Get Involved
Community Dialogue NYC is neighbors serving neighbors. We have no paid staff, not even our CEO. Everything we do is carried by volunteers who show up because they love this community, and there is always room for one more pair of hands.
Minds Matter peer support groups. Sit with neighbors, help welcome people into the room, and support our wellness workshops. Our groups are peer support, not counseling. When someone needs one-on-one counseling, we connect them with a partner who provides it.
Teen Mental Health First Aid. Stand with teens on training days. This past summer our team trained 250 teens through RiseBoro to recognize when a friend is struggling and get them help, and the work keeps growing.
Families in shelter. Support our Parent and Child Family Activity Program with Bushwick Family Residence, where families build connection and everyday skills together with our occupational therapist.
Learning with LaGuardia Community College. Community Dialogue NYC is a fieldwork site for LaGuardia Community College's occupational therapy assistant program. Occupational therapy assistant students complete their Level I fieldwork alongside our occupational therapist, Regina Lehman, learning how occupational therapy supports families and neighbors in real community settings. Placements begin in spring 2027.
Street outreach and community events. Walk with us as we bring hot meals, groceries, and a listening ear to our unhoused neighbors, and join our community gatherings, including our annual Friendsgiving meal.
Grocery support. Help buy, pack, and deliver groceries to families according to what each family needs. This is need-based support delivered to families, not a walk-in pantry.
Monday music wellness. Join our Monday evening music wellness sessions in East New York, where teens and adults learn piano, drums, bass guitar, and conga, and find healing and wellness in music.
Office help. Lend a hand with the everyday work that keeps everything going, from welcoming visitors to helping with mailings and phone calls.
Coming next. We are building toward The Stoop, supportive independent housing in Brooklyn where adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities will hold their own leases with supports included, and Diálogo Comunidad Cocina, a kitchen where individuals can work and learn. Neither is open yet. Both belong to the future we are working toward, and we will share news as they take shape.
To get involved, write to joanna@cdnyc.org or call (718) 455-6010 ext. 6116. Tell us what draws you, and we will find the place where your hands fit.