Strike a Chord

Bringing awareness to local issues, and connecting volunteers with opportunities to make a difference.

WFUV is supported by a community of caring people, and we're committed to supporting community organizations doing good work in the NY area. If you have a theme suggestion, contact us at sac@wfuv.org.

Photo by Ernie Journeys via Unsplash.com

People Living Between Employment

  • The Ali Forney Center
    A 24-hour program providing beds and food for those in need, commited to providing LGBTQ+ youth a supportive environment. [Listen]
  • The Doe Fund
    A nonprofit providing economic opportunity, housing, career training, and supportive services to homeless and formerly incarcerated men. [Listen]
  • Job Path NYC
    A nonprofit helping people with autism and other developmental disabilities find jobs, live in their own homes and become involved in community life. [Listen]
  • Project Renewal
    Ending the cycle of homelessness by empowering individuals and families to renew their lives with health, homes, and jobs. [Listen]
  • Broadway Community
    Serving New Yorkers experiencing homelessness, hunger, and poverty for over 40 years. [Listen]

PREVIOUS TOPICS:

Creating Communities for Newcomers

  • African Services Committee
    A multi-service human rights agency in Harlem dedicated to assisting immigrants, refugees, and asylees from across the African diaspora.
  • Cabrini Immigrant Services
    Empowers immigrants, their families and their communities through education, access to essential services, civic participation and community building. Works together with the immigrant community to create a more inclusive society by fostering justice, dignity and respect. [Listen]
  • Emma's Torch
    Provides top-notch culinary training to refugees and helps them find meaningful careers in the food industry. [Listen]
  • Mixteca
    Providing everything from clothing and food to housing and mental health support.
  • Neighbors for Refugees
    A non-political, grassroots humanitarian group located in Westchester County, NY, organized to welcome Westchester refugees and other new Americans.
  • RIF Asylum Support
    Provides legal and housing services for migrants.
  • Robin Hood
    Supports low-income families by building and fueling the most impactful nonprofits across all five boroughs that are elevating people from poverty.
  • Ruth's Refuge
    Provides home furnishings and essentials to refugees, asylees and asylum seekers in New York City. [Listen]
  • South Bronx Mutual Aid
    A volunteer group of neighbors helping neighbors who believe in the inherent dignity of all people; many of our neighbors have not been able to get sufficient support for their needs, such as food, clothing, personal care items, housing, and legal support.
  • Team TLC
    Second-hand shop specifically for migrants. [Listen]
  • The Brave House
    A community of support for young immigrant women and gender-expansive youth, ages 16-24, in New York City, with a focus on those who are survivors of gender-based violence.
  • The Lighthouse
    Providing housing, hope, and healing for asylum-seekers and their families as they undergo the rigorous and sometimes lengthy asylum-seeking process. [Listen]
  • The Refugee Employment Partnership
    Helps recently arrived refugees and asylees with full legal status find suitable employment opportunities as they seek to establish new lives in the New York metropolitan area.
  • Unlocal
    Provides direct immigration legal representation and community education to New York City’s undocumented immigrant communities.
  • Women's Refuge Commission
    Protects and empowers women, children, and youth displaced by conflict and crisis.

Opioid and Substance Abuse

Nonprofits that provide harm reduction strategies to tackle addiction:

  • Partnership to End Addiction
    Transforming how our nation addresses addiction by empowering families, advancing effective care, shaping public policy and changing culture. [Listen]
  • New York Center for Living
    Creating a supportive environment with a community of peers, treatment professionals, and partners to help build confidence, strength, and most importantly, inclusion. [Listen]
  • Release Recovery
    Providing scholarships to individuals without the means to afford quality treatment, ensuring that everyone who wants treatment gets it – regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation. [Listen]
  • The Alliance for Positive Change
    Reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS, HCV and other drug-related harm among injection drug users, delivering substance use-management services with anonymity and compassion. [Listen]
  • Dynamic Youth Community
    Working to help dependent adolescents and young adults create postivie change in their lives in a participatory, safe, family environment. [Listen]

Teen Mental Health

Nonprofits that strive to improve the mental health of students through mentorship and after-school engagement:

  • Girls on the Run

    Helping middle-schoolers find their place: A 6th-8th grade program to inspire girls to value what makes them unique, uncovering confidence. [Listen]

  • Harmony Program
    Providing after-school music education programs in underserved communities across New York City. [Listen]

  • The Jed Foundation
    Protecting emotional health and preventing suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults, giving them the skills and support they need to thrive. [Listen]

  • I'RAISE
    Empowering underserved communities with education, parent support, and mental health services to youth and children, raising the potential of every child. [Listen]

  • Powerplay
    Advancing the lives of girls through sports, helping them grow physically, emotionally and academically stronger. [Listen]

Aging with Grace

Organizations helping the elderly transition into a new phase of life with vitality and care:

The Heart of Art

Art has the power to change lives: Dive deeper into how New Yorkers are using various mediums to spread kindness and hope in our community.

