It’s been unprecedented to see so many unemployed professionals volunteering on the campaign trails for candidates running in the upcoming NYC elections, according to a recent New York Times article. David Chen, author of the article, explains that not only are the candidates benefiting from the extra help, but it’s also been helpful for the volunteers as well. According to Chen, campaigns offer “intensity, energy and obvious short-term goals,” which curbs the feelings of depression and shame that many unemployed people feel. Can’t speak for other organizations, but we also have a habit of offering t-shirts. We’ve seen that freelancers are stellar volunteers—not only do they have odd chunks of free time to fill, they’re great at meeting new people and doing work in short bursts. There’s only one week left until the primary election (on September 15), so if you’re looking for a little intensity or energy yourself, check out our upcoming opportunities to get involved.