One-Stop Shopping for Volunteers: Visit ManyHelpingHands365.org

At our very successful 2012 MLK Day of Service, we launched a brand new website/blog called www.manyhelpinghands365.org.

Our goal is to list all the non-profit organizations and social service agencies in Cambridge that are actively seeking volunteer help, and to make it easy for individuals to browse through the listings and find ways to help in the areas that most interest them (hunger, homelessness, education, youth, elder care, environment, arts programs etc., etc.). Some groups welcome families with children and teens as volunteers, and we've tagged them as "kid-friendly."

At present, 85 local non-profits and city agencies are listed on the site; if your organization is looking for volunteers and is not listed, please email manyhelpinghands365@gmail.com.

Our friends at Cambridge Community Television (CCTV) put together this brief PSA video highlighting what our volunteers accomplished at the MLK Day event, and how we hope the new ManyHelpingHands365 site will keep the community's momentum going year-round.

Please take a look at the new site and share the url (www.manyhelpinghands365.org) and video with your friends.

Thank you!

What We Did at this year's MLK Day of Service!!

In just 3 hours on MLK Day of Service 2012

More than 800 hundred volunteers MADE 

88 Polar fleece blankets for homeless children at Cambridge family shelters run by the YWCA, Transition House and Hildebrand Family Self-Help Center

158 Polar fleece scarves for the homeless men and women who are found sleeping on the street the night of the Cambridge Homeless Census in late January and homeless teens who visit the Bridge Over Troubled Waters medical van in Harvard Square and other homeless men, women and children in shelters in Cambridge

974 Activity kits for children waiting in the Emergency Rooms at Cambridge Hospital and Mt. Auburn Hospital

1396 Bookmarks for literacy programs at Cambridge Community Learning Center, the Literacy Project at Cambridge Public Library, Tutoring Plus, Breakthrough and Cambridge School Volunteers

1564 Valentines cards for homebound elders served by Meals on Wheels or living alone, homebound Cambridge residents who receive grocery deliveries from Food for Free, Cambridge veterans and servicemen and women overseas

And SORTED

375 lbs of donated children’s winter clothes for Children’s Clothing Exchange

550 lbs of donated adult winter clothes for On the Rise, CASPAR and Harvard Square Homeless Shelter

55 Bags of donated food given to all twelve Cambridge food pantries (Cambridgeport Baptist Church Pantry, CEOC Food Pantry, East End House Food Pantry, Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House Food Pantry, Massachusetts Avenue Baptist Church Project Manna Pantry, St. Paul AME Church Pantry, St. James Helping Hand Church Pantry, St. Peter’s Church Common Care Pantry, Salvation Army Food Pantry, Senior Center pantry, Western Avenue Baptist Church Food Pantry, Zinberg Clinic Pantry).

32 Bags of donated children’s books  for all the Cambridge Youth Centers (Area IV, Frisoli, Gately, Russell and Willis D. Moore), Cambridge Community Center, the Reach Out and Read programs at East Cambridge Health Center, Windsor Street Health Center, Cambridge Family Health, Porter Square and Cambridge Family Health Inman Square, the YWCA Family Shelter, Cambridge Community Center, East End House and Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House and Cambridge School Volunteers

In addition, the MLK Day of Service VOLUNTEER EXPO – Many Helping Hands 365 - provided information about the many Cambridge organizations that can use volunteer help through-out the year.

For more information about where to volunteer check out the

NEW Cambridge Volunteering Website - http://www.manyhelpinghands365.org

Many Helping Hands Cambridge will hold its 3rd Annual Cambridge MLK Day of Service on Monday January 21, 2013.

Join us to spend an afternoon helping others in the community in need.

 

Counting Down...Only One Week to Go!!!

“The time is always right to do what’s right." Dr. Martin Luther King

We couldn’t agree more!

And with just one week left before our 2nd Annual MLK Cambridge Day of Service, we’re getting ready to put hundreds of helping hands to work on fun, family-friendly crafts projects to benefit Cambridge residents in need.

