Community Volunteers Program (CVP)

826 Boston is a nonprofit youth writing and publishing organization that empowers traditionally underserved students ages 6-18 to find their voices, tell their stories, and gain communication skills to succeed in school and in life. 

Their services are structured around the understanding that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success. With this understanding in mind, they provide after-school tutoring, creative writing workshops, help for English Language Learners, and in depth publishing projects. 

Volunteers will mainly engage in after- school tutoring!

Learn more about 826 Boston on their website.

Boston Building Resources inspires, educates, and empowers homeowners to increase the efficiency and value of their homes. They focus on affordable solutions that help all neighbors. 

Volunteers will mainly help transport and restore furniture. **Service may include heavy lifting**

Learn more about Boston Building Resources on their website.

The mission of Boston Outdoor Preschool Network is to provide programs that meet the developmental needs of the whole child, while initiating them into a lifelong relationship with the natural world.

BOPN combines early childhood and environmental education. Their approach to teaching is inspired by multiple sources, including Lens on Outdoor Learning and the NAAEE Guidelines for Excellence in Early Childhood Environmental Education Programs. Both sets of standards emphasize child-directed learning, authentic experiences, connecting to previous experience, and culturally appropriate practice.

Learn more about Boston Outdoor Preschool Network on their website.

Boy With a Ball Boston’s Love Your City efforts are concentrated on Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood. We engage the city’s vibrant university student community as volunteers to support academic success and empower young individuals to achieve their aspirations. BWAB Boston strives to unite Boston’s intellectual resources with underserved populations, fostering thriving communities, a vibrant city, and personal transformation.

Learn more about Boy With a Ball on their website.

Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston: Orchard Gardens’ dedicated staff and comprehensive programs expand children’s horizons by exposing them to technology, the arts, math and more.

Orchard Gardens has a multitude of programs and amenities. Members are given academic guidance and help; are encouraged to express themselves through the arts; grow leadership and character development through supporting the Club’s community; gain life skills in many different ways alongside having a safe space to discuss difficult life decisions; are encouraged to lead a healthy lifestyle through sports, fitness, recreation, and nutrition education; and are taught technological fluency through introductions to tools and internet safety training. To help facilitate this growth, Orchard Gardens has a number of facilities, including an art room, computer lab, dinners served daily, a games room, and a gymnasium.

Learn more about Boys and Girls Club of Boston: Orchard Gardens on their website.

Camp Harbor View works with more than 1,000 young Bostonians and their families each year to offer a one-of-a-kind summer camp for students in grades 6-8, year-round leadership development for students in grades 9-12, and comprehensive family services, including college and career planning, scholarships, clinical support, and resource coordination — all at no cost to families. Camp Harbor View also builds targeted pilot programs, such as our Guaranteed Income Program and holiday assistance, that aim to address the acute needs of families across the city of Boston.

Learn more about Camp Harbor View at their website.

Community Servings actively engages the community to provide medically tailored, nutritious, scratch-made meals to chronically and critically ill individuals and their families. ​

Volunteers will mainly help prepare and package meals in the Community Servings kitchen!

Requirements for CVP volunteers at Community Servings:

• Proof of up-to-date vaccination (a photo is sufficient)
• Pants covering the ankles, long sleeve shirts, and close toed shoes (gloves, aprons, and hairnets provided)
• Good health on day of service (volunteers should not attend service if not feeling well as they will be working hands on with food)

Learn more about Community Servings on their website.

The Conservancy connects people and parks and conserves the Emerald Necklace through projects and programs that enrich the visitor experience and restore and renew the landscape, waterways and parkways. To steward the Emerald Necklace’s 1,100 acres of parkland extending from Boston’s Back Bay through Brookline and Jamaica Plain to Franklin Park in Dorchester, the Conservancy collaborates with its partners on advocacy, maintenance and restoration, education and access and promoting park stewardship through volunteer and youth programs.

Learn more about the Emerald Necklace Conservancy on their website.

EVkids empowers underserved Boston youth with the skills and confidence  needed to realize their potential. Since 2007, 100% of their high school seniors  have graduated on time and gone on to college or another job corps prep program.  

They accomplish this by recruiting and training motivated university students as tutors who provide one-on-one, multi-year, after-school tutoring and mentoring, closely supported by professional staff who provide family engagement and school advocacy.   

