|
In partnership with the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Friends of Materials for the Arts (FOMA) works to design and support programs and services for the not for profit arts community. This model public/private partnership brings together personnel and resources to enhance MFTA's services to the field. FOMA furthers MFTA's mission of reuse, arts education and support for artists in the following ways: FOMA Education Program: Our fastest-growing program, FOMA’s Education Program provides several different programmatic points of entry. The Reuse Education Program, in which shoppers are trained in the creative use of items found at Materials for the Arts as well as in the benefits of reuse and waste reduction. - Summer Professional Development Institute for Teachers, an intensive professional development program that instructs educators in creative ways to teach reuse practices to their students;
- Parent Coordinator Workshops, including "Art of Reuse” and “Book-Making” workshops that are provided to “PCs” throughout the five boroughs funded through Washington Mutual Bank.
- In-School Partnership with Waste Management, a collaboration between Waste Management of New York(WM) and FOMA/MFTA working in a select number of schools in Brooklyn and the Bronx, which will merge the organizations’ resources to create a school-based reuse/recycle program that may serve as a model for similar programs around the country;
- Performance Art Workshops, a series of hands-on workshops in how to work with reusable materials in the areas of sound, lighting, costume and set design will be offered over the course of the year; and
- FOMA Reuse Education Center, the expansion of our Warehouse space will not only allow us to increase our intake of reusable items, but it will also provide us with permanent workshop areas for all of our educational programs.
In all of FOMA’s education programs, participants are trained in the creative use of items found at Materials for the Arts. They become more productive shoppers as they are inspired to increase the number of items they collect and to use them more creatively. MFTA’s training workshops will continue to provide new and effective ways to highlight the benefits of reuse and waste reduction and teach the basics for supporting a sustainable environment. Volunteer Initiative: MFTA has launched an ambitious Volunteer Initiative, directed by a Volunteer Coordinator to provide increased services to our constituents. The Coordinator oversees the use of volunteers to assist in day-to-day operations at the warehosue and also plans new projects to benefit the program and give valuable experiences to our volunteer crew. For high school and college interns, the program offers general office skill-building, resumé writing and interview preparation. The Volunteer Initiative builds on MFTA’s pre-existing volunteer force, which currently includes YAI (National Institute for People with Disabilities), AHRC (Association for the Help of Retarded Children) and local high schools and colleges. These groups have created a work force that is crucial to MFTA’s operations. Volunteers help maintain each area of the warehouse in order for recipients to easily find what they are looking for. Volunteer projects include fabric sorting, paint room cataloguing and upkeep of book technology areas. Other programs of the Volunteer Initiative include: - Technology Maintenance Intern Group: Student volunteers who are well-versed in computer technology manage and process computer donations, to make them immediately available to recipient groups.
- The Co-op Collection utilizes members of an external volunteer corps who reside in targeted residential buildings. The Collection program helps increase the number of donations and to promote reuse among individuals and families. The program gives building residents the opportunity to reduce their waste, obtain a tax deduction and, through MFTA, immediately reinvest in public schools, not-for-profit arts groups and community organizations throughout New York City.
Transportation Initiative: In order for MFTA to accommodate the increased needs of both donors and recipients, and serve them more efficiently, we must expand our transportation capabilities. Throughout the course of a year there are many valuable donations we turn down because of limited ability for pick up. Support of the Transportation Initiative allows for the hiring of temporary drivers, an additional trucking service and temporary staff to process the increased donations. More items on the floor mean more materials for recipient groups to use in their drama, art, and music programs. Technology Initiative: This Initiative builds on our custom-designed, interactive website and retooled database, launched in 2002. Recipients can now go log on to mfta.org to make appointments, update their contacts, check their accounts, add to their wish-lists and request information on specific items. Donors are able to list items they wish to donate, and review past donations and which recipients benefited from their generosity. Sponsored Evening Shoppings: Staff members of recipient organizations often have difficulty scheduling visits to the warehouse during regular daytime hours. MFTA hosts two to three shopping evenings each month to provide the opportunity for teachers and other recipient members to visit the warehouse after school hours. Because these hours fall outside of normal operating hours, support of Sponsored Evening Shopping enables MFTA to keep the elevators operating, the lights on, and the doors open to the staffs of public schools, theater groups and non-profit organizations who are unable to visit the MFTA warehouse during regular business hours. |