  • Art Start
    Using the creative process to nurture the voices, hearts, and minds of historically marginalized youth, offering a space for them to imagine, believe, and represent their creative vision for their lives and communities.
  • The Art Therapy Project
    Providing free group art therapy to adults and youth affected by trauma: Using the art-making process and with support from our art therapists, clients learn how to explore feelings, increase self-awareness, and cope with life's challenges.[Listen for more info]
  • Arts for All
    Offering accessible artistic opportunities to children in the New York City area who face socio-economic, physical, or emotional barriers to exploring the arts. Professional artists work with youth organizations to build self-confidence, self-expression, teamwork, resilience, and creativity in children.
  • Arts Ignite
    A community of artists and educators supporting young people in discovering the joy and power of making art — to share their voices, tell their stories, and transform their lives. [Listen for more info]
  • Dance NYC
    Bringing awareness to disabled dancers, and access to dance classes. [Listen for more info]
  • Free Arts NYC
    Providing free arts classes to underserved kids in NYC, and pairing them with mentors who can help them learn about careers in the arts. [Listen for more info]
  • Gigi’s Playhouse
    Specifically designed to celebrate and support individuals with Down syndrome and their families in New York City — building friendships, community, and understanding through free classes in literacy, ballet, movement, music, soccer, art and more.
  • Groundswell
    Bringing together youth, artists, and community organizations to use art as a tool for social change, for a more just and equitable world.
  • Koda
    Granting residencies to mid-career artists of diverse backgrounds to allow for experimentation and facilitate creative projects through strategic partnerships with socially engaged partners. Serving the community through exhibitions of contemporary art, events and outreach to strengthen art education. [Listen for more info]
  • LEAP
    Providing educational arts programs that promote access and equity for New York City students underserved in the arts. Inspiring diverse school communities to love learning and build their creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking skills.
  • Public Art Fund
    Bringing dynamic contemporary art to a broad audience in New York City and beyond by mounting ambitious free exhibitions of international scope and impact that offer the public powerful experiences with art and the urban environment.
  • Street Art for Mankind
    Working with prominent street artists to create large murals all around the world to raise awareness on social justice and environmental issues, and to give the public the means to become actors of change.

Staying Safe & Resilient

WFUV Strikes A Chord for organizations that promote safety in the community.

Audio announcements from the campaign:

Clean Communities

WFUV Strikes A Chord for volunteer efforts and organizations that contribute to cleaning up communities and promoting beautification.

Audio announcements from the campaign:

Womenship!

WFUV Strikes A Chord for nonprofits that that foster women as leaders in all facets of the music industry.

Audio announcements from the campaign:

Mental Health

WFUV Strikes A Chord for nonprofits that provide education about living with mental health issues and help for those who need it.

Audio announcements from the campaign:

Second Chances

Some of the organizations that offer second chances to help the formerly incarcerated and others in need.

Audio announcements from the campaign:

Winter Woes

Audio announcements from the campaign:
 

Bridging Divides

Some of the organizations that help to bridge divides:

Audio announcements from the campaign:

Emergency Food Services

Some of the organizations involved with emergency food services:

Audio announcements from the campaign:

Community Gardening and Urban Farming

Some of the organizations involved with community gardening and urban farming:

Audio announcements from the campaign:

Health Literacy

Some of the organizations that pronote health literacy:

Audio announcements from the campaign:

LGBTQ+ Homeless Youth

Some of the organizations that provide support to LGBTQ+ homeless youth:

Audio announcements from the campaign:

Housing Support

Some of the organizations that provide housing support:

Audio announcements from the campaign:

Mental and Emotional Well-Being

Some of the organizations that support mental and emotional well-being:

Audio announcements from the campaign:

Engaging Kids Through the Arts

Some of the organizations that engage children through the arts:

Audio announcements from the campaign:

Watch our virtual storytime and children's concert for kids aged 3-10 here. 