By building a caring community of support, where success is expected  and achievable together, EVkids and their tutors can become integral parts of a more socially just, equitable, and compassionate world.  

Volunteers who tutor there commit to living into three values of the tutor experience: service, reflection, and community.   

Learn more about EV Kids on their website.

The Fenway Community Center fosters connections among local residents through diverse programming in arts, wellness, enrichment, and civic engagement. Its mission is to provide a welcoming space where all can participate in activities that enhance their lives. They embrace diversity, encourage creativity, and promote wellness, striving to build a community that values collaboration, equity, and sustainability. 

Learn more about the Fenway Community Center on their website.

Grant African Methodist Episcopal is a multicultural and multi-faith church. Volunteers will engage with students and church school staff. Our Hope Healers program supports students attending Boston Public Schools such as Boston Latin and other students in the Roxbury community. Tasks include individual homework help, lesson re-teaching and curriculum re-building. Volunteering with our Hope Healers program is a mentorship and learning opportunity. We have available tutoring roles for our virtual & on-site location at Grant A.M.E and Boston Latin School.

For more information, please visit our blog at https://hopehealerstutorialprogram.blogspot.com and our website at http://grantame-boston.org

Hildebrand’s mission is to transition families out of homelessness to safe, affordable, permanent housing while working to disrupt systems that lead to poverty and homelessness.

Since 1988, Hildebrand has been driven by the vision that everyone deserves a home. Founded to meet the needs of greater Boston’s Black community, they are an explicitly anti-racist organization that believes having a home is fundamental to everyone’s dignity, as well as health, wellness, and security. As one of greater Boston’s largest providers of emergency shelter for homeless families, Hildebrand houses more than 200 families each year in our 73 scattered site apartments, five congregate living programs, and three permanent housing complexes, which are located throughout Cambridge, Chelsea, Dorchester, East Boston, Hyde Park, Mattapan, and Roxbury.

Learn more about Hildebrand Self-Help Center on their website.

Hyde Square Task Force amplifies the power, creativity, and voices​of youth, connecting them to Afro-Latin culture and heritage so they can create a diverse, vibrant Latin Quarter and build a just, equitable ​Boston.  ​

​They support youth as they explore, master, and celebrate Afro-​Latin culture through art; learn, grow, and achieve academically and in ​life; and develop into change makers and advocates for themselves.

Learn more about Hyde Sqaure Task Force on their website.

Link Health is dedicated to empowering individuals and communities by linking them to essential public benefit programs. Their mission is to ensure equitable access to resources for healthcare, energy assistance, nutrition support, and more, fostering healthier and more resilient communities.

Learn more about Link Health at their website.

Little Brothers-Friends of the Elderly is a national network of non-profit volunteer-based organizations committed to relieving isolation and loneliness among the elderly. We offer to people of goodwill the opportunity to join the elderly in friendship and celebration of life.

Since opening its doors in 1979, LBFE Boston has been working to improve the lives of older adults who often have limited access to transportation, language barriers to navigate, and few family members or friends nearby. Priority is given to older adults living independently at, or below, the poverty line.  Weekly programs are offered without charge and without regard to race, gender, creed, nationality, or sexual orientation.

Learn more about Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly on their website.

Thrifty Threads, operated entirely by dedicated volunteers at United Parish since 1993, provides affordable, high-quality clothing and housewares to Brookline and Greater Boston communities. Proceeds support United Parish’s outreach and social justice initiatives, with over half of donations benefiting local nonprofits aiding people in need. By promoting reuse, Thrifty Threads helps the environment by diverting items from landfills. They collaborate with nonprofits to distribute essential items to the homeless and support workforce transitions.

Learn more about Thrifty Threads on United Parish’s website.

RTH seeks to develop, preserve and maintain safe and affordable housing for low and moderate income people of diverse backgrounds in the RTH/Mission Hill neighborhood and to improve the quality of life for its residents. They achieve this through property management, construction and rehabilitation of properties, provision of social and educational services, workforce development, and community activism. As one of the oldest grassroots, tenant organizations, RTH dedicates themselves to defending the rights to quality, affordable housing for people of all races and cultures as well as promoting tenant empowerment through active tenant participation in leadership and development.

Learn more about Roxbury Tenants of Harvard at their website.

