BRICK – A life-long resident has been selected as an Outstanding Volunteer by The New York Junior League (NYJL).
Out of over 2,400 volunteers, Megan Zuckerman of Brick is one of five women receiving this recognition. The Outstanding Volunteer award is the organization’s highest honors, acknowledging volunteers who exemplify a superior standard of excellence in volunteerism.
The New York Junior League is a women’s volunteer organization based in New York City working with more than 60 community-based organizations – primarily ones that work with women, children, and families – to provide life skills programs to youth and adults who are navigating periods of difficult transition.
Zuckerman, a graduate of Fordham University, joined the NYJL in 2014 and currently serves as the Training Council Head and Secretary of the Communications Work Group.
“It’s really great because it allows you to make an impact on the community while also having a strong community in and of itself. With all the other volunteers, I’ve made a lot of really close friends,” Zuckerman said.
Some of Zuckerman’s previous roles includes Membership Area Associate, member of the Nominating, Provisional Training, Digital Communications, Affiliation committees, as well as Co-Chair of the 120th Anniversary Cookbook Task Force. In 2021, the organization celebrated 120 years and created a cookbook to raise funds for its volunteer work.
Photo courtesy Megan Zuckerman
“It was a very long, multi-year process to create the book and then sell it. We ended up having a ton of recipes coming in. It was a really great experience,” she said. “It’s funny because I do not cook myself, I’m the furthest thing from a cook. When I saw the opportunity to get involved with the committee that was planning the cookbook, I reached out because the co-chair was someone who I really admire and I offered my services more on the administrative side.”
“I got involved that way as a regular committee member, then eventually vice-chair, and then the co-chair asked me to be her co-chair for the project so that was a huge honor to be asked to do that. It was really amazing to see the project come to fruition,” she added.
Outside of the NYJL, Zuckerman volunteers as France 2012 Class Ambassador and Philanthropy Council Member for School Year Abroad, Secretary of the Billion Oyster Project’s Young Leadership Committee, and member of the Central Park Conservancy’s Greensward Circle and Museum of the City of New York’s Director’s Circle. She works in marketing for an educational consultancy.
Megan (on left) volunteering at Find the Good Day, creating 80 HomeNow Kits for families transitioning from homeless shelters to apartment-style living. (Photo courtesy Megan Zuckerman)
On February 24, Zuckerman was honored at the organization’s72nd Annual Winter Ball for her dedication to serving the local community.
“It’s a huge honor. It was a really big surprise when I found out back in October,” she said. “I joined the organization when I was in college. At first, I was really timid and nervous to take on a leadership role but thanks to other volunteers really encouraging me to step up and always push myself, I ended up taking on several different leadership roles to get to where I am now. It’s really given me a lot and helped me grow professionally, personally. It’s really exciting to be honored.”
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