We’re thrilled with the enthusiastic response to our advance calls for volunteers and support.

If you haven’t already signed up, NOW is the time. Advance registration (free) is very helpful for planning purposes, but, you can register at the door: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1138075013

Monday, January 16, 2-5 pm in Central Square
Volunteers are asked to assemble and check in on City Hall steps at 2:00 sharp. After a brief 15 minute welcome ceremony, we’ll fan out to the YWCA (7 Temple St.) and the Senior Center (806 Mass Ave). (If you arrive after 2:15, please go directly to either of the two service locations.)

If you’d like to be part of our event crew, helping with day-of logistics (event set-up and clean-up; assigning volunteers to locations; organizing and staging supplies; assisting young volunteers with tasks, as needed), please email: manyhelpinghandscambridge@gmail.com

This year’s event is shaping up to be even bigger and more fun than last year’s. A few highlights:

• Over 250 individuals and groups have pre-registered to lend a hand. Volunteer groups include: teachers from the MATCH School in Boston; Starbucks employees; high school students from Burlington, VT; veterans from New Bedford; and a youth hockey team. If you’d like to bring a group, just let us know and we’ll assign you to work together in the same location.

• The Cambridge business community has rallied around our cause with financial donations and gifts in kind to defray the cost of the supplies. See list of business and retail supporters below.*

• Award-wining singer-actress Valerie Stephens and Cambridge’s “Poet Populist” Toni Bee will lead us in song and verse at our welcome ceremony on City Hall steps at 2 p.m. CCTV will be there to film our gathering!

• Starbucks stores in Central Square and Harvard Square have put out collection baskets for donations to our food, winter clothing and children’s book drive. Volunteers are asked to bring donations with them on the 16th (see below).

What we’ll be making (no heavy lifting, all work is indoors): fleece scarves and blankets for homeless men, women and children; valentine cards for shut-in elders; bookmarks for students in adult literacy programs; and activity kits for children waiting in hospital emergency rooms.

Don't come empty-handed!
If you can, please bring one or more of the following to share with someone in need.

• a gently used children's book;
• gently used winter clothing;
• non-perishable food items.

*We are very grateful to our local business supporters: Cambridge Trust, TAGs Hardware, Masse’s Hardware, Fresh Pond Market, Henry Bear’s Park, Starbucks, Classic GraphicX, Whole Foods, Stop and Shop, Gentle Giant, Staples, TD Bank North and Keeper Springs Water.

Thank you for helping us in any way you can!

See you on Monday, January 16th.

Watch & Share Video about MLK Cambridge Day of Service

Our friends at Cambridge Community Television (CCTV) have produced a short public service announcement video to help us promote this year's Martin Luther King Cambridge Day of Service, showing footage from the inaugural 2011 event.

Please watch and share: Many Helping Hands MLK Day of Service PSA

Register now for the 2nd Annual MLK Cambridge Day of Service.

Monday, January 16, from 2-5 p.m. in Central Square.

Gather on City Hall steps at 2:00 for a kickoff dedication and then disperse to assist with hands-on projects at the Cambridge YWCA and the Cambridge Senior Center.

Volunteers of all ages invited. Free.

SAVE THE DATE!!!

Join us for the 2nd annual

Cambridge Martin Luther King Day of Service

January 16, 2012, 2 -5 pm

at both the YWCA and Cambridge Senior Center in Central Square

Click to here to register

Many people. Many needs. Many helping hands.

What We Did...

Cambridge MLK Day of Service 2011

We truly had Many Helping Hands! Thank you to all who helped!

WE MADE:

56 Polar fleece blankets for homeless children at Cambridge family shelters run by the YWCA, Transition House and Hildebrand Family Self-Help Center.

71 Polar fleece scarves for the homeless men and women who are found sleeping on the street the night of the Cambridge Homeless Census later in January and homeless teens who visit the Bridge Over Troubled Waters medical van in Harvard Square.

