One of the most enjoyable volunteering experiences I have ever had. Split into teams of picking the…read morebooks, verifying choices, sorting through donated books, packaging for mail, etc, you work independently to respond to an inmates letter with the books they request (genre, topic, author, etc!). Picking was my job today which was so fun the 4 hrs they were open didn't feel like anything. I blinked and it was done. It was fun, interactive, stimulating g, and rewarding. Seeing people's personalities sign through their letters and being on a personal shopper mission to get what they want and need was fantastic. There is also the Adams' tombs that they can bring you to see which tickled the historic bug in my brain! This group does such important and beloved work, can't wait to be back!

Want to feel like you have a pen pal in Prison, but don't want the commitment of actually writing…read moreback to them and the a potential ex-con coming to meet you in person once they get released? Go volunteer at The Prison Book Program. The Prison Book Program started in the back of a bookstore in Cambridge, MA when the owners saw a need not being met. Prisoners from all over the country write to The Prison Book Program and request reading materials that The Prison Book Program packs up and mails to them at their jail. The Prison Book Program is completely run by volunteers and all books and supplies are donated, as well as the space that the work is done in (thanks First Parish). It is impressive to see the vast hodpodge of books that the Program has to give out and it is surprising that the most frequently requested book is The Dictionary. Volunteering is really fun. You pick a letter from a prisoner asking for books, you fill their book order (hmmm....he is asking for something to do with hunting, the outdoors, manly men, or film; let me give him this book on the Oscars, it's the closest thing here) package up the books, address them, and imagine the smile that comes over the prisoner's face (once they have stopped trying to make the tape and envelope into a shank) when they read the book. It is humbling to read some of the letters from the prisoners. You can tell that some are extremely grateful, while others are annoyed that they did not get the specific book that they asked for the first time around (in a place that runs on donations, you can only imagine how hard it is to fill even the simplest request). Some letters are extremely eloquent, and others are hard to decipher. Either way, you do some work, read some titles of books you had forgotten you read (hey there, Their Eyes Were Watching God), meet some new people, and feel good when you leave. Drop in to help out on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30pm until 9pm and once a month on Saturday (email to confirm the actual Saturday date).

They are very nice people there, volunteers have helped all kinds of people in need.read more

From the owner: Interfaith Social Services is dedicated to improving life for South Shore families and individuals…read morein need. Our unique approach relies on a team of volunteers, donors and community partners to deliver compassionate, client-centered programs focused on hunger, mental health and emergency assistance. Our offices, Food Pantry and Thrift Shop are located in Quincy, Massachusetts. Volunteers are the heart and soul of Interfaith Social Services. Last year volunteers contributed more than 20,000 hours of time serving within Interfaith’s various programs. Our volunteers commit to a 3-hour weekly shift in a variety of different roles.

Staff constantly sleeps on the job and blocks our fire exits with trash barrels and brooms. I just…read moregot in trouble because I went outside to dig my dog's bowl out of 2 feet of snow in a blizzard and didn't take him with me. He's a short hair and it's animal abuse to take him out there right now. Believe me when I say these people are awful and they don't give a crap about us.

If you want to sleep in a chair & contact mercer or Covid this is the place to be. Sadly only about…read more20% of the staff show you any kind of empathy or respect. They ignore Dr's notes & not even 1 person has asked why or how I came to be homeless.

Kudos to the volunteers at Rosie's Place, however & unfortunately, the individual answering the…read morephones provided inaccurate information that wasted my time & wherewithal getting to Rosie's Place. Moreover, the employee working at the front or the intake area was extremely unprofessional with her assumptions that I should have known the protocol & procedures in donating. Clearly, I did not as I was following the incorrect instructions provided to me over the phone. Nor be told in a condescending manner to "walk down the street to Goodwill or Salvation Army"...I walk myself back to the parking lot & along the street blessing individuals who were in need as I waited for my Uber. I applaud the charge of any shelter nurturing the betterment of others, expressly as a former shelter occupier & volunteer. Nevertheless, all employees/volunteers should know the basic processes when representing a temporary housing environment, specifically if there are non-wavering guidelines to adhere to. After viewing Rosie's Place website, I unreservedly celebrate the overall mission on behalf of transitional individuals.

