The Commission is proud to continue the spirit of volunteerism that started with a Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) grant from the Corporation on National and Community Service in 2010. During the first six years of that grant, the Commission exceeded its goal of recruiting over one million volunteers statewide.

The Commission continues to build on that success with the current VGF program, which is designed to direct more volunteer efforts toward eliminating the root causes of food insecurity, so that fewer families struggle with hunger. The current New York State VGF program provides grants to 11 nonprofit organizations located throughout the state that engage volunteers in efforts to alleviate hunger and its root causes. The current VGF program is also aligned with the New York State Council on Hunger and Food Policy, which aims to find solutions for improved access to healthy food for all New Yorkers. The 11 grantees act as “flagship” organizations, recruiting, training, placing and/or managing volunteers within their organizations, and within partner nonprofit organizations, in their communities.