Events Calendar

*This service project is closed*

Y2Y provides meals and overnight shelter for homeless young adults in the Cambridge area. Normally staffed by undergraduates, the shelter is always in need of volunteers during school breaks.

This March, YaleBoston has committed to provide volunteer coverage for a dinner shift on Thursday the 16th. Volunteers will prepare and serve meals, clean the space, and assist the shelter staff in other tasks as needed.

For more information visit the Y2Y website!

Contact: Brian Hoefling '12

*Registration for this event is closed. Please consider participating in another Service Project* 

On Earth Day, come and join other Yalies to clean up trails of Jamaica Pond Park in Boston, followed by an appreciation lunch hosted by the Emerald Necklace Conservancy.

Trash bags, gloves, and trash grabbers (depending on site and availability) will be provided. All tools that have to be returned will be sanitized before and after the event. At the completion of the cleanup, volunteers will stack the trash, which will be collected by municipal public works departments or the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Each volunteer team will fill out a form reporting how many pounds of trash they collected and what items they found.

The clean up will be held 10am-noon, picnic afterwards. 

*Space is limited to 10 volunteers. If you register but can no longer attend, please contact Carolyn Yao asap so others can join*

Who's Coming?

Contact: Carolyn Yao '88 MS

Join fellow Yalies and other members of the community to install free smoke alarms and share safety information in this at-risk community.  As volunteers, we first will get an orientation and training by the Red Cross over a continental breakfast. Then we will work in small groups--under the aegis of the Red Cross--to visit homes, install smoke alarms, and provide home fire safety education to residents. 

In any case we will be providing a valuable service to the community and helping to save lives--while volunteering alongside other Yalies and community members. Families welcome! Children under 13 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Did you know home fires claim seven lives every day--or thousands of lives per year?  Having working smoke alarms can cut the risk of death by half!

Note: The link provided will direct you to a login page where you can create a volunteer account on the ARC's portal or sign in if you already have an account.
 

Contact: Caroline Dewing '12

More Than Words (MTW) sells books to change lives. This vital organization works with the most vulnerable young adults in Greater Boston: those who are in the foster care system, court involved, homeless, or out of school. At MTW they earn a paying job, learning job skills while receiving focused support to ensure they persist in school and map plans for their future work, education and life. Learn more about their model and impact here: https://shop.mtwyouth.org/pages/model-impact.

Planned Activities:
During our volunteer shift we will help youth on their business job. The activities vary, but may include organizing shelves, picking orders, sorting donations, and more. You may work as a big group or be divided up into smaller teams for different tasks. Your team will see that they have accomplished a lot to help our youth hit their goals! Learn more about what to expect here.

If you have gently-loved books that you would like to donate to the organization, feel free to bring them. Find more information about the types of books they accept. Please plan to arrive early if you would like to make a donation of books.

And feel free to arrive early/stay after to do some book shopping. It's a really fantastic bookstore!

Capacity & Age Limitation:
The Waltham MTW site can accommodate a group of 10 volunteers. Teens 15 and older may join an all adult group with a caregiver present. Volunteer slots will be allocated on a first come, first served basis and a waitlist will be kept. The site coordinator will inform you of your status within 48 hours after signing up. 

Attendance Expectations:
This YDOS volunteer project runs from 5:00-7:00 PM on a weeknight. It is important that everyone arrive on time so plan extra time for rush hour traffic and to find parking. If you cannot be on site at MTW Waltham for the 5:00 PM start, please consider signing up for another YDOS volunteer project.

If for any reason, you sign up and are unable to attend, please contact Elisabeth Nevins, the site coordinator, as soon as possible so that your space can be offered to someone on the waitlist.

What to Wear/Bring:
Please wear comfortable shoes and clothing as we likely will be working in the MTW book warehouse. Bring water and/or a snack as we'll be busy during prime dinner hours. MTW currently does not require masking on site and we encourage you to make the choice whether to mask or not based on your own level of comfort.

Parking:
There are several spots in the MTW parking lot for visitors. If they are taken, there is plentiful free parking on nearby side streets. Plan to arrive a few minutes early to park.

Who's Coming?

Contact: Elisabeth Nevins '97

*Please note: This event has reached maximum volunteer capacity. Please consider registering for another event nearby.*

Drumlin Farm’s livestock staff welcome the help of Yale volunteers in maintaining our barns. Help with general cleaning tasks such as sweeping, mucking, moving hay bales, wiping down surfaces… While you are here, enjoy seeing the new lambs and kids born this spring – always a delight.

• This project is indoors so we can meet rain or shine.
• Bring work gloves if you have them.
• Recommended for 12+. If you do come with younger children please make sure a second adult is present to care for them. 

Who's Coming?

Contact: Julia Travers Rickert '97, '05 MBA

*Please note: This program has reached maximum volunteer capacity. If you'd like to be added to the waitlist, please email the host.* 

What better way to do a river cleanup than being out on the river itself? Come join us for a morning of kayaking, service, and fun as we do our part to keep the Charles River clean! 

• Kayaks are being generously donated by Paddle Boston for this event, so participation is free.
• Single or double kayaks are available for use, and children of all ages are welcome to share a kayak with an adult (children over 6 may be able to get their own kid kayak).
• Please note your preference for a single, double, or kid kayak (and how many) when you register.
• We will provide garbage bags and we have a few trash picker-uppers to loan out.
• If you prefer to wear gloves or if you have any old kitchen tongs or claw grabbers around feel free to bring them!

If kayaking is not for you, all are welcome to get in on the action by doing a shore cleanup along the canal and riverbank. 

Waiver MUST be signed prior to the event if you are kayaking.

Info:
Paddle Boston FAQs 
Directions 

Who's Coming?

Contact: Julianne Parolisi '02

*Please note: this program is closed to further registrations. Please contact your hose if you can no longer attend.*

Yale Day of Service volunteers will deliver Birthday Boxes to Birthday Wishes HQ for children experiencing homelessness. These pre-assembled boxes provide party supplies and wrapped gifts for children celebrating birthdays. Birthday Wishes believes that all children, regardless of their living situation, should celebrate their birthdays joyfully, surrounded by family, friends, and others who care.

This event is in connection with the virtual birthday box building session on May 21. Volunteers are welcome to participate in one or both sessions depending on availability and comfort with in-person meetings. 

Who's Coming?

Contact: Rob Greenly '83 MBA