Coats for Kids and Families Annual Coat Drive
Anton’s Cleaners, Enterprise Bank, Jordan’s Furniture
Date/Time: Ongoing through January 7.
Location: Click here to find local drop-off locations.
Ages: All ages are welcome to participate.
Time Commitment: Varies.
Are you looking to make a difference in your community? Start a coat drive! We are looking for adult and children-sized warm winter coats. Each year we aim to collect 50,000 warm winter coats to provide to individuals and families in need. Coats are cleaned by Anton’s Cleaners and made available to a network of over 90 distribution partners made up of local nonprofits, social service agencies, and schools to ensure the coats are given to those who need them free of charge. As one of the largest local coat drives, we accept all winter coats – kids, adults, and babies – that are warm and in good, wearable condition. Please only donate coats you would give to a friend to wear. Do not donate coats that have rips/tears, broken zippers, and/or permanent stains, and please be sure to empty all pockets.
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14th Annual MLK Day of Service
City of Cambridge
Date/Time: Monday, January 15, 2–5 p.m.
- Marching Band kick-off parade to City Hall starts at 2 p.m.
- Volunteer activities run from 2:30–5 p.m.
Location: Day of Service Kick-off is at Central Square Church, 5 Magazine Street, Cambridge. Volunteers can follow the marching band and walk to volunteer activity locations. Volunteer activities will be held at Cambridge City Hall and Cambridge Senior Center.
Ages: All ages are welcome with an adult chaperone.
Time Commitment: Three hours.
The annual Cambridge MLK Day of Service will be one of the largest single-day service events in New England. We’re proud to have become a Cambridge tradition. We ask that volunteers do not come empty-handed! Please bring a canned food donation or gently used clothing item. Multiple volunteer activities are available to suit everyone’s interests:
- Make blankets and scarves for children, teens, and adults in need.
- Make Valentines for isolated elders, veterans, and homeless adults.
- Sort clothing and book donations for local area shelters.
Are you looking to make a larger impact? You can start a collection drive for gently used clothing or food in your community and bring the donations to the event!
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19th Annual MLK Day of Service
Boston Cares in partnership with the City of Boston
Date/Time: Monday, January 15, 10 a.m.–noon.
Location: Boston Latin School, 78 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston.
Ages: Families with children five years old and older are welcome to participate. Children must be accompanied by an adult chaperone. Please check the minimum age listed under each volunteer activity.
Time Commitment: Two hours.
Boston Cares is the largest volunteer agency in New England, a member of the Points of Light Global Network, and an award-winning leader in the volunteer engagement sector. Boston Cares will be holding its 19th Annual MLK Service event celebrating service, community, and Dr. King's legacy. We are excited to host a variety of in-person volunteer projects hosted at the Boston Latin School. This in-person volunteering event is youth-friendly, and great for engaging with your family, friends, and fellow volunteers to create and give back on this day of service! Volunteers will be signing up to make items for donation to our four partners, including fidget toys for Waltham Partnership for Youth, blankets and more for School on Wheels and Pine Street Inn, and valentines for Ethos. Click on the above links to learn more and to register.
Contact: volunteers@bostoncares.org. Registration for all opportunities may be found here. Volunteers 12 years old and younger can attend a volunteer opportunity with a parent or guardian if they meet the age requirements stated in the opportunity description. To register youth volunteers 12 years old and younger for a volunteer opportunity, a parent or guardian must email volunteers@bostoncares.org to have them added manually to the project in our system. To join our community of volunteers and engage with us beyond this weekend, click here to sign up for a virtual New Volunteer Orientation, offered from January 12–14 with a waived registration fee!
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Mission: Cards of Support
Soldiers’ Angels
Date/Time: Cards can be sent all year but if you would like your cards to be received before Valentine’s Day they should be received by February 1.
Location: Mail your cards and $1 per card to:
Soldiers’ Angels Cards of Support
2895 NE Loop 410, Suite 107
San Antonio, Texas 78218
Ages: Everyone can participate.
Time Commitment: Varies.
If we learned anything from the pandemic, it’s that we could all use a little extra support. The Mission: Cards of Support project was started during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when veterans first began feeling the pressure of isolation and deployed service members were encountering additional stress from pandemic rules and regulations. The response to this campaign was so incredible, that we decided to continue the mission of writing cards year-round to help service members and veterans feel the support no matter what is happening. Valentine’s for Veterans is now part of Mission: Cards of Support. Using store-bought or homemade greeting cards, your family can write notes of support to a deployed service member or veteran.
Tips and Tricks for Writing Cards:
Tip 1: Keep your message general so your card can be used for anyone— active duty or veteran, male or female. A great way to start is “Dear Hero” and include a message of gratitude, such as “Thank you for your service!”
