volunteer spotlight

April is Volunteer Awareness Month, and Monday, April 20 is National Volunteer Day. In honor of these occasions, fresh art would like to say thank you to all our volunteers. Read on to find out more about two of fresh art's longtime contributors.

Happy volunteer awareness month, everyone!


name: Saumya Rachakonda
lives in: Manhattan
originally from: New Jersey
profession: NYU student majoring in psychology and pre-med
fresh art volunteer since: January, 2006
volunteer activities: Sews sock monkeys at fresh art's biweekly sewing circle, volunteers to help run sock monkey workshops with artists, helps sell sock monkeys at various street and craft fairs.
favorite thing about volunteering with fresh art: I enjoy helping at the workshops because I like watching the artists begin a sock monkey and realize that they enjoy it more than they thought they would.
other volunteer work: Right now I'm doing an independent study for school credit at the NYU Child Study Center.
hobbies: I like to play tennis.
one interesting thing about you that few people know: Very few of my friends know that I make sock monkeys!


name: Molly Gahagan
lives in: Astoria, Queens
originally from: Ohio
profession: Fashion designer
fresh art volunteer since: August, 2001
volunteer activities: Currently the volunteer coordinator for fresh art's biweekly sock monkey sewing circle, volunteers to help run sock monkey workshops with artists, helps sell sock monkeys at various street and craft fairs.
favorite thing about volunteering with fresh art: The people I volunteer with. I enjoy helping other people while having fun and expressing my creativity.
hobbies: Sewing, crafting, and reading.
favorite ice cream flavor: Chocolate chip cookie dough.
one interesting thing about you that few people know: I met my husband at a talent show after he balanced a mountain bike on his chin and won first prize.