Kopel to college students: if you can’t get a job, volunteer

Though he was down on the summer job market, County Legislator Howard Kopel (R-Lawrence) did advise the Jewish Club students at Nassau Community College to take advantage of the time to volunteer.

Kopel commended the students he spoke to on April 14 for seeking out an education and working hard during the current economic situation. It’s getting better slowly,” he said. “It always does, I promise.”

However, that optimism didn’t translate to the immediate future as the legislator said there are not many jobs currently available at the county level in Nassau. But he did encourage them to use their time wisely. “Many of you are going to be looking for jobs this summer and many of you are not going to find them,” he said. “Volunteer. Don’t lie on the beach all summer. Lying on the beach doesn’t fancy up your resume.”

Avi Zwibel, a Lawrence resident and treasurer of the Jewish Club, said he set-up the April 14 event and was looking forward to getting “words of wisdom” from Kopel. “He’s an accomplished man and I commend him for his work,” Zwibel said.

Faryal Zaffar, a Queens Village resident and business major, said her advisor told her about the event. “I’m hoping to get some information and techniques about starting my own business,” she said.

Karen Garber, a spokesperson, from Nassau County’s Social Services Department told the students about the volunteer opportunities in her office such as helping people who come into the building fill out applications as well as childcare services.

On a daily basis approximately 1,000 people seek to access the services provided by her department, she said a portion of them do not know how to read or write, Garber said. Student assistance with that task could be helpful and could possibly lead to future opportunities. “You don’t know what opportunity will lead to a long-term career path,” she said about volunteering. Kopel agreed with Garber’s statement and said, “You don’t know where life will lead you so it’s important to get as many experiences as you can.”

Though some of the information provided by Kopel was a little negative, Avi Warman, a Queens resident, said that the lawmaker and Garber did give the students helpful information about career opportunities. “I liked how they (Kopel and Garber) gave information about where to go and what to do to get an internship,” he said, regarding the volunteering possibilities. “I also appreciated that Kopel said if you can’t get a job, do something, don’t sit around all summer.”