At Thursday’s fully booked “Are You Ready For It: Pack Backpacks for Students” event, volunteers filled a gymnasium blasting Swift’s hits, clad in Taylor Swift Eras Tour t-shirts and friendship bracelets. “I love volunteering, but it’s my first time with New York Cares,” said Mona Ghounem. Many others also noted that the event’s Taylor Swift theme was a major pull. For organizations like New York Cares, this growing turnout indicates a hopeful shift within a sector that continues to struggle to meet demand. New York Cares is aiming to reach over 70,000 volunteers this year, and has already counted over 66,000 participants.