754 Valentines cards for homebound Cambridge elders served by Meals on Wheels, homebound Cambridge residents who receive grocery deliveries from Food for Free, Cambridge veterans and Cambridge servicemen and women.

413 Activity kits for children waiting in the Emergency Rooms at Cambridge Hospital and Mt. Auburn Hospital.

671 Bookmarks for literacy programs at Cambridge Community Learning Center, the Literacy Project at Cambridge Public Library and Tutoring Plus.

WE SORTED:

19 Giant bags of donated children’s winter clothes for Children’s Clothing Exchange.

25 Giant bags of donated adult winter clothes for On the Rise, CASPAR and Harvard Square Homeless Shelter.

55 Bags of donated food for all twelve Cambridge food pantries (Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House, St. Paul AME Church, St. James Church, CEOC, Cambridgeport Baptist Church, the Senior Center pantry, St. Peter’s Church Pantry, East End House, St. Paul Catholic Church, Mass. Ave. Baptist Church, Zinberg Clinic Pantry and Salvation Army Food Pantry).

37 Bags with donated children’s books (10-15 in each bag) for all the Cambridge Youth Centers (Area IV, Frisoli, Gately, Russell and Willis D. Moore), Cambridge Community Center, YWCA Family Shelter and the Reach Out and Read programs at East Cambridge Health Center, Windsor Street Health Center, Cambridge Family Health, Porter Square and Cambridge Family Health Inman Square.

More news from Cambridge's MLK Day....

Cambridge Day has a wonderful article with many pictures about our day of service.

"Many Helping Hands Cambridge, with representatives from other city agencies, led more than 400 volunteers in Day of Service projects on behalf of the city’s homeless, homebound elderly, children, families, veterans and servicemen and women Monday to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, a group representative said. The local volunteers joined hundreds of thousands of Americans across the country in making the holiday a day on, not a day off by serving others. ..." Read more here.

The Cambridge Chronicle Covers MLK Day

We'll be posting an update shortly, but for those of you who are interested in reading about the incredible turnout and amazing day of service we had in Cambridge yesterday, here's a nice article from The Cambridge Chronicle.

"I have a dream..."

Photo: Lushbunny

"Now, I say to you today my friends, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed:  'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'"
Martin Luther King, Jr.  Speech at Civil Rights March on Washington, August 28, 1963 

"All life is interrelated..."

Mt. Auburn Cemetery   Photo: jaypee4227  

"All life is interrelated ... somehow we're caught in an inescapable network of mutuality tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. For some strange reason, I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. You can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality."

From a 1963 Speech at Western Michigan University by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Who Are Key Supporters?

Cambridge's MLK Day of Service is just around the corner and couldn't happen without the initial generosity of local businesses like Synecticsworld, Keeper Springs Water and Cambridge Trust. Stay tuned for more...

Our ever-growing list of sponsors includes...

Artist & Craftsmen Supply

Cambridge Trust Bank

Cambridge Youth Dance Program

Classic GraphX

Fresh Pond Market

Gentle Giant Moving Company

Henry Bear's Park

Keeper Springs Water

Masses Hardware

Reproman Reprographics

Stop & Shop

Synecticsworld

TAGS Hardware

Whole Foods

King Open Students already lending their hands for Cambridge's elderly residents...

With one week to go until Cambridge's MLK Day of Service on January 17th, 7th and 8th graders at the King Open School came together to make cards for Cambridge's elderly residents. The cards will be delivered to homebound senior citizens receiving Meals on Wheels. These students are an inspiration to all the volunteers who will join us to make hundreds more cards next Monday at the YWCA!

"The time is always right to do what is right."

Photo by Tori Mari

"The time is always right to do what's right."
--From The Future of Integration, a speech given by Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1964 at Oberlin College.

