goCreate: Mystery Project  

Boston Cares

Date/Time: Sunday, August 2, 1 - 3pm

Location: Boston Cares Office near North Station  

goCreate: Mystery Project is a special opportunity for youth to attend a project that was created by and will be run by teens! Five handpicked Boston Cares teens are working to identify a community need and develop a service project to address that need. This will be a family-friendly and youth run event with the help of Boston Cares staff. Volunteers who sign-up for goCreate in August will be notified of details one week before the opportunity.  

Ages: Five and older

Time Commitment: Two hours 

Contact: Ginelle Testa, [email protected]
www.bostoncares.org  

Junior Forester Adopt a Tree Program 

City of Cambridge - Urban Forestry Dept.

Date/Time: Ongoing

Location: Various neighborhoods (throughout Cambridge)  

Calling all young tree lovers! Do you know a budding tree enthusiast who might be interested in improving the life of a young tree near their home or school? Volunteers will learn about the importance of trees, how to measure moisture around tree roots with a moisture meter, how to weed and apply mulch, and how to water a street tree using a gator bag.
Junior Forrester tasks include: 

• Weeding around the base of the tree.
• Watering the tree.
• Mulching or adding compost to the soil.
• Picking up litter.

Ages: The Junior Forester Program is open to all local youth ages 5-13 years  

Time Commitment: Flexible

Contact: David Lefcourt, City Arborist, 617.349.6433 or [email protected]. To become a Junior Forester, the child and a parent or guardian must complete the Junior Forester Application and return it to DPW with an adult's signature.
www.cambridgema.gov/theworks

Provide hospitality and hope to children and families who have lost their homes  

Family Promise Metrowest

Date/Time: Flexible

Location: 13 Common Street, Natick  

Family Promise Metrowest serves homeless families with children 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Family Promise Metrowest is a cooperative, interfaith partnership offering hope to homeless families with children through safe transitional shelter, meals, and supportive case management as they seek permanent housing. Seventeen houses of worship open their doors one a time, three or four times a year, to provide safe shelter, meals and hospitality for up to fourteen guests. Volunteer families are needed to eat and play with guest families and their children. They can also set-up bedrooms, prepare meals and plan children's activities.  

Ages: All ages are welcome. Everyone over the age of 12 who interacts with FPM guests must complete a one time volunteer orientation.

Time Commitment: Varies

Contact: Judy Mongiardo, [email protected], 508.318.4820
www.familypromisemetrowest.org

Drop by the Farm and Get Your Hands Dirty for Hunger Relief  

Community Harvest Program

Date/Time: Anytime Monday through Saturday, 9am - noon, now through October 3 (except for holiday weekends) 

Location: 37 Wheeler Road, North Grafton  

This is a great experience for families with members of all ages (with at least one adult). The farm is a great place to help children understand how food is grown, about volunteering while impacting their awareness of hunger and our efforts to improve the food supply for those seeking hunger relief. Connect with others in the community and have fun while harvesting a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables from the fields, from green beans to zucchini! All produce is donated through the hunger relief network in Worcester County. No gardening experience is necessary. Please wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty. Bring a water bottle, hat, sneakers and sunscreen. Gloves are available onsite. All work is outdoors and in the fields, harvest happens rain or shine so please dress accordingly.  

Ages: All ages are welcome. An adult must accompany children under 16.

Time Commitment: Flexible. Volunteers can drop-in anytime Monday through Saturday, 9am-noon, and volunteer for as long as they like.

Contact: Wayne McAuliffe, [email protected], 774.551.6544.
www.community-harvest.org 

Backpack Attack - Help fill 2500 backpacks!  

The Wish Project

Date/Time: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday or Saturday, 9am-2pm from August 1 - September 7 (Drop off by August 19, if possible, so backpacks can get to children before they start school. However, donations will be accepted through September 7.)

