January 10, 2026 • 9 mins
If one of your New Year's resolutions was to volunteer in your community more often, Boston Cares says it might have a great place for you to start! They're hosting a special day of service on January 19 to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., with activities ranging from assembling hygiene kits to making decorations for seniors. Executive Director Sara Hamilton joins Nichole this week with all the details about the event and information for those who want to make volunteering a frequent activity!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
From WBZ News Radio in Boston. This is New England Weekend.
Each and every week right here, we come together, we
talk about all the topics important to you and the
place where you live. Happy New Year to you. It's
great to be back. I'm Nicole Davis. Over the years,
we've talked here on the show about New Year's resolutions
and whether people tend to actually make them or not,
(00:28):
and if they do, whether they actually stick with it.
Now I can tell you I don't, But one thing
I do want to do, regardless of the time of year,
is volunteer more and give back. If that's something you
have on the brain too, you might find yourself overwhelmed
with trying to figure out how to do it. You
have to sign up or find an opportunity in the
first place. Sick and be a lot to start with,
(00:48):
and Boston Cares says they can help. They are a
one stop shop for volunteering, so to speak. And later
on this month, if you want to dip your toe
into volunteering, they're hosting a family friendly day of service
honoring doctor Martin Luther King Junior's life and legacy. Sarah
Hamilton is the executive director of Boston Cares. She's been
here before and welcome back. Sarah. Tell us a bit
(01:10):
more about your mission and how your process.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Works as Moisten Cares is a volunteer mobilizer. We partner
with about one hundred and fifty different nonprofits and schools
across greg Or Boston to help them connect with volunteers
to deliver their services throughout the community. For individuals that
want to get engaged, we offer a really flexible program.
You can join Boston Cares and have access to about
three hundred and fifty different opportunities every month, pick and
(01:34):
choose what fits your availability and your interests, and just
a way to really connect with organizations that can utilize
your time.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Well, that's important, I think because a lot of people
right now we may not have a ton of money,
but we want to give back. We want to give
with our time. Have you found a lot of people
joining up lately?
Speaker 2 (01:48):
We have. We had record numbers of new volunteers joining
us in twenty twenty five. I think that people are
seeing that there's a lot of things going on in
their communities. They want to help. They might not know
how to help or create change in a lot of ways,
but they know that helping their neighbors is a really
tangible way to make that connection, connect with their community
and make a difference for somebody.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Well, this MLK Day of Service is a perfect way
to do that. And what I really love about this
there are so many different options of things to do
to get your hands not necessarily dirty, but get in
there and really start doing some good. So tell me
a bit about the MLK Day of Service and why
this is so important. Over at Boston Cares, we have.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Been celebrating Doctor King's birthday through service since two thousand
and six and it's become a really cornerstone event for
us throughout the year as a way to kick off
the new year and get people excited about volunteerism, maybe
New Year's resolution getting into service this year, and it's
a way for us to come together as a community
and start the year off right. Think about Doctor King's
(02:46):
message around the beloved community and how important it is
to make those connections and all of us come out together.
And so our event this year is a weekend long
of activities. So Friday, Saturday, and Sunday we've went virtual
opportunities that you can log on learn about some of
our nonprofit partners. If you want to learn about what
the Pine Street in does, or an organization called Youth Build,
(03:08):
you can jump on Zoom on Friday. It's a great
way to kind of just spark your interest and learn
about community issues. We've got new volunteer orientations happening all weekend.
We've opened up some of those projects on our calendar
for folks who are not yet Boston Cares members but
might want to test something out. There's a bunch of
opportunities they can sign up for, and then we have
our signature event on the Monday Holiday. We'll be over
(03:29):
at the Boston Latin School from ten am to twelve pm.
We'll have over three hundred participants with us as young
as five. We can take all sorts of families and
young volunteers to join us, and we have several activities
that'll be going on. We're going to be making Valentines
for seniors through an organization called Ethos. These are seniors
who are isolated and getting a special message from a volunteer,
(03:50):
and if it's not someone that they know, really goes
a long way in that isolation space. We're going to
be making meals in a jar. We're going to be
assembling sometivity kits, hygiene kits for Victory programs in the
Boston Living Center. We're also going to be making some
fun decorations for the Pine Street and for their upcoming
Valentine's Day and Mother's Day celebrations. So the really family
(04:13):
friendly opportunities, and there are all things that our nonprofit
partners have specifically requested.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
I love the fact that you've made it family friendly
because a lot of kids, I mean, this is a
perfect way to get them involved in volunteering. They've probably
got the day off from school, so instead of sitting
in front of the video games or zoning out in
front of the TV, they can get out there and
learn what service really is about.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Absolutely, we really believe in that helping folks start at young,
making it part of your family habits, that giving back
to the community and connecting with others is of value
that you embrace, and MLK Day is a great way
to do that.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
So you mentioned a new member orientation. If somebody is
listening and they say, oh wow, I want to make
Valentines for seniors, I want to help out with the
hygiene kits, but they haven't gone through the orientation if
they sign up now, is there still time to get
involved in that?