Financial Literacy

Some of the organizations promoting financial literacy:

Audio announcements from the campaign:

Career Development

Some of the organizations providing career development assistance, as many people look to reinvent their careers during the COVID-19 pandemic:

Audio announcements from the campaign:

Small Businesses in a Pandemic 

Some of the organizations providing assistances to small businesses struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic:

Emergency Food Services During the Pandemic 

Musicians in a Pandemic

Some of the organizations working to help musicians struggling with the economic and emotional toll of the coronavirus pandemic: 
Audio announcements from the campaign:

Social Isolation - Winter 2020

Even in a city as densely populated as New York, people can be — or at least feel — very alone.
Some of the organizations working to combat social isolation in our area:

Audio announcements from the campaign:

Watch our panel discussion on social isolation, produced in conjunction with BronxNet Television.

Emergency Preparedness - Fall 2019

Hurricanes and blizzards can sweep in quickly without a lot of time to prepare. But when a crisis hits, there are ways to be ready for it.
Some of the organizations working to promote emergency preparedness in our area:

Audio announcements from the campaign:

Watch our panel discussion on emergency preparedness, response and recovery, produced in conjunction with BronxNet Television.

Energy Conservation - Spring 2019

As temperatures heat up this spring and summer so will the demand for energy to cool buildings.
Some of the organizations working to promote energy conservation in our area:

Audio announcements from the campaign:

Watch our panel discussion on sustainability, produced in conjunction with BronxNet Television.

Healthy Aging - Winter 2019

Everyone should have a chance to live a long and healthy life.
Some of the organizations working to promote healthy aging in our area:

Audio announcements from the campaign:

Autism Acceptance - Fall 2018

Inclusivity and understanding are the pathways to accepting and getting to know the people around us.
Some of the organizations working toward autism acceptance in our area:

Audio announcements from the campaign:

Watch our panel discussion on autism acceptance, produced in conjunction with BronxNet Television.

Reducing Waste - Spring 2018

From disposable coffee cups to worn-out kitchen cabinets, a lot of what many of us throw out each day, adds up to a whole lot of landfill.
Some of the organizations supporting waste reduction in our area:

Audio announcements from the campaign:

Watch our panel discussion on reducing waste, produced in conjunction with BronxNet Television.

Children in Foster Care - Winter 2018

From becoming a foster parent to simply being a mentor, there are many ways to help foster children in need. Kids in foster care can face a variety of challenges, especially older kids who face "aging out" out of the system without knowing what they're next step will be.

Some of the organizations supporting children in foster care in our area:

Audio announcements from the campaign:

Watch our panel discussion on kids in foster care, produced in conjunction with BronxNet Television.

Combating Drug Addiction - Fall 2017

Drug addiction can tear families apart, and it's something that knows no boundaries. The disease has reached epidemic levels across the United States.

Audio announcements from the campaign:

Watch our panel discussion on drug addiction, produced in conjunction with BronxNet Television.

Healthy Kids - Spring 2017

Studies show that healthy children get better grades, attend school more often and behave better in class.
Audio announcements from the campaign:

Watch our panel discussion on children's health, produced in conjunction with BronxNet Television.

Coping with Grief - Winter 2017

Losing a loved one and dealing with grief can be extremely difficult.
Here are some local programs that help people cope with some of life’s most challenging times:

Audio announcements from the campaign:

Watch our panel discussion on coping with loss, produced in conjunction with BronxNet Television.

Our Strike a Chord campaign on Coping with Loss was recently recognized with a New York State Broadcasters Association Serving New York Award. WFUV News Director George Bodarky and Campaign Manager Blaine Kaniewski accepted the honor at a May 5, 2017 ceremony. They were joined by WFUV Community Advisory Board Chair Suzanne McGillicuddy and WFUV Assistant News Director Robin Shannon.

Veterans Returning Home - Fall 2016

The road to reintegration can be difficult for veterans. We turned a spotlight on organizations that help vets readjust to life on the home front, including providing assistance in finding a job.

Audio announcements from the campaign:

Art as Therapy - Summer 2016

The arts can play an important role in the rehabilitation of those who have suffered both mental and physical trauma, from stroke sufferers to survivors of domestic violence.

Watch our panel discussion on art therapy, produced in conjunction with BronxNet Television.

Audio announcements from the campaign:

Mentors for At-Risk Youth - Winter 2016

You can't underestimate the value of positive role models in the lives of young people, especially those at risk.

Watch our panel discussion on at-risk youth, produced in conjunction with BronxNet Television. Read more about the panel.

Family Caregivers - Fall 2015

When you're faced with having to care for a sick or disabled loved one, you're bound to encounter a set of new responsibilities - many of which might be unfamiliar or intimidating.

Some of the organizations supporting family caregivers in our area:

Ticket Giveaways from WFUV

We'll take that off your hands

swampy car

Stuck with a car, running or not?
Turn it into music with an easy vehicle donation to benefit WFUV. It'll feel good and sound good. [more info]