Volunteers are integral to the mission of Hazon to build healthy and sustainable Jewish communities.  We believe that volunteers are essential to the organization because their wide and varied contributions to build strong community, the kind of community we all want to live in. Hazon is committed to shaping this generation of leaders through meaningful volunteer service. Volunteering for Hazon gives members of our community the opportunity to be leaders, impact, inspire and empower others. Every Hazon volunteer makes a unique contribution to the organization while doing something amazing and meaningful for our world.

Get Involved

Over 150 people volunteer to make the NY Ride a successful, transformative experience. The varied roles they play include:

Why do people choose to volunteer with Hazon?

• Believe in the mission
• Inspired by Hazon’s leaders
• Fun group activity
• Good group of people
• You know you will have an impact
• You will be appreciated
• You will be valued for your contribution
• You will be able to share your expertise
• You will be part of a meaningful community
• You are a link in the chain to building a great event
• You are needed
• Ticket to entry into the Jewish environmental world
• A different way to enjoy the weekend

Key Roles Volunteers Play on the Ride:

1. Act as the “face” of the Hazon and the Ride, before, during and after the Ride
2. Be a cheerleader for the organization, participants and other volunteers
3. Help the event run smoothly
4. Fiscal oversight of the spending for the organization
5. Be an advocate
6. Think, plan, recruit and train future leadership of the committee. Who is going to replace you?
7. Set the tone. Represent Hazon values.
8. Network and connect new people to our community.
9. Acknowledge, appreciate and transform the volunteers who work for you.
10. Help create a transformative experience for our participants.

Key Roles Staff Play on the Ride:

1. Support the Steering Committee
2. Safety
3. Insurance
4. Liaison with overnight locations
5. Liaison with police
6. Apply for all permits
7. Secure all rental vehicles
8. Manage the budget
9. Create and send out emails
10. Support participants with logistics and fundraising questions
11. Schedule fun and training rides
12. Liaise between the committee and Hazon staff
13. Create a transformative experience for Hazon volunteers

Before the Ride

Assist with recruitment. Hazon will give you the tools you need to:

• Host a meeting in your home or office to teach others about the Ride.
• Speak at your congregation or workplace about starting a team
• Hang up posters in your neighborhood

Lead a training ride (must have been on a Hazon training ride before)

• Lead a training ride on a Sunday between May-August from Brooklyn, NJ or the UWS
• You practice the route in advance and let us know your speed
• We plan the route and provide the cue sheets, you lead the group

Welcome a new Ride participant (alumni only)

New participants need a welcome phone call and someone they can turn to for advice about logistics or training

Test the route by bike

The route needs to be tested in the early Spring on a bike to make sure it is doable. We will provide you with the cue sheet and what to look out for.

Mark the route with arrows and signs

• In the two weeks before the Ride in August, we need people to mark the route with our arrows.
• We need volunteers on the weekends and during the week. We need cars with drivers and passengers with navigation skills.

Teach bike skills

• We like to offer informal clinics at parks and parking lots on weeknight evenings to help teach the skills people need to use their bike best.
• Can you teach a class on how to change a flat?

Bike loading (Thursday, Sept. 1)

• Bikes are loaded in Brooklyn and on the UWS on Thursday evening.
• Volunteers are needed to greet arriving riders, help make sure the bikes are wrapped and loaded securely.
• We are also looking for experienced truck drivers to help us move these vehicles.

People loading (Friday, Sept. 2)

• Charter buses take people from Brooklyn, NJ, UWS and hopefully Philadelphia and Boston. Volunteers are needed to greet and welcome participants.
• Help load luggage and contact any late arrivals.
• Orient people on the bus and answer questions about the Ride.

During the Retreat

Registration Team (must be able to come up on Thursday, Sept. 1)

• Prepare registration materials, welcome bags, name tags.
• Greet car arrivals and assist with parking.
• Work at the incentive, merchandise, and registration table.

Orientation Tribe Leader (alumni only, must be at camp by 3 pm)

• You and a co-leader will head a Hazon “tribe” of 25-30 people
• Together you will lead orientation for your small group and help settle everyone for Shabbat dinner rituals.
• At the closing ceremony you will bring your group together for closing reflections.

Table host

The Ride can be hard if you didn’t come with anyone. Can you be a welcoming friendly face and engage everyone at the table?

Lead Shabbat Services

• Over the weekend we offer Shabbat services of many different types. We need volunteers to Read Torah, Read Haftorah and Lead Prayer.
• We also need gabbim to help make sure the service goes smoothly and with decorum.

Lead a yoga class

We try to offer yoga several times over the weekend. Are you a certified teacher? We will offer what you want to teach.

Lead mediation

Teach flat fixing and other bike skills

• We would like to offer several flat-fixing classes over the weekend.
• If you have some other bike skills you would like to teach, there are always people who want to learn.

Lead a ride on Shabbat

We will provide a cue sheet for a short 14 mile ride on Saturday morning.

Teach an education session.

We offer many opportunities for learning during the retreat. The sessions should connect to Hazon’s food work or the Jewish food movement.

Provide musical accompaniment at candle lighting, havdalah, closing ceremony (must bring your own instruments)

During the Ride

Biking Buddy

Some of our riders need extra support on the road.  You will ride with this person and keep an eye on them.

Ride Marshal (alumni only)

• Marshals work one day of the Ride to make sure that the Riders are safe and on the route.
• Marshals often stop at corners to make sure everyone makes the turn.
• They assist less advanced cyclists on the road.
• They are critical in cases of emergency and if the route changes.

Crew Team Captain (alumni only)

• A team captain manages a crew team of 5-10 people to complete their tasks during the riding days.
• Crew captains will make sure everyone on their team has all the supplies they need. Captains will be the main point of communication between the team and the staff.
• Captains will be responsible for the theme and spirit of their team

Crew Medical Team

We need doctors, EMT’s, and PTs to help triage and manage health related emergencies.

Crew Bike Mechanical support

• We hire two professional mechanics for the riding days. These folks often need assistants.
• If you can change a tire or have other skills this is the job for you.

Offer massages to riders