All of our core programs and special initiatives focus on six major impact areas. Check out the following list to learn more about our impact highlights and how you can get involved!

Ensuring Young People Succeed: Boston Cares ensures young people succeed by transforming the learning and recreational environments in which they operate, conducting interactive STEM fairs, judging debate competitions, and tutoring. We provide services for over 35,000 children every year and last year, 18 youth earned the President’s Volunteer Service Award through their service with Boston Cares.

• Help Maintain Outdoor Veggie Garden for Paige Academy
• Provide Math & Literacy Support for ages 8-12 at the Laboure Center
• Become a Learning Center Volunteer
• Knit for Greater Good for Youth in Need

Equipping Adults to Beat Poverty: Boston Cares equips adults to beat poverty and get ahead in life by tutoring 500+ non-traditional learners through GED, workforce development, and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) programs.

• Tutor Adults with X-Cel (Sportsmen’s & Missionworks Locations)
• Build Interview Skills with Community Work Services
• Select Books for Prisoners at Prison Book Program
• Computer Testing & Packing at World Computer Exchange
• Sort Products to Benefit Ugandan Families at Project Have Hope

Providing Basic Daily Needs: Boston Cares partners with area shelters, food pantries, community farms, and goods banks to ensure that 60,000 struggling individuals, families, and veterans receive their basic daily needs with respect and dignity. Our volunteers made over 560,000 meals possible in 2015.

• Assemble and Distribute Food Bags with the American Red Cross Food Pantry
• Serve Breakfast and/or Dinner with the New England Center and Home for Veterans
• Stock Donations and/or Distribute Food for the East End House Food Pantry
• Prepare the Dining Hall and/or Serve Meals at the Friday Night Supper Program
• Serve Lunch at the Boston Living Center

Preserving Cultural and Environmental Vibrancy: Boston Cares volunteers preserve cultural and environmental vibrancy in our communities by providing production support and ushering for affordable cultural performances, greenspace stewardship, and supporting community enrichment organizations. Our volunteer efforts benefit more than 1,000,000 neighborhood residents and visitors to the region.

• Park Restoration and Clean Up with the Esplanade Association
• Tend to a Butterfly Garden
• Garden Along the Greenway
• Answer Phones at WBUR’s Spring Fundraiser Marathon

Contributing to the Health and Wellness of Community Members: Boston Cares contributes to the health and wellness of community members by coaching nearly 250 special needs athletes, providing comfort and support for over 1,500 isolated seniors, and preparing meals for more than 2,800 critically ill neighbors annually.

• Play Sports with Newton Athletes Unlimited
• Cook for the Critically Ill at Community Servings
• Sort & Tag Clothes at Boomerangs for the AIDS Action Committee
• Community Meal Preparation at Hosteling International

Emergency Preparedness and Response: Boston Cares works with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, City of Boston, and the American Red Cross as a volunteer activation partner; and is a leader in the MA Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters network. More than 300 Boston Cares Disaster Program volunteers have mobilized for trainings, drills, and disaster response including Hurricane Irene, Superstorm Sandy, Winter Storm Nemo, the Boston Marathon bombings, and the historic 2015 Blizzards.

• Join our Boston Cares Disaster Program Newsletter email list