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Yeah? So actually I'm Lkday. Everything is open without an
orientation required. Okay, So it's a great way to kind
of start things off. See if you like working with
Boston Cares, and we hope that you do and want
to continue. So folks can sign up for anything on
our Mlkday events with no orientation required, or they can
also participate in an orientation either virtually over the weekend
(05:19):
or we will have an in person one after the
day of service at Boston Latin School as well, and
one other plug I want to make for the Boston
Latin School project. We are also partnering with Katie's Closet
this year, which is an organization that provides clothing and
basic need basic goods to students in schools, and we
are doing a clothing drive for them. So if you
are coming to volunteer with us, or if maybe you
(05:39):
can't volunteer but you can stop buy, we will have
a truck from Katie's Closet that is accepting new and
gently used clothing for kids.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
We've had Katie's Closet on the show before they are fantastic.
I love Katie's closet. And yes, again, when you're bringing
clothes for Katie's closet, nothing that Scott holes in it,
nothing to kind of you know, rumpled up in the
back of the drawer. It's you address your own children
or yourself in That's what you have to remember.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Yes, absolutely, I love how their mission they really focus
around providing the clothing so that kids come to school
because they feel like they have the right clothes to
fit in and not stand out, and that makes them
It increases their attendance rates when they feel comfortable showing
up to school for sure.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
So say somebody like you said, comes to this event
over at Boston Latin School, they get the volunteer bug.
They kind of want to do it again and often
as often as they can. Where do they go to
get involved in that?
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Yep? So our website is kind of the central hub
for all of that. So they if they like MLKDA
and they've not joined us in an orientation yet, we
encourage them to do that. After wish they've got opportunity,
that opportunity to sign up for anything that we have available,
and we have a lot of kind of easy to
plug into opportunities, so we work with a lot of
food and security organizations. You can serve a meal, pack
(06:51):
a bag at groceries. In the better weather, you can
help clean up a park. We have some tutoring programs,
especially for adults. We have a great program called Allies
for Immigrants where we match volunteers who want to help
tutor immigrants in English. We have both virtual and in
person opportunities for that. I think all that can be
found at Bostoncares dot org. People can explore what they're
(07:13):
interested in, join an orientation, join us at Mlkday, and hopefully,
you know, spark that light that fire a service in
them for the year.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Absolutely, and this is something where you don't just have
to be an adult. You do have further opportunities for
young people as well, right.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
We do, Yeah, especially the teens, you know kind of
fourteen enough. There's a good number of opportunities, and you
can search on our site for opportunities based on the
age of your kids. So if you know that you
want to volunteer with your kids, we do have a
few that are even for the younger ones if parents
want to bring them out on a weekend. But there
are some really great search functions on that site where
you can look at the neighborhood, the type of service opportunity,
(07:50):
the age restrictions, and all that to find the right
right opportunity for you and your family.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Besides people power, what do you all need? Do you
take donations? Do you need stuff you know to help
make these packs and so on and so forth? What
can people do if they can't necessarily take their time
but they have resources to provide?
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Yeah, we would absolutely love donations. There is about none
about MLK site where you can contribute that way, as
well as to our overall operations. I think sometimes people
look at volunteering and think, oh, well, that's a free thing.
We have a staff of nine that makes all of
this possible. Throughout the year, our staff and nine helps
make it possible that we give over fifty thousand hours
of service to the Boston community every year. But you
(08:31):
know they want to be paid for their work too.
We need computers and technology and all the things that
a basic business does too. So remembering that in order
to make service possible, there is a whole team behind
the scenes, and your support to make that possible helps
all of our nonprofit partners as.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Well, for sure. All right, Sarah, one more time. Website
social media where can people find you?
Speaker 2 (08:53):
So bostoncars dot org and our handle is at Bostoncars
on all the major social media platforms and find information there,
sign up, serve and feel free to reach out if
they've got questions.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
Thank you so much for the time and all the
best on your event. Thanks Nicole, I hope you have
a safe and healthy weekend. Stay warm. Join us again
next week for another edition of the show. I'm Nicole
Davis from WBZ News Radio on iHeartRadio.
