ReachOut! Basic Information

Want to make a change in your community?Join other Boston-area Jewish professionals in their 20s and 30s to discover the newest way to make a difference in our community!

ReachOut! presents the opportunity to volunteer across greater Boston, and to build community through shared learning and Jewish experiences. You and a small group of your peers will work with one of our partner sites one evening a week for 8 weeks.  ReachOut! has a wide variety of community service opportunities available, ranging from working with teens, spending time with seniors, helping the homeless, and providing adult education. In addition to service work, you will have the chance to get to know your fellow participants through two Shabbat dinners and social opportunities at your volunteer site.

Our Volunteer Partner Sites for Cycle Five are:

Senior Connections @ The Golda Meir House Mondays 6:30-8:00pm
Newton, Accessible by the Riverside ‘D’ Green Line to the Woodland stop

Form connections with the senior residents of the Golda Meir House. Each week engage in conversations and activities with older adults and form meaningful intergenerational connections. Volunteers will have the oppurtunity to chose a project to work on with the elderly- in the past this has ranged from volunteer projects to a book club. The Golda Meir House is part of the JCHE, or, Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly.

Adult Education @ The Harriet Tubman House Tuesdays & Thursdays 6:30–8:00pm
South End, Accessible by Orange Line to Mass Ave, Green Line E Train to Symphony, Silver Line to Mass Ave

At the Harriet Tubman House, volunteers will provide tutoring services for adults who are trying to obtain their GED to open up more economic opportunities for themselves and their families. Volunteers will work one-on-one with the students, often tutoring the same adult for many weeks at a time and thereby forming strong bonds with those individuals. This tutoring is crucial for these adults, who need as much practice in their math and English skills as they can get. Adult participants will bring their own materials to work on with the volunteers.

Hunger & Homelessness @ First Parish Cambridge Tuesdays 5:15–7:30pm
Cambridge MA, Accessible by Red Line to Harvard Square

Volunteers at First Parish will have the chance to serve individuals who are in need of food and shelter. Volunteers will help out in each step of the weekly meal at the soup kitchen, including preparing and serving the food, conversing with attendees while they eat, and cleaning up afterward.  In this way volunteers have the opportunity to know the people they are serving and form connections with the community.

Education @ YearUp Wednesdays 11:45-1pm
Boston, Accessible by the Red Line to South Station or Park Street, Orange Line to Down Town Crossing

Work with individuals aged 18-24 currently enrolled in the Yearup program, which provides opportunities to urban youth through a combination of hands-on skill development, college credits, and corporate internships. ReachOut! volunteers will engage in one-on-one tutoring of either basic business writing skills (such as resume writing, crafting emails, or writing memos) or basic level college math. Please note this is a three month commitment which will last through the month of January. 

Sustainability@ Bikes Not Bombs Wednesdays 7:00-9:00pm
Jamaica Plain Accessible by Orange Line to Stony Brook Station

This site allows volunteers to get their hands dirty and grab a wrench!  By volunteering with Bikes Not Bombs, participants have the chance to roll up their sleeves and get hands-on by stripping bikes for parts, flattening bikes for international shipment and sorting used parts. As an organization, Bikes Not Bombs provides community-based bike building education for Boston area youths and assists world-wide development projects with recycled bicycles and technical assistance. No previous bike knowledge required, just a desire to get involved.

Tax Filing @ The Boston EITC Roxbury Resource Center Tuesdays 6:00-8:00pm
accessible by the Silver Line to Ruggles

Help lower income families and individuals file their taxes and receive the returns they are entitled to. No prior tax or accounting knowledge needed, training will be provided. Besides signing up with ReachOut! volunteers will need to fill out an application at Boston Tax Help as well as signing up for a training session. Information for training sessions can be found on the Boston Tax Help website.  

Youth Connections @ The Boys and Girls Club South Boston Wednesdays 6:30-8:00pm
Accessible by the #11 Bus from Broadway/Downtown Crossing T Stations

This track offers a chance to work with at-risk Boston area youth in areas of Art, Sports, Social Recreation and Technology.  Help to develop youth who come to the Boys and Girls Club for after-school time programing as they work to develop life skills and friendships. Please note that in order to do this track you will have to fill out a CORI form. More information will follow on both the CORI form and orientation if you are matched with the Boys and Girls Club.

Youth Connections @ The Crittenton Women's Union Thursdays 6:30-8:00pm
Specialty Track for Interfaith Couples
Accessible by the #57 and #64 Buses

ReachOut! is excited to be expanding our offerings to include a volunteer opportunity for members of our community in interfaith relationships. This track, which would require participation from both members of the couple, will provide a chance to explore shared values of volunteering, as well as to discuss issues of service and community in an interfaith environment. Volunteers will run and supervise a play group for young homeless children who live at the shelter.

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Commonly Asked Questions:

What's the time commitment? 
8-10 weeks of volunteering, plus two Shabbat dinners. In an effort to respect our partner organizations, please only sign up if you can commit to being present for at least 7 of the 9 sessions.

Will I get my first choice site?
Reach Out! will do its best to accommodate all site requests. Please note that some sites may fill up quickly.

Will ReachOut! fill up?
As there is limited space in Reach Out!, if the program reaches maximum capacity we will notify you that you have been added to a waiting list. Register early to guarantee yourself a space!

What if I can't do the program this time around?
Can't do the program this round? Sign up for our list to receive information about future rounds, and let us know how the program could fit your schedule or other needs better.
 

What are the dates for Cycle Five?
Registration will run from February 2nd until February 22rd. Volunteering begins during the week of February 27th.  

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The ReachOut! committee:

Campe Goodman (chair), Alex Rogers, Amanda Goodman, Diana Leader-Cramer, Dror Weiss, Elise Kigner, Emily Goldstein, Georgi Vogel-Rosen, Jason Kleinerman, Josh Fialkoff, Josh Ritz, Matt Brown, Rachel Scudder, Rina Rossman, Shara Siegel, Shirah Rosin

Please contact Jordyn Rozensky at JRozensky@jcrcboston.org with any questions about the program.