Community Service
"Student community service is a powerful learning experience. It provides a way to effectively change and address our nation's pressing social problems. Students who volunteer receive more than just the satisfaction of helping those in need: they learn responsibility, build character, solve problems and gain a better understanding of their communities. Student volunteers can change the course of history by touching the lives of many while gaining valuable life experience."
- Judith S. Berson
Emmanuel students are involved with on-going volunteer service at a number of agencies and institutions in the city of Boston. Students make individual arrangements depending on their class schedule. Some of the service projects the students are involved in include:
Weekly Service Program
Provides weekly volunteer opportunities partnered with reflection. Contact Campus Ministry for more information.
Saturday/Sunday Service Groups
The Saturday/Sunday Service Groups are groups of students who volunteer once per month on Saturdays and every Sunday. The groups are student led with a rotating service schedule that includes Pine Street Inn, St. Ambrose Family Shelter, Sancta Maria House, Marian Manor and Saturday's/Sunday's Bread. The groups also participate in special one-time events such as The Boston Heart Walk and making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. For more information or to join the group, please contact Deirdre Bradley-Turner.
Emmanuel College Community Outreach
Emmanuel College Community Outreach (ECCO) promotes harmony and fights inequality, mainly through community service. Members of this club choose not to be passive bystanders, but to take an active role in amending social issues. New members are always welcome.
ECCO volunteers bi-weekly at organizations like Community Servings, Rosie's Place and Boston Living Center. They volunteer monthly with organizations like Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless and the Greater Boston Food Bank. Annual traditions and events include: Fall Service Day, Halloween Party for St. Katherine after-school program, National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week (and other nationally-recognized weeks pertaining to service), gift-wrapping at Faneuil Hall, MS Walk, Light the Night Walk and a Toga Party for charity.
Community Service Federal Work Study Program
Emmanuel students are committed to providing literacy training for pre-school to high school age children. These students are placed at both public and private inner-city after-school programs, where they mentor students with homework help and facilitate games and activities that increase academic skills. After-school programs include:
- Sister Mary Hart Children's Program
- America Reads
- Jumpstart
- Peace First
ESOL Program: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages - Building Bridges
Students, faculty and staff teach the English language to our food service workers and custodial staff who are from several different countries. It is a wonderful way to reach out to those who are making their way in a new country. The "teachers" are learning about various cultures and are enjoying the opportunity to form friendships among themselves and with their "students."
New Student Day of Service
As part of their Welcome Week activities, all incoming Emmanuel students learn about service opportunities in Boston by serving at various Boston non-profit agencies on Orientation Service Day. Sites include The Greater Boston Food Bank, Community Servings, Cradles to Crayons, Charles River Conservancy, Franklin Park Zoo and Mission Grammar.
Volunteer Fair
The Annual Volunteer Fair offers students the opportunity to make connections with various organizations located throughout the Greater Boston area. Some organizations that participate are: Big Sister Association of Greater Boston, Boston Medical Reserve Corps, Boston Rescue Mission, City Year Boston, Community Servings, Cradles to Crayons, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Notre Dame Mission Volunteers, OLPH Mission Grammar School, Peace Games, St. Mary of the Angels Parish, The Home for Little Wanderers, and Zoo New England, plus many more.
Events for Charity and Awareness
Students are given many opportunities throughout the year to participate in events for awareness and charity. Students in past years have participated in the Breast Cancer Walk, Walk for Hunger, MS Walk for Life and Charles River Clean-Up on Earth Day. Many organizations on campus are also involved in these events, such as ECCO and Social Awareness Club.
Campus Ministry also sponsors/co-sponsors several charitable drives throughout the year: one Blood Drive each semester, the Fall Food Drive, the Annual Toy Drive during December, and clothing drives.
Alternative Spring Break
During Spring Break, Emmanuel students can participate in a weeklong service project. Recently, students and staff traveled to Phoenix, AZ, New Orleans, LA, and Wheeling, WV.
For more information about Alternative Spring Break, please click on the Alternative Spring Break link at the top of this page.
Spring Day of Service
Spring Day of Service is an annual program sponsored by various areas of the College including: Athletics, Campus Ministry, Residence Life, Student Activities and Multicultural Programs, Student Government Association, and the Jean Yawkey Center for Community Leadership. Groups of students come together one Saturday in April and provide service to our community partners throughout the city of Boston. During the spring of 2009 day of service, Emmanuel students provided service to St. Mary of the Angels Parish, St. Ambrose Family Shelter, OLPH Mission Grammar School, Franklin Park Zoo, and the Muddy River Clean Up.
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity International is a non-profit organization built up by hundreds of volunteers, humanitarians, and community members, who, in turn, build up homes across the world to support countless struggling families. By providing sustainable and affordable housing to low-income families, Habitat for Humanity is a pioneering force in improving the lives of the nearly 2 billion people in slum housing and 100 million homeless.
The purpose of the Emmanuel Habitat For Humanity Club is to aid and assist in the building of homes for low-income families through the non-profit organization Habitat For Humanity and its affiliates. This semester Emmanuel College has partnered with the North-Shore Habitat for Humanity Chapter, targeting the Salem/Peabody area to utilize the efforts of volunteers (including many college students!) and donated materials to beautify the local community and offer a life-changing opportunity to those desperately needing housing assistance.
Community Partners
Notre Dame Montessori Pre-School
Zoo New England, Franklin Park
Julie's Family Learning Program
Sister Mary Hart Children's Program
