone educational programs led by the Fire Department:

School Visit & Fire Prevention Fair – Each October, we engage every Scarsdale first grader and the community at large in fire safety education. This year’s Fire Fair will be held Saturday, October 18, 2025 10 AM–2 PM at Station 3 (56 Crossway, Scarsdale).

Fire Explorers Program (www.scarsdalevf.org/explorers) – Open to students in grades 9–12, this hands-on program builds teamwork, confidence, and leadership while giving teens real exposure to the fire service.

Our membership is about 50 strong, made up of people from every walk of life—healthcare professionals, accountants, lawyers, executives, teachers, tradespeople, commuters, recent graduates, and more. Some of us have decades of service; others are just beginning their journey. What unites us is simple: when our community calls, we answer.

This is your chance to make a real impact. To step up for your neighbors, your family, and your village.

Join us. Become a Scarsdale Volunteer Firefighter. Learn more here or contact our Training Officer at 914-722-1215 ext. 4, or email Lou Mancini at [email protected].

Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corp

As one of the most respected ambulance services in the county, SVAC offers members countless opportunities to make a difference while giving back to the community. Team members ride along with ambulance crews, receive free, ongoing training, and successfully treat patients, all while making our community a better place. No prior medical experience is required -- just a willingness to learn and the drive to make a difference in somebody's life. From top-of-the-line equipment, to initial training for NYS EMT Certification, to ongoing medical education, to camaraderie and support, we set you up for success. Click here to see how to get started: or email David Raizen.
https://www.scarsdalevac.com/join

Friends of the Scarsdale Parks

Friends of the Scarsdale Parks, Inc. (FOSP) is a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization operating in the Village of Scarsdale that focuses on the preservation, restoration, and conservation of Scarsdale’s parks and open spaces. FOSP promotes the use of native plants and trees throughout Scarsdale to support our local ecosystem. FOSP also works with the Village staff to identify residents who would like the Village to plant a new tree in the Village “right of way” in front of their homes. If you are interested in volunteering to garden with us in our local parks, or if you would like to find out more about having a Village tree planted in front of your home, please email Cynthia Roberts.

Neighborhood Associations

Scarsdale’s fifteen Neighborhood Associations facilitate the exchange of information between and among the Village, Town of Scarsdale and School District, on the one hand, and the residents on the other hand. They promote a general and cooperative spirit to enhance the welfare of all. Every resident of Scarsdale is eligible to join his/her neighborhood association which is designated based on street address. Some have neighborhood events for July 4th, Halloween, get togethers and more.
To join your neighborhood association, contact Sarah Bell at [email protected] to request the email address of your neighborhood association president.

Scarsdale Rotary

Scarsdale Rotary is part of Rotary International, a global network of neighbors, friends, and leaders who come together to create positive, lasting change. Guided by the motto Service Above Self, our club is committed to making an impact in three key areas: Family Life, Emotional Well-Being, and the Environment—both locally and around the world.
Learn more at www.scarsdalerotary.org.

Here are just a few of our ongoing service projects:

Supporting Feeding Westchester and local food pantries
Coat Drive for the homeless and new immigrants (Midnight Run & NICE)
Backpack Drive with Patriot Bank, providing school supplies to children in need
Hosting the Children’s Village Christmas Party and gift donation
Partnering with the Alzheimer’s Association
Rochambeau Head Start – reading to children and distributing weekend food packs
Supporting the Dreams for the Slum Women’s Empowerment Center in Nigeria – providing business and computer training and opening a school for children.
Delivering Thanksgiving Dinner Baskets to individuals spending the holiday alone

Together, we continue to live our Rotary mission: to serve others, promote integrity, and advance understanding, goodwill, and peace through fellowship and service. www.scarsdalerotary.org

Grassroots Grocery

Every Saturday morning, families across Scarsdale are joining the Grassroots Grocery Produce Party! What's a Produce Party? It’s a fun, family-friendly event where parents and kids work together to pack and distribute fresh produce to food-insecure households in Harlem and the Bronx. It’s a great way to spend time together, teach children about the importance of giving back, and connect with neighbors in a meaningful way.

Families interested in joining can click here to sign up for an upcoming Produce Party that works for their schedule!

Feeding Westchester

Though we often don’t see the need, 1/3 of Westchester families are food insecure and 24% don’t make enough to feed their families. With vast warehouses in Elmsford, Feeding Westchester feeds over 200,000 people each month. The effort is partially staffed by 11,000 community and corporate volunteers who are vital part of the operation. Donate your time to pack food, raise funds, or help from home. You can provide food — and hope — to those who need it. Click here to see how you can help. https://feedingwestchester.org/get-involved/

Dorot Westchester

Dorot Westchester seeks to combat social isolation in the elderly has opportunities for volunteers of all ages to connect with homebound seniors by phone or by visiting their homes to provide social engagement and deliver meals. https://dorotusa.org/about/our-impact

Bronx River Conservancy

The Bronx River Conservancy is an advocate for the protection and preservation of the Bronx River Parkway Reservation: sign up to participate in a clean-up of the park or bi-weekly vine-cutting to save trees from invasive lethal vines. https://www.bronx-river.com/

Yonkers Partners in Education

Volunteer to help high school students as a tutor on their path to academic success or as a Coach to help them through the college application process—reading essays and helping them apply. https://www.ypie.org/volunteer

Midnight Run at Hitchcock Church

On the last Saturday of each month, prepare food or join a can of volunteers making late-night deliveries of food, toiletries and clothing to homeless individuals in Manhattan. https://www.hitchcockpresby.org/midnight-run

These are just a few of the many local organizations that will welcome your help. To add your group to the list, email us at [email protected].