From WBZ News Radio in Boston. This is New England Weekend.
Each and every week right here, we come together, we
talk about all the topics important to you and the
place where you live. Happy New Year to you. It's
great to be back. I'm Nicole Davis. Over the years,
we've talked here on the show about New Year's resolutions
and whether people tend to actually make them or not,
(00:28):
and if they do, whether they actually stick with it.
Now I can tell you I don't, But one thing
I do want to do, regardless of the time of year,
is volunteer more and give back. If that's something you
have on the brain too, you might find yourself overwhelmed
with trying to figure out how to do it. You
have to sign up or find an opportunity in the
first place. Sick and be a lot to start with,
(00:48):
and Boston Cares says they can help. They are a
one stop shop for volunteering, so to speak. And later
on this month, if you want to dip your toe
into volunteering, they're hosting a family friendly day of service
honoring doctor Martin Luther King Junior's life and legacy. Sarah
Hamilton is the executive director of Boston Cares. She's been
here before and welcome back. Sarah. Tell us a bit
(01:10):
more about your mission and how your process.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Works as Moisten Cares is a volunteer mobilizer. We partner
with about one hundred and fifty different nonprofits and schools
across greg Or Boston to help them connect with volunteers
to deliver their services throughout the community. For individuals that
want to get engaged, we offer a really flexible program.
You can join Boston Cares and have access to about
three hundred and fifty different opportunities every month, pick and
(01:34):
choose what fits your availability and your interests, and just
a way to really connect with organizations that can utilize
your time.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Well, that's important, I think because a lot of people
right now we may not have a ton of money,
but we want to give back. We want to give
with our time. Have you found a lot of people
joining up lately?
Speaker 2 (01:48):
We have. We had record numbers of new volunteers joining
us in twenty twenty five. I think that people are
seeing that there's a lot of things going on in
their communities. They want to help. They might not know
how to help or create change in a lot of ways,
but they know that helping their neighbors is a really
tangible way to make that connection, connect with their community
and make a difference for somebody.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Well, this MLK Day of Service is a perfect way
to do that. And what I really love about this
there are so many different options of things to do
to get your hands not necessarily dirty, but get in
there and really start doing some good. So tell me
a bit about the MLK Day of Service and why
this is so important. Over at Boston Cares, we have.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Been celebrating Doctor King's birthday through service since two thousand
and six and it's become a really cornerstone event for
us throughout the year as a way to kick off
the new year and get people excited about volunteerism, maybe
New Year's resolution getting into service this year, and it's
a way for us to come together as a community
and start the year off right. Think about Doctor King's
(02:46):
message around the beloved community and how important it is
to make those connections and all of us come out together.
And so our event this year is a weekend long
of activities. So Friday, Saturday, and Sunday we've went virtual
opportunities that you can log on learn about some of
our nonprofit partners. If you want to learn about what
the Pine Street in does, or an organization called Youth Build,
(03:08):
you can jump on Zoom on Friday. It's a great
way to kind of just spark your interest and learn
about community issues. We've got new volunteer orientations happening all weekend.
We've opened up some of those projects on our calendar
for folks who are not yet Boston Cares members but
might want to test something out. There's a bunch of
opportunities they can sign up for, and then we have
our signature event on the Monday Holiday. We'll be over
(03:29):
at the Boston Latin School from ten am to twelve pm.
We'll have over three hundred participants with us as young
as five. We can take all sorts of families and
young volunteers to join us, and we have several activities
that'll be going on. We're going to be making Valentines
for seniors through an organization called Ethos. These are seniors
who are isolated and getting a special message from a volunteer,
(03:50):
and if it's not someone that they know, really goes
a long way in that isolation space. We're going to
be making meals in a jar. We're going to be
assembling sometivity kits, hygiene kits for Victory programs in the
Boston Living Center. We're also going to be making some
fun decorations for the Pine Street and for their upcoming
Valentine's Day and Mother's Day celebrations. So the really family
(04:13):
friendly opportunities, and there are all things that our nonprofit
partners have specifically requested.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
I love the fact that you've made it family friendly
because a lot of kids, I mean, this is a
perfect way to get them involved in volunteering. They've probably
got the day off from school, so instead of sitting
in front of the video games or zoning out in
front of the TV, they can get out there and
learn what service really is about.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Absolutely, we really believe in that helping folks start at young,
making it part of your family habits, that giving back
to the community and connecting with others is of value
that you embrace, and MLK Day is a great way
to do that.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
So you mentioned a new member orientation. If somebody is
listening and they say, oh wow, I want to make
Valentines for seniors, I want to help out with the
hygiene kits, but they haven't gone through the orientation if
they sign up now, is there still time to get
involved in that?