Rosie's Place has and always will be a needed place for women. Yes it's changed staff over the…read moreyears but the LOVE is still inside from the ladies who use the services to the staff and countless volunteers who have come thru the doors GOD BLESS I will never forget my times in here .

There are just so many good things to say about this place that I'm not sure where to start…read more First, it is not a "shelter" in the typical sense of the word, and the staff and guests do not refer to it as a "shelter". They consider themselves a "community", and act as such. There are NO lines for anything at the WLP. The women are served their meals at their tables by volunteers, and their materials are bussed for them once they are done, unless they choose to self-bus. The food. Oh heavens! WLP prides itself on serving nourishing, FRESH food. Each meal will have all nutritional requirements met, and there is always a veggie option. We're not talking canned goods or sandwiches here, folks. No, this is chopped and diced fresh veggies, prime cut meats, the finest ingredients. If you're a good cook and after you've volunteered a few times, they are happy to let you get in the kitchen and help whip up stuff. The resident chef there, Gina, is wonderfully creative in the kitchen (and very nice), and from time to time, other professional chefs from local restaurants come in to put together a meal. The WLP isn't jsut a food place, although that's the highlight of the day. It also provides the women with full time advocacy support to help with finding housing, food, or other services. There is a computer room/resource room that the ladies may use. There is also a nap room where women can go to get sometimes some much needed rest, and also a quiet room for just some peace, solitude, and maybe reading or reflecting. Women are also able to get various toiletries and clothing that they may need. They may do their laundry and take showers. The Program Manager, Heather (also very, very nice and competent) has done a great job of making sure that there are interesting activities for guests if they choose to participate: yoga, painting, field trips, knitting, etc. Since the WLP is run as a "community", the staff are INCREDIBLY patient with the women, and if a guest is being disorderly or breaking a rule, she is not immediately tossed out, but is counseled and given more than one opportunity to redeem herself by correcting her behavior. Throwing someone out is a last option at the WLP. WLP treats its volunteers as the valuable commodity we are. We are appreciated, thanked, and made to feel a part of the "team". Added Perk: They also have really incredible volunteer thank you events! I enjoy volunteering here. I learn something new and meet new people each time I go. I don't have a lot of spare time to volunteer, but when I do, the WLP gets me all the time, every time. It's important to know that this place could not be so great without us- the community at large supporting it through donations, volunteering, contributions, etc. The staff, Regina, Linda, Joanna, Lauren, Linnie, and Cheryl are terrific- go meet them! This is just a wonderful, wonderful place. You will not leave here without your heart being touched in some way.

Just to add to the great review by Adrienne -- The Women's…read moreLunch Place is an amazing community run by dedicated and caring people. I've volunteered there many times, and the experience was wonderful. The staff is as open, kind and welcoming to volunteers as they are to their ladies. The ladies? Wow. Having the opportunity to really get to know some of the women in this community is a real blessing. The WLP is one of my favorite volunteer opportunities. Try it out!

When, they call ,,, does their caller ID say American Red Cross?…read more Their marketing blanket,,, kept me warm in the cold... They should send you a text message and say we don't know who's calling us all those robocalls are driving us crazy... I would recommend that they send you a text message first to identify themselves because most of the people who contacted me from the American Red Cross which WERE blank number... No ID info... If I do not know U... I do not answer.

Admittedly, sometimes we need a fire under our asses to get up and do the things we want to do, be…read morethe people we want to be. OYFP is a match for all young profs that want to "do good" but are commitment 'tarded fools and/or don't want to get deep in the trenches. They host monthly events to benefit local charities by getting buzz going about these honorable endeavors. I recently attended a wine tasting event at an art gallery downtown and the crowd was smiling and supportive. Basically you pay a bit, get to drink and feel good about spending some scrilla knowing it's going to the right place. Plus their volunteer staff is a dynamic, awesome and gorgeous bunch!

