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.