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Yeah? So actually I'm Lkday. Everything is open without an
orientation required. Okay, So it's a great way to kind
of start things off. See if you like working with
Boston Cares, and we hope that you do and want
to continue. So folks can sign up for anything on
our Mlkday events with no orientation required, or they can
also participate in an orientation either virtually over the weekend
(05:19):
or we will have an in person one after the
day of service at Boston Latin School as well, and
one other plug I want to make for the Boston
Latin School project. We are also partnering with Katie's Closet
this year, which is an organization that provides clothing and
basic need basic goods to students in schools, and we
are doing a clothing drive for them. So if you
are coming to volunteer with us, or if maybe you
(05:39):
can't volunteer but you can stop buy, we will have
a truck from Katie's Closet that is accepting new and
gently used clothing for kids.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
We've had Katie's Closet on the show before they are fantastic.
I love Katie's closet. And yes, again, when you're bringing
clothes for Katie's closet, nothing that Scott holes in it,
nothing to kind of you know, rumpled up in the
back of the drawer. It's you address your own children
or yourself in That's what you have to remember.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Yes, absolutely, I love how their mission they really focus
around providing the clothing so that kids come to school
because they feel like they have the right clothes to
fit in and not stand out, and that makes them
It increases their attendance rates when they feel comfortable showing
up to school for sure.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
So say somebody like you said, comes to this event
over at Boston Latin School, they get the volunteer bug.
They kind of want to do it again and often
as often as they can. Where do they go to
get involved in that?
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Yep? So our website is kind of the central hub
for all of that. So they if they like MLKDA
and they've not joined us in an orientation yet, we
encourage them to do that. After wish they've got opportunity,
that opportunity to sign up for anything that we have available,
and we have a lot of kind of easy to
plug into opportunities, so we work with a lot of
food and security organizations. You can serve a meal, pack
(06:51):
a bag at groceries. In the better weather, you can
help clean up a park. We have some tutoring programs,
especially for adults. We have a great program called Allies
for Immigrants where we match volunteers who want to help
tutor immigrants in English. We have both virtual and in
person opportunities for that. I think all that can be
found at Bostoncares dot org. People can explore what they're
(07:13):
interested in, join an orientation, join us at Mlkday, and hopefully,
you know, spark that light that fire a service in
them for the year.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Absolutely, and this is something where you don't just have
to be an adult. You do have further opportunities for
young people as well, right.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
We do, Yeah, especially the teens, you know kind of
fourteen enough. There's a good number of opportunities, and you
can search on our site for opportunities based on the
age of your kids. So if you know that you
want to volunteer with your kids, we do have a
few that are even for the younger ones if parents
want to bring them out on a weekend. But there
are some really great search functions on that site where
you can look at the neighborhood, the type of service opportunity,
(07:50):
the age restrictions, and all that to find the right
right opportunity for you and your family.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Besides people power, what do you all need? Do you
take donations? Do you need stuff you know to help
make these packs and so on and so forth? What
can people do if they can't necessarily take their time
but they have resources to provide?
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Yeah, we would absolutely love donations. There is about none
about MLK site where you can contribute that way, as
well as to our overall operations. I think sometimes people
look at volunteering and think, oh, well, that's a free thing.
We have a staff of nine that makes all of
this possible. Throughout the year, our staff and nine helps
make it possible that we give over fifty thousand hours
of service to the Boston community every year. But you
(08:31):
know they want to be paid for their work too.
We need computers and technology and all the things that
a basic business does too. So remembering that in order
to make service possible, there is a whole team behind
the scenes, and your support to make that possible helps
all of our nonprofit partners as.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Well, for sure. All right, Sarah, one more time. Website
social media where can people find you?
Speaker 2 (08:53):
So bostoncars dot org and our handle is at Bostoncars
on all the major social media platforms and find information there,
sign up, serve and feel free to reach out if
they've got questions.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
Thank you so much for the time and all the
best on your event. Thanks Nicole, I hope you have
a safe and healthy weekend. Stay warm. Join us again
next week for another edition of the show. I'm Nicole
Davis from WBZ News Radio on iHeartRadio.
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