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, find the Public Service Fellows at September Fest, September 12th 2007, 1-4:30 pm, outside of Dudley House, or email your Public Service Fellows Fatin Abbas, Adrian Kwek and Yuka Minagawa at dudleypublicservice@gmail.com
See the calendar for the upcoming events.
Click here for photos of past events!
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. Students eligible for federal financial aid can even earn $13.75/hour (graduate students) or $9.25/hour (undergraduates) for their public service work.
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