Serve a Thanksgiving Meal to Homeless Veterans at the New England Center

Boston Cares is focusing on National Homelessness Awareness Month again this year with projects, events and programs about hunger and homelessness. We hope participants will become more educated about these issue areas in Massachusetts through participation.

The New England Center for Homeless Veterans is the nation's first and largest veteran-specific homeless shelter. NECHV provides a wide spectrum of supportive services to homeless veterans that include housing, counseling, vocational training, job search workshops, living skills and health-related programs. 

Volunteers will be serving a hot Thanksgiving meal to veterans. Thanksgiving is the busiest day for volunteers at the Center. They should bring a baseball cap or other head covering to wear while serving the meal. A disposable paper hat will be provided if volunteers forget to bring their own. Volunteers must also wear shirts with sleeves and closed-toed shoes.

Please note that there will be 30 total volunteers at this event, 10 of which will be from Boston Cares. This is far more volunteers than the Center usually accommodates for dinner service. Please be aware that you may not be assigned to serve on the food line and instead may be deployed to other jobs. We ask you be flexible with this.

Kid-friendly, 16+.

T-Accessible, Green/Blue Lines (Gov't Center) or Orange Line (State Street).

This project is reserved for Boston Cares members who have attended an orientation.

All volunteers under 18 years old must bring a Permission Form signed by a parent or guardian to give to the Project Leader. Please email booyah@bostoncares.org or call 617-422-0910 x 206 if you would like to bring youth to this project.

What Boston Cares members have to say about Serving Meals at the New England Center for Homeless Veterans:

"I really enjoyed the project. It was nice to be able to help out and it was more convenient than some other projects because of the timing and length. The veterans were appreciative too, which is always rewarding." ~Danielle Dignan

"They are so organized and appreciative. It was a great experience and I'll definetly do it again." ~Allison Barry