Location: 1 A Foundry St., Lowell  

It's back to school time! As you prepare for getting back to school yourselves, collect and donate school supplies and new backpacks for needy children. You will be helping The Wish Project reach their goal of 2500 backpacks. New and filled backpacks are distributed to the children from more than 59 homeless shelters and other social service programs in the Merrimack Valley. Items must be NEW for this project. Visit their website for items each backpack should contain. The contents are kept similar so that all children are gifted equally.   

Ages: All ages can participate.

Time Commitment: Flexible

Contact: [email protected], 978.441.9474. For other volunteer opportunities contact [email protected]
www.thewishproject.org 

Shop for a Cause at Macy's  

Cradles to Crayons

Date/Time: Sell coupons now through August 29. Shop for a Cause sale date is Saturday, August 29

Location: Macy's at the Cambridgeside Galleria Mall in Cambridge   

Help Cradles to Crayons raise money through this unique one-day sale! You and your children can sell Macy's $5 tickets for people to receive up to 25% discount on all purchases on Saturday, August 29 only. If you prefer to be shoppers and not sales people, go the extra mile and buy some of C2C's most needed items with your own discount card!   

Ages: Everyone can participate 

Time Commitment: Flexible

Contact: Julia Boyaval, 617.779.4742

www.cradlestocrayons.org/boston 

Host a Bead Party to Support Children in Ghana  

Project Bead

Date/Time: Flexible

Location: Your home! 

Help support Project Bead by hosting a Bead Party to raise money to make it possible for students in Ghana to continue their education and finish high school. Not all children in Ghana have the opportunity to go to high school. In fact, it costs $1000 per year to attend high school  - a cost that many families cannot afford. Project Bead operates as a social enterprise that uses 100% of profits to fund education for children in Ghana. These profits are generated through retailing and wholesaling beaded products made by Ghanaian entrepreneurs.  

Ages: Ages three and older. (Children should be old enough to not swallow beads.)  

Time Commitment: Varies 

Contact: Mandy Monty, Director of Beads, [email protected] 413.539.1673, [email protected]
www.projectbead.com

Harry Potter Boston: Behind-The-Scenes Volunteer Day  

The Shirley-Eustis House

Date/Time: Saturday, August 29, 10am - 4pm

Location: 33 Shirley Street, Boston  

On October 17, the Shirley-Eustis House will host their third annual Harry Potter event. Volunteers are needed to paint, work with wood, stencil on paper, sew, and work with technology to help get the 'behind-the-scenes' magic started. Refreshments will be available. Learn more about the event on their Facebook page.  

Ages: Volunteers 12 and older are welcome. A parent or guardian must accompany volunteers younger than 16.

Time Commitment: Four to six hours 

Contact: Minister of Magic, Glorius Umbridge, [email protected] or Patricia Violette, Executive Director 617.442.2275, [email protected]. RSVPs are encouraged.
www.shirleyeustishouse.org

Sign a Petition  

Change.org

Date/Time: Anytime

Location: Your own location 

This is a great summer activity that will challenge your kids to think critically and take action about causes that matter to them. Take time as a family to learn about and support a cause that you and your children care about through online petitions. You can start a petition or sign a existing petition at Change.org. This way you can participate in initiatives that are up and running, or start a petition for a cause that's meaningful to you. Check out Doing Good Together's Sign a Petition page for ideas on how to get started!

Ages: Everyone can participate 

Time Commitment: Varies

Contact: www.Change.org 

Share Kindness Campaign  

Doing Good Together

Date/Time: Now through July 31 only 

It's a kindness campaign! It's a fundraiser! It's a fashion statement! Doing Good Together™ is holding a limited-time fundraising sale of these fun 2-sided "Share kindness" T-shirts. When you wear our colorful shirt, you'll be spreading a positive message, building awareness of DGT™ and helping our nonprofit raise funds to continue our big-hearted programming efforts. T-shirts must be ordered no later than July 31.  

Order your t-shirts at www.booster.com/doinggoodtogether. Youth and adult size shirts are available.