Community Service

American Red Cross

OCCASIONAL. SCHOOLYEAR. SUMMER. Volunteers are always needed at local blood drives, to register blood donors and help out in the canteen area. Create your own volunteer schedule, helping a few hours a week or a few days each month.
http://www.redcross.org/ma/boston/volunteer

Barakat

OCCASIONAL. Barakat is a nonprofit organization that creates educational opportunities for women and children in Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan. “Barakat” is a term used in Arabic, Turkic, and Persian languages as a greeting that can be roughly interpreted as “blessings.”
http://www.barakatworld.org

Best Buddies Massachusetts 

VIRTUAL. OCCASIONAL. Best Buddies Massachusetts is part of an international nonprofit organization that provides opportunities for one-to-one friendships to people with learning disabilities. Volunteer opportunities include helping with special events or serving as an e-Buddy to a developmentally disabled teen in another state.
http://www.bestbuddiesmassachusetts.org

Bikes Not Bombs

ONE TIME. Bikes Not Bombs is a non-profit organization working for alternative transportation and community development. The group operates the Bicycle Recycling and Youth Training Center in Jamaica Plain to promote environmental education, meaningful employment, and safe sustainable communities in the Boston area and abroad. Volunteers help with special events, including raising funds through the annual spring bike-a-thon.
http://www.bikesnotbombs.org

Boston Cares

MULTIPLE LISTINGS. OCCASIONAL. ONE TIME. Each month Boston Cares organizes and leads more than 100 one-time volunteer projects in the Greater Boston area, many of which are open to high school students. Projects include sorting donated goods, helping with mailings, preparing and serving meals, etc. Volunteers must preregister to participate, and Boston Cares’ volunteer training is a prerequisite for some projects.
http://bostoncares.force.com/Programs_Booyah

Brooks Estate / M-BELT

MULTIPLE LISTINGS. OCCASIONAL. ONE TIME. Each month Boston Cares organizes and leads more than 100 one-time volunteer projects in the Greater Boston area, many of which are open to high school students. Projects include sorting donated goods, helping with mailings, preparing and serving meals, etc. Volunteers must preregister to participate, and Boston Cares’ volunteer training is a prerequisite for some projects.
http://www.brooksestate.org

City of Medford

ONE TIME. OCCASIONAL. SCHOOLYEAR. SUMMER. Volunteers are needed by the Council on Aging to help elderly neighbors with shoveling, raking, etc., and to serve as friendly visitors to seniors. The Office of Veterans’ Services needs help collecting and packaging donations to send to servicepeople overseas.
http://www.medford.org

City Year Boston

OCCASIONAL. ONE TIME. SCHOOLYEAR. Volunteer Force is a branch of City Year Boston dedicated to engaging volunteers in high-impact one-day community service events. Selected projects aim to improve educational, recreational, and residential facilities that support youth and families in the Greater Boston area. Activities may include landscaping, outdoor or indoor painting, creating murals, and light construction projects.
http://www.cityyear.org

Communitas, Inc.

OCCASIONAL. SCHOOLYEAR. SUMMER. Formerly known as Emarc, Communitas is a non-profit organization that delivers individualized, family-centered services, programs and support for people of all abilities, across their lifespan and in their communities. Ask about opportunities in our recreation program!
http://www.communitasma.org

Esplanade Association

OCCASIONAL. SUMMER. The Esplanade Association’s Green Team helps with upkeep of Boston’s historic Esplanade, the park that borders the Charles River adjacent to the Back Bay, with cleanups, planting days, and special events scheduled throughout the year. The Boston Model Sailing Club needs volunteers Wednesday evenings and Sunday afternoons to help the public operate remote-controlled model boats in the Esplanade Lagoon.
http://www.esplanadeassociation.org

Food Project

SCHOOLYEAR. ONE TIME. The Food Project grows and distributes 160,000 pounds of food each year, and relies on 1,500 volunteers. Students age 17+ can volunteer individually; younger students can participate on individual volunteer days; the volunteer schedule can be found on the website.
http://www.thefoodproject.org

Friends of the Middlesex Fells Reservation

OCCASIONAL. ONE-TIME. Friends of the Fells is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to enhance the natural and historic resources of the Fells by educating the public about the natural, cultural, and appropriate recreational features in the Fells. Volunteers help with site restoration, trail maintenance, leading hikes, and with special projects.
http://www.fells.org

Friends of the Mystic River

OCCASIONAL. ONE TIME. This Medford-based community organization is focused on the enjoyment, enhancement, and protection of the Mystic River. The Friends sponsor an annual spring cleanup day, and also need volunteers to help weed invasive plants from the riverbank.
http://www.fomr.org

Growth Through Learning

VIRTUAL. OCCASIONAL. SCHOOLYEAR. SUMMER. Growth Through Learning is a small nonprofit that operates out of a private home in West Medford. We provide high school scholarships to East African girls from poor families so that they don’t have to drop out after elementary school.
http://www.growththroughlearning.org

Havard Museum of Natural History

SCHOOLYEAR. Do you love animals, birds, dinosaurs, or minerals? Then consider becoming a student gallery guide at Harvard University’s world-renowned natural history museums. High school student guides are needed to conduct tours for younger students each Wednesday from 3-5:30pm. See their ad in the Files section.http://www.hmnh.harvard.edu

Housing Families, Inc.

