By: Katherine Lee, Associate Board of Directors
April was a month of energy, impact, and gratitude as Boston Cares celebrated Global Volunteer Month with events, recognition, and—of course—service. We gathered to honor individuals and organizations making waves in our community, celebrated together in Boston City Hall, and rolled up our sleeves for hands-on projects in the spirit of volunteerism. Here’s a look back at the highlights!
🎉 Celebration of Service at Boston City Hall
On Wednesday, April 23rd, volunteers, partners, and friends of Boston Cares gathered at Boston City Hall Mezzanine for a joyful Celebration of Service. The event included refreshments, networking, and heartfelt moments as we honored our 2025 awardees and celebrated the collective efforts of our volunteer community.
Each year, we recognize those who go above and beyond in supporting service across Greater Boston. Our 2025 Outstanding Honorees exemplify the spirit of giving back and we were proud to present them with the following honors:
🏢 Outstanding Corporate Partner: The TJX Companies, Inc.
Boston Cares is proud to recognize The TJX Companies, Inc. as our 2025 Outstanding Corporate Partner. Since our very first Corporate Volunteer Day in 1997, TJX has been an incredible ally in service. Over nearly three decades, TJX associates have contributed more than 3,750 hours of volunteer time, supporting over 20 community partners through activities such as painting schools, cleaning up parks, building beds, and assembling hygiene kits.
Each year, Boston Cares partners with about 30 companies to create high-impact employee service days that meet the needs of local schools and nonprofit organizations. As one of our longest-standing and most engaged partners, TJX has played a vital role in shaping what corporate volunteerism can achieve in Greater Boston.
🍎 Outstanding Community Partner: Fresh Truck
Boston Cares partners with over 150+ community nonprofit partners and schools to create meaningful volunteer opportunities and real community change. Each year, we recognize a community partner that exemplifies innovation, impact, and leadership in volunteer engagement.
Our 2025 Outstanding Community Partner, Fresh Truck, has been part of the Boston Cares family since 2017. Their mobile markets bring fresh, healthy food to neighborhoods where it’s needed most. In 2024, 166 Boston Cares volunteers dedicated a combined 1,156 hours of service through the 21 volunteer opportunities Fresh Truck offers every week. Their innovation, consistency, and heart for community make them a vital partner in tackling food insecurity.
đź’™ Outstanding Volunteer Leadership: Stephanie Parsons
Boston Cares welcomes more than 2,000 new volunteers each year and fills over 20,000 volunteer slots in support of local schools and nonprofits. We are proud to honor volunteers who go above and beyond with outstanding leadership and dedication to service.
This year, we recognized Stephanie Parsons as our 2025 Outstanding Volunteer Leader. Since joining the Boston Cares community in 2022, Stephanie has shown extraordinary commitment—volunteering 57.5 hours in 2024 alone, including consistent service with the Prison Book Program and weekly shifts at My Brother’s Table.
“Stephanie has been a long-time regular volunteer with us and knows the ins and outs of our operation to the point where she could be a staff member. Her kindness and generosity always come through with both our staff and our guests. The staff is always excited to see that she is coming in.”
— Jason Barker, My Brother’s Table
Stephanie’s leadership, reliability, and compassion inspire those around her—and we’re thrilled to recognize her contributions to building a stronger, kinder Boston.
🏆 2025 President’s Volunteer Service Award and Boston Cares Service Champions Award Honorees
In addition to our main honorees, we were proud to recognize over 75 volunteers with the President’s Volunteer Service Award and the Boston Cares Service Champions Award. These dedicated individuals made significant contributions in 2024, representing thousands of collective hours of service across Greater Boston.Honorees were recognized at Gold, Silver, and Bronze levels based on their volunteer hours over the past year.
| Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| Meghana Prabhu Bantwal | Nicolas Jan Altekruse | Meghana Prabhu Bantwal |
| Jillian Darris-O’Connor | Jody Baum | Sanya Bhagat |
| William E. Duncan | Diya Nainwal | Ryan Thomas Carlson |
| Aarav Vedhaanth Ganesh | Brendan O’Donnell | Aurora E. Daniel |
| Chidvilasini Garimella | Joshua Platt | Shivay Dhar |
| Kevin Gaugush | Erin Sim | Eugene Ferri |
| Itsuko Herrema | Martina Trevisan | Gregory Flaherty |
| Rhea van der Horst | John Flynn | |
| Kexin Sophia Huang | Colin Galvin | |
| Misha Kalava | Spencer Gary | |
| Theresa Lam | Susan Katz Gilman | |
| Meghan Lauze | Mei-Fang Han | |
| David O’Dea | Morgan Higgins | |
| Kimberly O’Donnell | Xianbin Huang | |
| Carolena Othman | Om Vinayak Juge | |
| Bhuvan Patchala | Vinayak M. Juge | |
| Alexis Perry | Ryan H. Jung | |
| Diana Schwarz | Jae-Yoon Jung | |
| Meilin Sha | William Jung | |
| Reshman Subramonian | Karuppiah Kannan | |
| Leran Tao | Hyo Min Kim | |
| Jack Matthew Tragni | Liz Kincannon | |
| Thuc Nhan Tran | Daniel Kortepeter | |
| Jaydon Treadway | Meghana Kunamneni | |
| Felix Bai Wang | Karen Li | |
| Amy Winslow | Julia Marine | |
| Michael M. Wood | Ella Mathis | |
| Gina Paglucia Morrison | ||
| Janice Neiman | ||
| John Calhoun Newlon V | ||
| Lyaa Ngo | ||
| Jessica Orenberg | ||
| Harsh Vardhan Singh | ||
| Rachel Marie Rodrigues | ||
| Ooviya Sathiyamoorthy | ||
| Mackenzie Sweet | ||
| Avery Swenson | ||
| Leo J. Troy, Jr. | ||
| Isabella Vianna | ||
| Stephan Wallace | ||
| Jason Youn | ||
| Zhi Yan Zou |
🖌️ Volunteer Service Project at Mather Elementary School
On Saturday, April 26th, Boston Cares volunteers came together for a day of service at Mather Elementary School in Dorchester—the oldest public elementary school in North America. Volunteers tackled projects including cleaning classrooms, organizing and labeling books, and completing beautification projects to help create a more welcoming and vibrant environment for students and teachers. It was a joyful and productive day of giving back to one of Boston’s historic school communities.
🙌 Keep the Spirit Going!
As Global Volunteer Month comes to a close, we extend our deepest gratitude to the volunteers, partners, and supporters who make our work possible. From first-time volunteers to long-time champions, your commitment brings our mission to life every day.
Want to get involved?
Explore upcoming opportunities and join our community of changemakers at bostoncares.org.
volunteeringforagreaterboston.com 