Save the date: The 2024 Yale Day of Service will be celebrated May 11.
This global event welcomes Yale alumni, family, and friends to work together to make their communities – both local and virtual – a better place.
As in previous years, we have targeted the second Saturday in May as this year’s focal point around which to plan Yale Day of Service events, but we encourage groups to host events according to the needs and schedules of their volunteers and community. Some clubs have planned Day of Service events as early as March and others as late as July, so you might think of the Day of Service as being more like a “Season of Service.” Other groups have added recurring service events throughout the year.
Regardless of WHEN your project occurs, we hope your experiences as a Yale volunteer are both meaningful and engaging.
Volunteer
To find a volunteer opportunity for Yale Day of Service, check out the Find a Project page. If you don’t see a project listed in your area or a virtual opportunity of interest, check back next week – new projects are being posted every day.
Further, Yale alumni groups are often running consistent volunteer projects outside the typical Day of Service “season.” These opportunities sometimes offer a longer-term volunteer option or consistent engagement points with the same organization or group of people.
To see these additional service opportunities, look in the service category of the YAA events calendar. Or visit the Get Involved page to learn more about additional volunteer opportunities with Yale.
Virtual Volunteering
If there is not a Yale Day of Service project in your area, or if you are in a region where group gatherings are not advised, there are lots of ways to connect and spread good will with and without technology. Some ideas for virtual engagement:
- Card/letter writing to vulnerable communities, including to:
- Service members and veterans
- Elderly/isolated communities
- Hospitalized children
- Individuals with physical and emotional disabilities - Expertise sharing via video chat or webinar (e.g., Skype, Zoom, Facebook Live, FaceTime)
- Story or music time for children via recorded video or live platforms
- Document preparation for historical, legal, medical, financial needs
- Visual storytelling similar to the TED talk format
Another option is to consider the virtual volunteering opportunities available through organizations all over the world. These programs can bring together Yalies regardless of location, and do not require in-person gatherings.
Examples include:
American Red Cross Digital Volunteers
Love for Our Elders – founded by Jacob Cramer ’22
State and National History Days – serve as a virtual judge for student projects
Organize
If you’d like to organize a service project, consider reaching out to members from your Yale alumni group or Yalies from your personal network to brainstorm ideas. There are many tips and tools in the Organizers Toolbox to help you determine the details for your project.
If you need help finding an organization to work with, consider volunteer matching resources available online for both local and virtual project ideas.
Once you’re ready with the details, submit your project to the YAA Events Calendar to have it listed as a volunteer opportunity for Yalies to join.
Then, visit the new Day of Service registration site to create an account via VolunteerHub. This will streamline the process for getting your site listed on the YAA calendar AND the registration page.
When submitting your event, follow these instructions to ensure your service project appears with the rest of the Yale Day of Service listings:
Event Title: Yale Day of Service: State, City – Project Name
Organization: Name of Yale group organizing the program (e.g., Yale Club of Chicago, YaleWomen, Yale Class of 2004, etc.)
Event Category: Service
Event Venue: Name of location with City, State -OR- online platform such as Zoom
Address: Physical location of venue or web address/link to online project
Link URL: If you’re using a registration site such as Eventbrite, include that here. If you need YAA to create a registration page for you, input https://alumni.yale.edu or your partner organization's website as a placeholder.
Description:
- Details about the organization you’re working with
- Activities planned and any age/ability details required
- Preparation needs – what to bring, wear, etc.
- For virtual events, technology requirements (operating systems, smart phones, applications to download ahead of time)
- Parking or transportation information (if in-person)
- Space/capacity limits
- CONTACT INFORMATION for people who have questions
Contact Name: For Day of Service project, the name WILL be listed on the public site, with a link to the contact’s email and class or degree information.
Connect with Us
Yale Day of Service has a network of leaders who are interested and available to help. Consider reaching out to the regional director for your area to talk through ideas, recruit volunteers, or find a project that suits your interests.
YAA Staff
Mara Balk, Associate Director for Volunteer Engagement
Joao Aleixo, Director of Yale Alumni Service Programs
Day of Service Alumni Volunteer Co-Chairs
Cynthia Okechukwu '08, '13 JD
Jerry Henry '80 MDiv