Dudley House Public Service
Welcome to Dudley Public Service. If you would like to step outside the ivory tower and make a difference in the greater Boston community (and beyond), you've come to the right place.
Sign up for the Dudley Public Service list. To sign up and receive emails about upcoming events, email your Public Service Fellows Enoch Lambert and Zhunan Chen at dudleypublicservice@gmail.com
See the calendar for the upcoming events.
Click here for photos of past events.
Upcoming Events:
Blood Drive: Anytime between 9:30a.m.-2:00p.m. Nov.19th,2009, Dudley House Graduate Student Lounge
Thanksgiving Elderly Visits: Meet in front of Dudley House, 9:30am, Nov.26th.2009
Are you planning to stay on campus over Thanksgiving? Why not join us with Boston's Little Brothers/Friends of the Elderly to visit the elderly people who would otherwise be alone on Thanksgiving? We will meet at Dudley House at 9:30 am the morning of November 26 and head to the general meeting place. Every volunteer will pick up a a hot meal and a bouquet of flowers from there and then head to the home of the elderly. They'll be very happy to see us!
IMPORTANT--Everyone planning on going needs to fill out a form here by Tuesday, November 17. This is a state required background check and they need it in time to processes it. You can download and fill it out and either email it to us to dudleypublicservice@gmail.com or bring it to the mail box for Enoch Lambert at Dudley House.
Any question, please reach us at dudleypublicservice@gmail.com. Look forward to seeing you there!
Why volunteer?
Participating in public service activities while at Harvard not only makes an important contribution to our community, but also gives you the opportunity to take a break from the rigors of academia, share your diverse interests and talents, meet new people, and get to know Boston and Cambridge.
As the United Way of Massachusetts Bay writes in Simple Things You Can Do to Make a Difference in Greater Boston (1996):
"Every day in greater Boston, in its small towns and larger cities, a child waits to have a mentor. A young parent needs literacy skills. An elderly grandfather looks forward to visiting with and talking with someone. At no time has the work of volunteers been more critical to the health of our communities than it is today.... Our communities in greater Boston are home to 775,000 illiterates and functional illiterates, 6,000 homeless families, 12,000 hungry children, 24,000 abused children, and 6,500 pregnant teens. There are as many different ways to volunteer as there are people who want to help."
How to get involved
Enjoy working with enthusiastic kids from diverse backgrounds? Want to try out your culinary skills at a local soup kitchen serving meals for the homeless? Whether you are a government student from Ohio interested in human rights, a physics student hoping to mentor a budding young scientist, or a biology student from China looking to share your cultural heritage with others, Dudley House and Harvard provide numerous opportunities for involvement in Public Service.
Do you want to volunteer but don't know where to start? Take advantage of our Volunteer Placement Service.International students may want to check out the section devoted to your particular interests and concerns.
Rather explore public service options on your own? Browse our Programs section, which lists organizations Dudley House members have been involved in.
Opportunities range from mentoring or tutoring students in the local public school system, volunteering for Amnesty International, helping out with the ongoing Harvard Homeless Meals Program, lending a hand at building subsidized housing units, giving toys or canned food in one of our semi-annual drives, or participating in one-shot opportunities such as the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk.
Please explore our website using the links on the left to find out more about these volunteer opportunities and how you can make a difference.
To learn more, or if you have ideas or questions, please contact the Dudley Public Service Fellows at dudleypublicservice@gmail.com