The

Requirements: 

• Previous experience as a CVP Participant and completion of all program requirements for at least one semester, with preference to multiple semesters in CVP 
• Other community service and community engagement experience 
• Understanding of our asset-based approach to community engagement 

• Ability to commit to 5-10 hours of work per week (will vary week to week) 

Preferences:  

• Undergraduate student  
• Work study eligible  
• Experience in student leadership including peer-to-peer support and education 

Responsibilities:  

• Be a point of contact for CVP Site Leaders (new role!) 
• Maintain communication and support CVP Site Leaders throughout their service 
• Develop social programming for CVP Site Leaders and Participants 
• Facilitate leadership trainings for Site Leaders  

• Maintain accurate records of CVP involvement  
• Collaborate with Co-op and other CSCE student workers to plan events, program operations, etc. 

Compensation 

• $15.00 – $17.00 per hour 
• If you are eligible for work study, your work study funds will be used for this position. 
• Students enrolled in classes may not exceed 20 hours/week work paid thr. 

The Site Leader role is a new component of our Community Volunteers Program! In this role, students will have the opportunity to connect with their fellow volunteers by providing peer accountability, logistical support, and helping to strengthen the volunteer community within CVP.  

Requirements:  

• Previous experience as a participant in CVP preferred 
• Previous experience in volunteering and community engagement  
• Ability to commit to semesterly CVP requirements with an additional 1-2 hours of work per week 
• 4-6 hours dedicated to per week (this includes your weekly service commitment) 
• Interest in supporting your fellow volunteers! 

Responsibilities:  

• Lead CVP Participants at your assigned service site/CVP community partner  
• Complete weekly service commitment at your service site/CVP community partner  
• Ensure all participants at your site are engaged in service and tracking their attendance appropriately
• Serve as a point of contact for fellow CVP site participants
  • This includes general support around logistics, debriefing shifts, and other related questions and concerns 
• Demonstrate how to appropriately communicate with community partners
  • This includes effective communication around changes to service schedule due to illness, final exams, etc
• Collaborate on at least 1 social event for participants at service site over course of the semester 
• Assist in planning and facilitating Reflection Sessions  
• Attend leadership orientation and other trainings as provided   

Eligibility 

• Must be a current undergraduate student at Northeastern University in good standing academically (above a 2.0 GPA) and disciplinary (no pending cases with OSCCR). 

The newsletter keeps volunteers up-to date with CVP by providing important updates, reminders, and resources relating to service. Whether you are an experienced CVP member or a first-timer, stay informed about CVP with the newsletter! 

(CVP members will be automatically signed up to receive the CVP newsletter upon being accepted into the program)

CVP Applications for Fall 2024 are LIVE! Apply soon, spots are limited!

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=gcLuqKOqrk2sm5o5i5IV5yKGIMf90GVEvu9GsOJ9lYFUQVRPNFAySU1DNjk4MUMxQlRJTlUxUDc2UCQlQCN0PWcu

For sites with time-sensitive requirements (indicated under “Site Selection”), the application deadline is August 26th at midnight. For all other sites, the application deadline is September 5th at midnight. If placed, students will begin service the week of September 16th and will finish the week of December 5th. If you have any questions, please reach out to the CVP Team by emailing communityservice@northeastern.edu.

826 Boston is a nonprofit youth writing and publishing organization that empowers traditionally underserved students ages 6-18 to find their voices, tell their stories, and gain communication skills to succeed in school and in life. 

Their services are structured around the understanding that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success. With this understanding in mind, they provide after-school tutoring, creative writing workshops, help for English Language Learners, and in depth publishing projects. 

Volunteers will mainly engage in after- school tutoring!

Learn more about 826 Boston on their website.

Artists for Humanity (AFH) provides under-resourced teens the keys to​self-sufficiency through paid employment in art and design.  ​

​AFH is built on the philosophy that engagement in the creative​ process is a powerful force for social change, and that creative​ entrepreneurship is a productive and life-changing opportunity for ​young people. Bridging economic, racial and social divisions, AFH enriches urban​ communities by introducing young people’s creativity to the business​ community.​

Learn more about AFH on their website.

Boston Building Resources inspires, educates, and empowers homeowners to increase the efficiency and value of their homes. They focus on affordable solutions that help all neighbors. 

