On January 20^th, more than 500 volunteers joined forces at the Boston Public Latin School to celebrate a day on, not a day off. The goal of the day? To craft a series of projects for our partners throughout the city. Volunteers came energized and ready to pour their hearts into their projects. The cafeteria was bustling as volunteers painted murals and created Career Readiness Kits from scratch. Just down the hall, corporate teams of volunteers participated in a Boston Cares signature bed build for families in need.

Volunteers painted several murals designed by Boston Latin School students, full of inspiring nods to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy. These murals, including one titled “No One is Too Young to Lead the Change” by 8^th grade Joseph Mitchell, will hang in the hallways of BLS to remind students of the impact they can have. Especially for young volunteers, this family friendly day of service is a meaningful way to introduce ways of giving back to our community.

Entering the workforce can be difficult – Career Readiness Kits are one way we can empower people to combat the challenges they may face. Each kit is filled with effective, handmade resources, including a padfolio, mock interview flashcard set, joy jar of motivational messages, and more. Volunteers created each component for these kits on-site and even creatively decorated canvas bags to house the kits.

Mayor Marty Walsh helped volunteers put together a padfolio after reflecting on Dr. King and Coretta Scott King’s life and legacy here in the City of Boston. By making it a day on, not a day off, we celebrate Dr. King’s message that anyone can have a lasting impact through service. Volunteers enthusiastically completed 8 murals, hundreds of Career Readiness Kits, and several built beds to distribute to our partner organizations throughout the area! The outcomes are a powerful reminder of the importance of community action.

THANK YOU to all who joined us for this huge event and contributed to these impactful projects including our event sponsor, partners, and in-kind donors: Boston Latin School, Boston25 News, Boston Public Schools, CareAcademy, Comcast, the Corporation for National and Community Service, Fiduciary Trust, Patrice Keegan, the Massachusetts Service Alliance, the Office of the Mayor of Boston, Starbucks, Target, our agency partners, our Amazon Wishlist donors, our Volunteer Leaders and all of the volunteers who made a difference in our community!

See more photos from this Day of Service on our Facebook page.

Did you volunteer? Share your service with us by tagging us on social media @BostonCares!

Looking to volunteer again? Visit our Calendar to sign up for a project that fits your schedule!