Tip 2: Be yourself! Although you will likely never know who received your card, your personal message will inspire hope and a sense of well-being in the recipient. Don’t be afraid to share something personal like why you support the military or why you are taking the time to write the card.
Tip 3: On the flip side, please don’t overshare! Sharing personal contact details such as emails, phone numbers, etc. is not advised.
Tip 4: Please keep religion, politics, or other sensitive topics out of the conversation. The purpose of these cards is to inspire hope, not to share your opinion.
Contact: Click here with any questions.
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Make a Meal
Lasagna Love
Date/Time: Ongoing opportunity.
Location: Varies.
Ages: Families with children of all ages are encouraged to participate.
Time Commitment: Varies.
Lasagna Love was started at the beginning of the pandemic when the founder was looking for a way to help moms in her community. She and her toddler started making and delivering meals to families in the neighborhood who were struggling, whether that struggle was financial, emotional, or simply feeling overwhelmed. Since then, Lasagna Love has grown into a global movement, with thousands of people cooking and delivering meals to families in their communities. How does the process work? After answering a few short questions (including how far you are able to drive) on their Volunteer Portal, you will be matched with a family in need of a meal. Once matched, volunteers can communicate directly with their matched family to set up a drop-off date/time. When the time comes, meals are dropped off on the porch/doorstep to ensure a safe and contactless delivery. You may also donate lasagna ingredients to local Lasagna makers. In addition to cooking, you can also nominate a friend or family who may need a home-cooked meal.
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Prepare a Family Style Lunch for 20
On The Rise
Date/Time: Monday through Friday. Meals should be dropped off between 8:30–10:30 a.m.
Location: 341 Broadway, Cambridge. There is temporary parking out front. Please ring the doorbell to drop off lunch with the staff.
Age: All ages are welcome to participate.
Time Commitment: Varies.
On The Rise is a day program for homeless and formerly homeless women. We provide safety, community, and advocacy for those living in crisis. We believe that healthy, trusting relationships catalyze healing, and help our participants discover new and exciting possibilities. At On The Rise, we try to offer as many tangible resources as we can in addition to our advocacy efforts for women and trans/nonbinary people experiencing homelessness. Part of this work is providing breakfast and lunch for our program participants who drop by our Safe Haven. Volunteers are needed to provide a family-style lunch for twenty On The Rise participants. This is a wonderful opportunity to engage your friends, your kids, your household, and your community by gathering around the healing benefits of preparing and gifting food to others. Feel free to be creative!
A family-style lunch donation should contain at minimum three dishes to form a well-balanced and hearty meal–a starch, a protein, and a vegetable. For example, this could include trays of chicken curry, trays of rice, and trays of broccoli. There should be enough food to feed 20 adults. Please provide a list of ingredients so participants can make informed choices based on their preferences and dietary needs/allergies. A salad can also be provided as a vegetable. We are happy to assemble the salad on-site so it does not get soggy. If you are providing a salad, please pre-cut and prepare any necessary items as we aren't able to do the food prep.
- Remember, this should not be a “light” (low-calorie, low-fat, etc.) meal–it should be enough to sustain someone for the whole day in case it is the only meal they get.
- Provide vegetarian, gluten-free, or dairy-free options, and be sure to provide us with information on ingredients and potential allergens.
- Other sides like cookies, chips, cut fruit, and drinks like seltzer or juice are not required but are always appreciated!
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Process Furniture Donations
Household Goods
Date/Time: Shifts are available Monday–Saturday.
Location: 530 Main Street, Acton.
Ages: Volunteers must be 14 years old or older to volunteer.
Time Commitment: The typical shift is three hours. A regular commitment to a shift is preferred even if it is only once per month.
Our mission to provide a full range of furniture and household goods, free of charge, to help people in need make a home is simple, but making it happen takes a community of volunteers. We are ramping back up to full speed, and are actively seeking volunteers to fill shifts every day. Your volunteer time will be put to good use! Volunteer tasks include opportunities such as:
- Helping clients choose items for their homes.
- Loading vehicles for clients.
- Preparing furniture and other household items for clients.
- Unloading donations of furnishings.
Click here to learn more about volunteering.
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8th Annual Winter Walk Boston
Winter Walk
Date/Time(s): Sunday, February 11
- Registration opens at 8:30 a.m.
- Community presentation begins at the main stage at 9 a.m.
- The walk begins at 9:25 a.m.
- Walkers return and community breakfast starts at 10 a.m.
- The Winter Walk event ends at 11 a.m.
Location: The Boston Common.
Ages: All ages are welcome to participate in the walk. Dogs are welcome too! Children may volunteer with a parent chaperone.
Time Commitment: Varies.