Give Blood And Save Lives

On January 17 in honor of Dr. King, you can take part in a Cambridge Community Blood Drive. The American Red Cross in partnership with Many Helping Hands Cambridge MLK Day of Service welcomes blood donors. Make the gift of life part of what it means to serve.

Where: Cambridge Masonic Lodge
1950 Massachusetts Avenue
1-800-RedCross

2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

All presenting donors receive a pound of Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee!
*Prizes not redeemable for cash and non-transferable

Cambridge MLK Day of Service Featured on CCTV

The Cambridge MLK Day of Service was featured on CCTV (Cambridge Community Television) last night. Host Toni Bee talked with Eva Martin Blythe, Director of the Cambridge YWCA, and Elizabeth Gilmore and Ann Lawson of Many Helping Hands, about Cambridge's very first MLK Day of Service on January 17!

If You Want To Be Important...

Photo: bambola_world

"If you want to be important—wonderful. If you want to be recognized—wonderful. If you want to be great—wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That's a new definition of greatness.

"And this morning, the thing that I like about it: by giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love. And you can be that servant."

From the "Drum Major Instinct" sermon, given on February 4, 1968 by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Who You're Helping

Want to know who will benefit from your efforts and donations?

Donated winter children's clothing will be delivered to Cambridge Children's Clothing Exchange. Adult clothing to go to CASPAR, On the Rise and the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter.

Food donations will stock the shelves at CEOC, St. Paul A.M.E, Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House, St. James Episcopal Church and others. Childrens' books will go to Reach Out and Read Programs at East Cambridge Health Center, Windsor Street Health Center, Cambridge Family Health in Porter Square, Cambridge Family Health Inman Square.

Fleece-blanket-makers at our last project learned new skills and made new friends

Your handmade blankets will warm folks at the YWCA Family Shelter and the Cambridge-Somerville Early Intervention program.

Handmade bookmarks will delight the clients at the Literacy Project at Cambridge Public Library and the Community Learning Center.

Handmade Holiday Day Cards will surprise and delight both elders served by Meals-on-Wheels as well as Cambridge veterans and service men and women who are stationed far from home.

And the emergency room activity kits will make family visits to Cambridge Hospital and Mt. Auburn Hospital a little less stressful for children waiting in the emergency rooms.

Thank you!

Cambridge Energy Alliance Lends A Hand

PHOTO:bitzcelt

How's this for a bright idea? The Cambridge Energy Alliance will sponsor a bulb exchange and host a variety of family friendly energy games at our site. Bring in your inefficient incandescent bulbs during our January 17 service event at the YWCA in Cambridge and exchange them for something a little greener.

Want to help in other ways? Check out the activities on the "Volunteer" tab above.

Don't Come Empty-Handed

PHOTO: CHI

On MLK Day, Many Helping Hands will be collecting foods, books, and warm winter clothing. All contributions will be sorted, boxed, and will go directly to Cambridge community partner organizations.

• Canned Goods
To benefit Cambridge food pantries. Canned soups, fruits, vegetables, meats and fish

• Children's Books
To benefit literacy programs in local schools, afterschools and pediatric offices

• Winter Clothing
To benefit Cambridge adults and children in need: Mittens, gloves, scarves, coats, new socks and other warm clothing for the homeless and shelter residents.

Please join us in collecting, sorting and delivering this donations to local organizations. To sign up, click here.

Hands-on Service Projects

Children's books will support literacy programs.

What will be doing at the YWCA on January 17th?

Here are a few of the projects we'll be working on:

• Making Fleece Scarves and Blankets to benefit at risk infants and children
• Making colorful bookmarks for the readers in Cambridge adult literacy programs at the Public Library and the Community Learning Center
• Creating Valentine's Day cards for Cambridge elders and service men and women
• Make Emergency Room Activity Kits for children waiting at Cambridge Hospital and Mt. Auburn Hospital emergency room waiting areas

Come lend YOUR hands!

To sign up for this event, click here.