Staten Island doesn’t always get the credit it deserves as a borough full of community builders. Tucked behind the Verrazano, it carries a quietly strong tradition of neighbors taking care of neighbors — from food pantries that have operated for decades to volunteer fire companies, civic associations, and social service organizations that stretch across neighborhoods from St. George to Tottenville.

Today is Mother’s Day, which makes it a particularly good moment to think about the people in your borough who give without a spotlight. The volunteers who show up on Saturday mornings to hand out food. The advocates who navigate bureaucratic systems on behalf of people who can’t do it alone. The organizers who hold community meetings in church basements when no one is paying attention. These people exist in every Staten Island neighborhood. They just rarely show up in the borough’s press coverage.

Staten Island’s Nonprofit Infrastructure

One of the most useful entry points for anyone looking to engage with Staten Island’s community sector is Nonprofit Staten Island (nonprofitstatenisland.org), which serves as a membership and advocacy organization for nonprofits across the borough. The organization has provided resources, advocacy, and support to help nonprofits operate as vital service providers since 2005, and its member network spans cultural institutions, faith-based groups, healthcare providers, senior and youth service organizations, and local community groups.

Nonprofit Staten Island holds events throughout the year, including an annual Community Service Awards brunch that recognizes volunteers and employees demonstrating outstanding dedication across the borough’s nonprofit community. The awards are announced from the stage at the brunch, and honorees receive recognition in front of colleagues, family, friends, and nonprofit leaders. It is one of the few moments when Staten Island’s community workforce — people who often go unrecognized in their day-to-day work — gets a public thank-you.

If your organization is a nonprofit operating on Staten Island, Nonprofit Staten Island offers membership, training, and networking opportunities worth exploring. And if you’re an individual looking to get involved, their website is a practical place to browse the landscape of organizations in the borough.

Organizations on the Ground

Staten Island has a number of established organizations doing consistent, substantive work across multiple neighborhoods and issue areas.

Project Hospitality is a Staten Island nonprofit providing comprehensive services for people experiencing hunger and homelessness, including those navigating complex health challenges. They have been a presence on the island for decades, operating food programs, transitional housing, and a range of support services for some of the borough’s most vulnerable residents.

Community Health Action of Staten Island (CHASI) works to break down barriers to healthcare access and provides behavioral health care and social support services tailored to the specific needs of Staten Island communities. For residents who face systemic obstacles to getting medical or mental health support, CHASI is often the bridge.

A Chance In Life operates as part of Staten Island’s social care network, helping connect residents to essential services including food, housing, transportation, and employment. Their model is built around meeting people at the point of need and connecting them to the right resources — without making people navigate a complicated bureaucratic maze alone.

These organizations, and many others across the borough, depend on a combination of funding, volunteers, and community support to sustain their work. Most of them are actively looking for people who want to get involved.

What Local Heroes Actually Look Like

The people doing this work rarely describe themselves as heroes. They are usually just the neighbor who noticed that the food pantry needed a second pair of hands on Tuesday mornings. The retiree who started driving seniors to doctor appointments and never stopped. The young parent who brought kids from the apartment building to a homework club and kept doing it for years.

That is the texture of community heroism — not dramatic, not publicized, just consistent. And Staten Island, for all of its suburban self-image, has plenty of it.

If you’re interested in the borough’s physical landscape and the places where community life takes shape, our recent piece on St. George and what’s changing on Staten Island’s waterfront gives useful context. And if you want to explore the borough on foot, our guide to walking Tottenville, the southernmost tip of New York State, is a good starting point.

How to Get Involved

If you’re looking to volunteer, donate, or find a community organization to support on Staten Island this Mother’s Day — or any day — here are a few practical starting points:

• Visit nonprofitstatenisland.org to browse member organizations and find one whose mission resonates with you
• Check your local community board’s website — each of Staten Island’s three community boards maintains lists of civic organizations operating in your area
• Contact Project Hospitality, CHASI, or A Chance In Life directly to ask about volunteer needs
• Look into your local library branch, house of worship, or civic association — many coordinate volunteer programs without heavy digital footprints
• Check the CitizensNYC Community Leaders Grant (deadline July 27, 2026) if you’re involved in or starting a community project on Staten Island — grants of up to $5,000 are available to grassroots groups across all five boroughs

What You Need to Know

• Nonprofit Staten Island (nonprofitstatenisland.org) serves as a hub for the borough’s nonprofit community and is a practical resource for finding organizations to support or join
• Key community organizations on the island include Project Hospitality, Community Health Action of Staten Island (CHASI), and A Chance In Life
• Nonprofit Staten Island holds an annual Community Service Awards brunch recognizing volunteer and employee heroes across the borough
• The CitizensNYC Community Leaders Grant (up to $5,000) is open to Staten Island grassroots groups through July 27, 2026 — apply at citizensnyc.org
• Mother’s Day is a good moment to reach out to a local organization and find out how you can help