i think a better question might be considering what type of volunteering you'd like to do?

the library has GED tutoring programs for example. the local parks have cleanup and gardening work. there are soup kitchens here (the work is mostly unloading / unpacking etc). someone recently posted about playing piano at hospitals. there's enough dog poop that can be it's own job...

just some ideas, but you might already know which skill you'd like to offer

Don't know your resume, but if you're well educated like many on this board, I can tell you the college bound HS kids from 1st gen immigrant families, or others where no one has ever gone to college, desperately need the intensive "guidance counseling" that their families and the JC school system are unable to give. Many go to HCCC or Rutgers (according to their accomplishments) simply because it's the path of least resistance. My wife took my daughter's best friend under her wing and got her into a competitive private school with enough aid to attend. I'm sure it could even be by Zoom.

Any parks in the downtown area offer cleanup/gardening?

https://www.rescuingleftovercuisine.org always needs volunteers! Super easy way to help out.

I don’t know if I’m well educated but I have a bachelors degree in stem major for a very reputed public school. I’m not sure if I know enough to be a guidance counselor but can definitely give a shot at it.

I have never considered myself good at teaching but happy to atleast try it out and see if I can be beneficial to a HS kid. The soup kitchen sounds like something I will be interested as long as it is not physically intensive.

I’m looking for unpaid volunteer work and something in jersey city. It seems like they have openings in nyc.

I do it in jersey City every week! There are plenty of JC pick up and delivery spots available.

Go back on the site, on the left click “branches” near the bottom and navigate to NJ. I usually do a pickup at Prato or Choc-o-pain downtown but the organization has been short staffed recently. It’s a very easy way to make a difference!!

https://www.rescuingleftovercuisine.org/new-jersey

All opportunities in JC are unpaid.

See the following link for adult literacy / GED volunteering. If you have an fluency in spanish (or maybe eastern european languages) that would be a plus too as many of the people that need help speak those languages, but it is definitely not required. https://www.jclibrary.org/resources/literacy-program/#Volunteers

The library have a college readiness program as well but I don't know if they take volunteers or how that works. Someone else said it, but the issue is many kids come from families that never had anyone go to college. This means no one in their lives even knows how to apply, how to select schools, what steps need to be taken (what are SATs, SAT vs ACT, when to take then, where to take them, how to apply, how to have money to apply, etc).

If you call the library I'm sure they can talk out what opportunities are available.

The parks have their own associations and neighborhood groups you should reach out directly to them. https://www.fvvp.org/ or https://www.hpnajc.org/ for example.

For soup kitchen / shelter work the two I know of are st lucy's and the sharing place.

If you like animals there are a bunch of rescue groups in the area that need fosters for dogs / cats. If you don't want them in your home they actually often also need volunteers to help escort animals to the vet (if you don't have a car they will pay for your uber, they need the person more than the vehicle many times) or to house-sit when the foster is away for the weekend, or to just walk the animals during the day when people are at work, etc etc.

Historic Harsimus Cemetery does wake n rake Saturday mornings (tidying the grounds) not sure if it's running during the colder months.

Thank you for sharing! I just signed up!

Amazing!!!!

What is the best way to get started?

I don't know but it sounds like the library is the best place to start from what someone else posted.