Indian American among top volunteer awardees named by NYC Service  

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On April 22, 2025, top volunteers, including an Indian American, received awards at a ceremony in Gracie Mansion. The top five volunteers were recognized by NYC Service with the 2025 Mayoral Service Impact Awards.

NYC Service also recognized more than 3,000 volunteers representing more than 200 nonprofit organizations and over 70 private sector businesses that actively engage their employees in service.

In honor of National Volunteer Month, Indian American Rina Madhani, a Bronx native won the Mayoral AmericCorps Alum Impact Award for her work addressing the literacy crisis in underserved NYC communities.

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Madhani received the award for continuing to embody the AmeriCorps spirit of “Getting Things Done” in New York City communities beyond her service year, the press release noted.

During her AmeriCorps VISTA service term, Madhani noticed a gap in literacy resources across New York City. As a response, she founded Start Lighthouse with a Literacy Hub initiative that serves 2,100 students in underserved communities, including schools like P.S. 214. The Literacy Hubs provide both books and holistic, equity-focused programming. These include daily literacy lessons, author workshops, family engagement activities, and mentorship opportunities, all aimed at boosting academic performance and literacy.

NYC Service received 164 nominations for this year’s top five awards, the most received in the history of the awards program, the press release said. A review committee selected 20 nominees who underwent a week-long public voting period that drew more than 2,200 individuals to select their top volunteer projects.

The other four top winners included Nancy Easton who received the Spirit of the City Award; the organization Every Day is a Miracle which received the Community Impact Award; Morgan Stanley and New York Edge which received the Partnerhip Impact Award; and Adams Street Youth Leadership Council which won the Youth Impact Award.

The honorees were celebrated at the Mayoral Service Recognition Ceremony held in Gracie Mansion – a tradition that highlights the power of volunteerism to unite individuals and build a city where all New Yorkers can succeed, a press release from NYC Service said. To date, NYC Service has awarded approximately 45,000 volunteer, organization, and business certificates, as well as 30 Service Impact Awards to recognize the city’s volunteer and service sector.

“Our city is stronger, safer, and more united thanks to the volunteers who power New York City’s nonprofit organizations,” Mayor Eric Adams is quoted saying in the press release. “We thank the five Service Impact Award winners and the thousands of volunteers whose inspiring work strengthens their communities and sets an example for all New Yorkers.”

“Serving as an AmeriCorps member for two years—first in a literacy intervention program and then as a classroom teacher in the Bronx—transformed my understanding of educational equity,” Madhani said. “It gave me the tools, perspective, and deep-rooted commitment to address systemic barriers through community-based solutions.”

Madhani went on to say, “Those early experiences laid the foundation for Start Lighthouse, an organization born out of the belief that every child deserves access to literacy and opportunity. AmeriCorps didn’t just shape my career path—it shaped my purpose.”

Every year during Global and National Volunteer Month, NYC Service organizes the Mayoral Service Recognition program, which includes distributing certificates of recognition to individuals and organizations, an awards program, and a recognition ceremony. There are five Service Impact award categories honoring a diverse type of service member or entity – an organization, a young person or youth group, an AmeriCorps alum, a single volunteer, and a private-public sector collaboration.

The winners received an award and a $1,000 cash award for exceptional service made possible by a generous contribution from the Fund for the City of New York.

“This year’s honorees exemplify the extraordinary depth and diversity of service shaping New York City’s future,” said FCNY President Lisette Nieves. “From Nancy Easton’s transformative leadership in reimagining school wellness for over a million children through Wellness in the Schools, to Rina Madhani’s founding of Start Lighthouse and its impact on literacy access for thousands of young readers …”

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