The Winter Walk is an organization that believes ending homelessness is within our reach. Our mission is to raise awareness and funds towards that goal and to support organizations that are working on prevention, support, and care for our homeless community. Our year-round work in education, outreach, and advocacy, culminates in a monumental walk every February. Together we raise voices in the hope that we are just steps away from ending homelessness and creating lasting systemic change.
Every year we host a 2-mile walk in each host city. Participants, housed and unhoused, will walk shoulder to shoulder and then share a meal and hear stories from those with lived experience of homelessness. We look forward to making strides to end homelessness with your support! We hope you will consider fundraising for this event. All are welcome to walk, without the barrier of fees or fundraising, but we suggest giving or raising $100 ($50 for youth and students) if possible. Every dollar raised is given back to our incredible partners providing service and care for our neighbors in need. You can choose which partner organizations to support when you register to walk.
Our walk would not be possible without volunteers. If you and your family would like to volunteer please sign up before February 2. Volunteer roles include assisting with registration, route questions, cheering on our walkers, and giving doggy bag goodies to our four-legged friends!
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2024 Polar Plunge
Special Olympics MA
Date/Time: There are a variety of dates from January through the end of March.
Location: Click here for locations. You can also create your own DIY plunge anytime!
Ages: Everyone is welcome to participate.
Time Commitment: Varies.
It's officially plunge season! That means it’s time to register yourself or your team to brave the cold and take the 2024 Polar Plunge with Special Olympics MA! Whether you want to jump into a lake, build a snowman, or just stay indoors and watch Frozen, there are so many ways for you to show what it means to "take the plunge." The Polar Plunge is about more than just a good time. By fundraising $100 or more, you are empowering over 14,000 Special Olympics athletes in Massachusetts to train and compete in the sports they love, sponsoring lifelong friendships and competitive spirits, and celebrating inclusion for individuals with intellectual disabilities on and off the playing field.
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Donate Prom Dresses
Belle of the Ball
Date/Time: Donations are being collected from February 6–March 20.
Location: Click here for a list of Anton's Dry Cleaners drop-off locations.
Ages: All ages can participate in the collection.
Time Commitment: Varies.
Belle of the Ball cleans and distributes prom dresses and provides related accessories at no charge to high school junior and senior girls who would otherwise not have the opportunity to attend their school’s prom. Belle of the Ball began in 2005 as a community relations initiative for Anton’s Cleaners. Anton’s Cleaners formed the program with a mission of ensuring that local high school juniors and seniors who otherwise would be unable to afford a dress can attend their high school proms feeling beautiful and confident. The program has grown from outfitting fewer than 100 girls at the boutique day, to inviting over 500 young ladies for an indulgent day of prom “shopping,” beauty tips, and prizes. The incredible growth of the program has required increasingly more resources, but Anton’s Cleaners has risen to the challenge each year of cleaning thousands of intricate gowns that are donated by the community. The long list of established media partners has enabled the program each year to reach more eager companies, schools, community groups, and individuals who donate their dresses and their time as volunteers on Boutique Day.
Belle of the Ball is, on the surface, a dress collection drive. But at its core, it is a powerful personal experience for each young woman who attends. The referred participants often come from difficult backgrounds, both financially and emotionally. Over the years, participants of Belle of the Ball have reflected that it was a wonderful experience not because of how they looked in their dress, but because of the positive change in the way they felt about themselves.
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EXPLORE our growing list of at-home projects you can do whenever you're ready. Each project includes conversation starters, book ideas, and more! Follow along on social media as other families tackle this month's project and share their stories! Simply join our Facebook group or find us on Instagram ( @doinggoodtogether and #sharekindness). |
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As we end another year of meaningful connections and compassionate action, we're preparing to celebrate a milestone year for Doing Good Together in 2024: Our 20th anniversary!
Over the years, whether it's been through monthly volunteer listings, at-home service projects, or insightful parenting advice, you've trusted DGT to be a reliable resource in nurturing kind, caring children. We invite you to celebrate #20YearsOfKindness with us by continuing to utilize and support our resources.
In honor of our upcoming 20th anniversary, consider making a year-end donation to DGT. Every contribution you make fuels our mission to spread kindness and empathy-building resources to families.
Thank you for being a part of this journey – here's to celebrating 20 years of Doing Good Together!
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Mailing Address:
755 Medina Rd
Wayzata, MN 55391
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This list was compiled by Doing Good Together™ (www.doinggoodtogether.org)
When calling or emailing to volunteer for any of the opportunities listed above, please let the coordinator know you found it through this listing. You are encouraged to ask any questions you may have of the sponsoring organization before committing to a project.
Disclaimer: This list is provided as a service to families. Inclusion of organizations in this listing does not imply affiliation, endorsement, or quality assurance on the part of Doing Good Together™. Doing Good Together™ bears no responsibility whatsoever for the activities and actions of the listed organizations.
© 2024 Doing Good Together™
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