It's because of On Your Feet Project that I've been able to:…read more Meet like minded people Meet NEW people Drink at their events around the city Learn how to make pasta and ravioli FROM SCRATCH(!) -- AWESOME Feel good about drinking and eating pasta and meeting people. Why? Why not? On Your Feet Project is a wonderful organziation that benefits local charites. What's not to like?

Want to feel good and make a real positive difference in the world? Give blood! One blood donation…read morecan help save the lives of up to three people. The Braintree Red Cross center makes donating whole blood (or platelets) easy. Whole blood donation is normally what's meant by "giving blood" and is what's collected at blood drives. This center just recently changed to collecting both whole blood and platelet donations, when they used to be a platelet only collection center, so the receptionist will give you information on donating platelets (a longer process) but they won't pressure you away from donating whole blood. I donated whole blood today at this center & it was great. Walked right in, was greeted by the receptionist & given some required reading, before being brought to a room by a nurse so she could check my vital signs, and iron level. (Low iron is a common thing that can keep women from being eligible to give blood.) After you pass those tests, you're left alone to answer a few more questions on a computer about your eligibility to give blood. After that, you're brought to lie down and give blood. The needle stick isn't painful and the process is pretty quick! It takes 40 minutes, you get juice, cookies, and a great feeling of "yeah! I really can change the world for the better!" when you leave after donating. And the staff will make you feel like a hero for donating. What's stopping you from making a blood donation? You know you want the blood supply available to you or a friend/family member when they need it in a medical emergency, but sadly blood has a limitted shelf life, so the supply needs regular donations. I walked in today, since there is a blood shortage due to regular donors not making as many appointments as they usually do due to taking vacations.

Just a little back story before the review... nearly a month ago Boston suffered a major tragedy…read more After the Boston Marathon bombings, I was in a state of shock and disbelief of what had happened. In wake of the events that took place, I knew that I wanted to do something to be able to 'help'. On Tuesday, April 16th, I tried to go on to the American Red Cross website to see where I could donate blood, unfortunately so was a lot of other people apparently because the site was slowed down to a crawl. I knew that there was a donation center in Braintree so I decided to go over on my lunch break. Upon arriving the line was out the door. There was numerous people wearing Boston Marathon jackets, all I could think of was "wow, you just ran 26.2 miles yesterday and now you want to donate blood today. WOW!". I got up to the desk to inquire about donating but I had already heard that they were completely booked solid. The receptionist was extremely nice about it, saying that she could possibly get me in the following week or I could attempt to come back before they closed that night. At this point I was willing to come daily until they took my blood. I decided to stop in after getting out of work to see if they had the time to take me. When I got there, the same receptionist told me that she would fit me in because I had come earlier in the day. The phones were still ringing off the hook and people were still walking in to attempt to give. There was a group of 6 or 7 other young people waiting to donate. We talked about what had happened, what was happening. I think that it comforted us all to talk to each other while we waited. The nurses were still very busy and the receptionist apologized for the wait, we all told her that it wasn't a problem and not to be sorry. I was able to do my pre screening and then give blood. The nurse that took my blood, Anna, was extremely nice. She made sure that I was comfortable the whole time. Even though I was there longer due to the high demand to donate, the whole donating process took less than 30 minutes for whole blood. Afterwards, they had me sit down, eat a snack and drink some water. They let me know what precautions I needed to take in the upcoming days and when I would be eligible to donate again. I would definitely recommend this donation center to anyone that was thinking about giving blood to the Red Cross.

What an amazing place that carbs about the community. Was here for volunteer work and quality…read morematters when it came to separating items for donations. I like that care is put into this organization. Donations that were damaged, stained, smelled, etc were trashed. Just because people get donations doesn't mean the deserve poor quality items. I truly enjoyed volunteering here and would definitely do it again. Please donate any new or gently used goods here. It helps people who need it.

I've volunteered here 3 times in last 4 or so months and it's truly incredible. I need to sign up…read morefor more! You get grouped off to different stations (shoes, big sort, sizing, or building outfits, etc.), and by the end of the two hour shift, the staff is able to summarize everything each station completed. You can see and hear the immediate impact you're making on children at risk of clothing insecurity in the Greater Boston Area. It was super easy signing up online as a volunteer group, and I couldn't recommend it more.