Volunteers will mainly help transport and restore furniture. **Service may include heavy lifting**

Learn more about Boston Building Resources on their website.

Boy With a Ball Boston’s Love Your City efforts are concentrated on Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood. We engage the city’s vibrant university student community as volunteers to support academic success and empower young individuals to achieve their aspirations. BWAB Boston strives to unite Boston’s intellectual resources with underserved populations, fostering thriving communities, a vibrant city, and personal transformation.

Learn more about Boy With a Ball on their website.

Community Servings actively engages the community to provide medically tailored, nutritious, scratch-made meals to chronically and critically ill individuals and their families. ​

Volunteers will mainly help prepare and package meals in the Community Servings kitchen!

Requirements for CVP volunteers at Community Servings:

• Proof of up-to-date vaccination (a photo is sufficient)
• Pants covering the ankles, long sleeve shirts, and close toed shoes (gloves, aprons, and hairnets provided)
• Good health on day of service (volunteers should not attend service if not feeling well as they will be working hands on with food)

Learn more about Community Servings on their website.

The Conservancy connects people and parks and conserves the Emerald Necklace through projects and programs that enrich the visitor experience and restore and renew the landscape, waterways and parkways. To steward the Emerald Necklace’s 1,100 acres of parkland extending from Boston’s Back Bay through Brookline and Jamaica Plain to Franklin Park in Dorchester, the Conservancy collaborates with its partners on advocacy, maintenance and restoration, education and access and promoting park stewardship through volunteer and youth programs.

Learn more about the Emerald Necklace Conservancy on their website.

EVkids empowers underserved Boston youth with the skills and confidence  needed to realize their potential. Since 2007, 100% of their high school seniors  have graduated on time and gone on to college or another job corps prep program.  

They accomplish this by recruiting and training motivated university students as tutors who provide one-on-one, multi-year, after-school tutoring and mentoring, closely supported by professional staff who provide family engagement and school advocacy.   

By building a caring community of support, where success is expected  and achievable together, EVkids and their tutors can become integral parts of a more socially just, equitable, and compassionate world.  

Volunteers who tutor there commit to living into three values of the tutor experience: service, reflection, and community.   

Learn more about EV Kids on their website.

The Fenway Community Center fosters connections among local residents through diverse programming in arts, wellness, enrichment, and civic engagement. Its mission is to provide a welcoming space where all can participate in activities that enhance their lives. They embrace diversity, encourage creativity, and promote wellness, striving to build a community that values collaboration, equity, and sustainability. 

Learn more about the Fenway Community Center on their website.

Grant African Methodist Episcopal is a multicultural and multi-faith church. Volunteers will engage with students and church school staff. Our Hope Healers program supports students attending Boston Public Schools such as Boston Latin and other students in the Roxbury community. Tasks include individual homework help, lesson re-teaching and curriculum re-building. Volunteering with our Hope Healers program is a mentorship and learning opportunity. We have available tutoring roles for our virtual & on-site location at Grant A.M.E and Boston Latin School.

For more information, please visit our blog at https://hopehealerstutorialprogram.blogspot.com and our website at http://grantame-boston.org

Hyde Square Task Force amplifies the power, creativity, and voices​of youth, connecting them to Afro-Latin culture and heritage so they can create a diverse, vibrant Latin Quarter and build a just, equitable ​Boston.  ​

​They support youth as they explore, master, and celebrate Afro-​Latin culture through art; learn, grow, and achieve academically and in ​life; and develop into change makers and advocates for themselves.

Learn more about Hyde Sqaure Task Force on their website.

Since 1979, LBFE Boston has sought to alleviate social isolation among older Bostonians. Today, their work focuses on bringing intergenerational, technology, and arts programming to older Bostonians in public and affordable senior housing and senior centers. 

Learn more about Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly on their website.

Thrifty Threads, operated entirely by dedicated volunteers at United Parish since 1993, provides affordable, high-quality clothing and housewares to Brookline and Greater Boston communities. Proceeds support United Parish’s outreach and social justice initiatives, with over half of donations benefiting local nonprofits aiding people in need. By promoting reuse, Thrifty Threads helps the environment by diverting items from landfills. They collaborate with nonprofits to distribute essential items to the homeless and support workforce transitions.

Learn more about Thrifty Threads on United Parish’s website.