Equity & Inclusion at Boston Cares

Boston Cares was founded on the simple idea that anyone with a little time, and a passion for improving their community, can make a difference.  Through acts of volunteerism, we believe we can build a stronger community and a more just world. The very basic core of that work must be rooted in the belief that we all have a place of value in this community, and that our diversity of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, abilities, and lived experiences enrich our community.

We are continually saddened by the acts of racism, discrimination, and hate we see around our country, reminding us of the need to take action. We condemn all acts of hate and believe that racism, misogyny, and discrimination have no place in our community.  To our BIPOC community members, including AAPI folx, we see you, we hear you, and we are proud to have you as part of the Boston Cares community.  We are committed to listening and learning about how we can better support you and stand up in solidarity against hate. 

We denounce white supremacy and strive to be a force in the fight against systemic racism.  We are committed to using our privilege to amplify marginalized voices and to protect our communities facing racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, and any other forms of hate and discrimination.

Our leadership team is working to review and address equity and inclusion within our organization and beyond.  We invite all of our community members – our volunteers, our partners, our funders – to join us in this journey. 

-- Boston Cares Board of Directors & Staff 

Our Work

We recognize our organization does not fully reflect the rich diversity of our broad community, and that our work to create a better community can be strengthened by actively engaging around social justice issues. To help our organization shift and evolve, our Board of Directors launched an Equity & Inclusion Committee to help drive this work, comprised of our Executive Director, staff, members of the Board of Directors, and Associate Board members, many of whom are active volunteers and volunteer leaders. This team is reviewing and updating policies and procedures, expanding our recruitment efforts for all opportunities, offering new programming and learning opportunities for our team, volunteers, and partners, developing new community partnerships, and more. Beyond our internal work, Boston Cares is committed to helping build racial equity in Boston and is proud to join King Boston and the New Boston Coalition in this work. 

We look forward to continuing to share updates and opportunities on this page, as well as through our social media and weekly email updates. 

Volunteer & Partner Trainings

Thanks to support from the Rockland Trust Foundation, we are pleased to partner with the Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Advancement (MAVA) to provide a series of trainings in 2021-2022 focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion in volunteerism. Information & registraion will be available here, on our Calendar, and through our emails & social media.  To-be-scheduled sessions include:

An Introduction to Privilege, Bias, and Microaggressions

Antiracism 101

Indentifying and Addressing Microaggressions with Volunteers

8 Strategies for Creating More Inclusive Volunteer Programs

Crafting Inclusive Volunteer Recruitment Messages

No "One Right Way": Creating New Systems for Volunteer Engagement

Resources

"Being an antiracist requires persistent self-awareness, constant self-criticism, and regular self-examination." - Ibram X. Kendi, How to Be an Antiracist

Below you'll find a curated list of resources our team is using to continually educate ourselves.  We invite our volunteers and partners to explore these resources with us. 

Listen. Learn. Act to End Racism - Listen. Learn. Act to End Racism is a Points of Light initiative in partnership with Morehouse College that is designed to empower businesses, nonprofits, and individuals to use their influence to fight against systemic racism. Their programming includes monthly panel discussions, as well as links to additional resources. Boston Cares is a proud member of the Points of Light Global Affiliate Network, and we will actively share upcoming sessions through our weekly email updates, while recordings of past sessions are available at the link.

King Boston - King Boston is a privately funded non-profit working closely with the City of Boston and the Boston Foundation to create a living memorial and programs honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, and their time and work together in Boston. The memorial is intended to inspire visitors to reflect on the values of racial and economic justice that both espoused. Through the memorial and related programming, King Boston envisions an inclusive and equitable Boston for all. 

Justice in June - Justice in June cultivates a community rooted in truth, inspires action, and is committed to awareness.  The resources were compiled by Autumn Gupta with Bryanna Wallace's oversight for the purpose of providing a starting place for individuals trying to become better allies.  As part of Boston Cares MLK Weekend 2020, Autumn and Bryanna hosted a session on "Allyship in Practice".  Their resources offer a syllabus-like approach to resources to read, listen, and watch with 10, 25, or 45 minutes a day.