SCHOOLYEAR. SUMMER. Do you want to volunteer to help kids and have fun? Housing Families Inc. in Malden is seeking volunteers for our Children’s Program. We are looking for volunteers for after school tutoring and summer activities. Training, support, and fun is provided — we just need you!
http://www.housingfamilies.org

Idealist

MULTIPLE LISTINGS. ONE TIME. OCCASIONAL. SCHOOLYEAR. SUMMER. This interactive website, a project of the nonprofit Action Without Borders, links people to organizations seeking volunteers or interns.
http://www.idealist.org\

Meford Boys and Girls Club - Gene Mack Clubhouse

SCHOOLYEAR. SUMMER. Volunteers age 18 and older are needed to assist staff with arts and crafts, sports and games, or technology activities for younger kids. Maintenance help is also needed. Application forms are available in the Files section.
http://www.kidsclubs.org

Middlesex Canal Association

OCCASIONAL. The MCA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and restoring the historic Middlesex Canal. Volunteer opportunities include periodic local cleanups along the canal route; monitoring historic markers; helping with projects at the MCA’s museum in North Billerica; research projects, and model building. Special projects can be crafted to meet student interests.
http://middlesexcanal.org

Museum of Science

SCHOOLYEAR. SUMMER. The Museum of Science offers a range of volunteer opportunities for high school students. Most require a regular commitment to volunteering for at least 6 months.
http://www.mos.org/support_mos/volunteering

Mystic river Watershed Association

OCCASIONAL. The Mystic River Watershed Association is working to make the Mystic “fishable and swimmable” by 2010. Volunteers are needed for regular river bank cleanups, and to help with the annual spring Herring Run, which includes a road race, a paddle race on the river, and fun onshore activities.
http://www.mysticriver.org

New England Aquarium

SCHOOLYEAR. SUMMER. Volunteer opportunities include working in administrative offices, store, as a guide, and directly with animals for those age 18+. Six-month commitment required for most positions, summer opportunities also available.
http://www.neaq.org

People Making a Diffeerence through Community Service

MULTIPLE LISTINGS. OCCASIONAL. ONE TIME. People Making a Difference’s projects typically involve cleaning, gardening, or other hands-on work. Most volunteer projects are accessible by public transportation and involve a one-day commitment, usually on a Saturday. Volunteers select from a list of upcoming projects posted on PMD’s website, and must preregister to participate.
http://www.pmd.org

Royall House & Slave Quarters

OCCASIONAL. The Royall House Association is a national historic landmark that is open for tours on weekends from May to October. The Association sponsors evening programs in the winter months, and occasional special events. Volunteer opportunities include helping with mailings, special events, and yard work.
http://www.royallhouse.org

Samaritans

SCHOOLYEAR. SUMMER. OCCASIONAL. The Samaritans is the Greater Boston area’s suicide preention organization. Samaritans’ purpose is to alleviate despair, isolation, distress and suicidal feelings among individuals in our community, 24 hours a day; to educate the public about suicide prevention; and to reduce the stigma associated with suicide. Samariteens are volunteers ages 15-18 who staff the teen hotline from 3-9pm each day, and also help with events and administrative work.
http://www.samaritanshope.org

 Special Olympics Massachusetts

SCHOOLYEAR. SUMMER. ONE TIME. The mission of Special Olympics Massachusetts (SOMA) is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of well-coached Olympic-type sports for individuals with intellectual disabilities by providing them with opportunities to develop physical fitness, express courage, and experience joy! We depend upon countless volunteers every year to train and support thousands of athletes who participate in Special Olympics throughout the year in the state of Massachusetts.
http://specialolympicsma.org/

Springstep

OCCASIONAL. Springstep is a performing arts center and arts educational organization located in Medford Square. Volunteers are needed to help with performances and special events, and to distribute catalogs within Medford and in surrounding communities.
http://springstep.org/

Stone Zoo - Zoo New England

OCCASIONAL. Are you interested in exploring a career in animal care? Both individual and group volunteer opportunites at the Stone Zoo, part of Zoo New England, might be the adventure you’ve been looking for! Some activities are limited to volunteers 18+, but younger volunteers are needed to assist with special events. See the website for an application form.
http://www.stonezoo.org

Student Conservation Association

MULTIPLE LISTINGS. SUMMER. SCA is a nationwide force of high school and college-age volunteers who are committed to protecting and preserving the environment. High school crews build hiking trails, protect threatened habitats, sleep under the stars, and make an important difference in our national parks and forests. Crew assignments typically run from three to five weeks.http://www.thesca.org

Volunteer Mach

MULTIPLE LISTINGS. ONE TIME. OCCASIONAL. SCHOOLYEAR. SUMMER. VIRTUAL. Find an opportunity that matches your location, interests, and skills fast with an easy to use search engine. You can also search by organization name, or browse listings of virtual volunteer opportunities.
http://www.volunteermatch.org/

WGBH Public Television / Radio

OCCASIONAL. WGBH is one of the nation’s top public television and public radio broadcasters. Volunteers are regularly needed for fundraising pledge drives, and to help with the annual auction in June, a five–day televised event that raises funds for WGBH programing and that requires more than 4,000 volunteers helping to solicit, present, and sell more than 6,000 donations. Each September, volunteers help with the annual Ice Cream FunFest.
http://www.wgbh.org/support/volunteer

West Medford Open Studios

ONE TIME. This annual spring event invites the public to view local artists’ work. Volunteers are needed to distribute flyers and signs.
http://www.wmos.org

Winchester Hospital

SCHOOLYEAR. SUMMER. Winchester Hospital offers a full range of inpatient and outpatient diagnostic, medical, and surgical services. Volunteers may choose patient contact or not, and are needed to help with clerical tasks, messenger service, coffee shop, and many other areas of the hospital and its offsite locations.
http://www.winchesterhospital.org