Volunteering.
At Boston University School of Public Health, we understand that our students are seeking to make a difference in the community. Here, they find ample opportunities to do so—both on campus and off.
Volunteering is a great way to give back to the community, while simultaneously enhancing your skill sets and network. The amount of volunteer opportunities that exists is astonishing. Whether you want to help out at a nonprofit or hospital, stay local or help out overseas, there is something out there for everyone. Volunteering can also set you apart from other job candidates and give you an upper hand in the hiring process. This section provides links to the different opportunities, both nationally and abroad, that may meet your specific interests. Volunteering is a rewarding way to make a difference—both in your life and more importantly, in the lives of others.
For more information or to advertise an upcoming volunteer opportunity at BUSPH please contact Ashley Leonard, aleonar@bu.edu.
Fenway Fair Foods is looking for healthy & willing volunteers who can help distribute bags of fresh produce to families that are homebound in the Fenway. Fair Foods is a non-profit based in Dorchester, and they have 47 sites in the Boston Metro Area. Fenway CDC partners with Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral (located at 165 Park Drive, Boston) to supervise a site in the Fenway. Fenway Fair Foods is every other Wednesday and the next dates are 4/7, 4/21 and 5/5. Volunteer drivers/cyclists will be doing contactless home deliveries, meaning that the volunteer will leave the bag outside the resident’s apartment building or home. A few minutes before the drop-off, the volunteer will give the resident a call beforehand to let them know their bag is on the way/will be dropped off soon. We are asking volunteers to adhere to our safety requirements to help in this effort. Fair Foods requires all volunteers to wear masks; face shields and plexiglass dividers will are provided on-site. We ask that you do not sign-up to volunteer and stay at home for the safety of everyone if any of the following conditions apply to you: Sign up to volunteer by email/contact Jasmine Vargas, Community Services Coordinator at Fenway CDC, at jvargas@fenwaycdc.org or 617-213-2295 for more information. Fenway CDC: http://www.fenwaycdc.orgFenway Fair Foods Home Deliveries
Delivery Volunteer Commitments
Safety Requirements
Become a Big Sister
A one-night volunteer opportunity to help fund healthcare in Haiti:
Proving What’s Possible (Fall Gala)
A benefit for: St. Boniface Haiti Foundation
When and Where: Tuesday, October 30th, Newton Marriott, 2345 Commonwealth Avenue
About the event: SBHF has a widely-respected community-based healthcare model combining a full-service hospital with a network of community health workers and a satellite clinic. Together, they service 2,000,000 people on Haiti’s southern peninsula who would otherwise have no access to healthcare. At the gala, we will come together to ensure that all people have access to life-saving health care, no matter where they live.
In addition to being an always-inspiring event, we have a fund-a-need auction that requires a huge amount of volunteers in order to run smoothly. Your reward for being a part of this is to watch the room raise over $200,000 for healthcare in about 10 minutes!
Your contact (Karin) is an experienced volunteer manager who does her best to make sure that every volunteer is busy and appreciated. There are snacks and water for all volunteers, and a light dinner for all who are working the later two shifts. We also do our best to welcome volunteers to enjoy the keynote speech at the event. It’s a great opportunity especially for people interested in public health or social justice.
Volunteer shifts: 4:00 – 6:30 PM; 5:00 – 8:45 PM; and/or 6:45 – 9:45 PM
Who to contact: Karin Turer, at karin@tugboat23.com
Help Distribute Rescued Produce to the East Boston Community The East Boston Neighborhood Health Center is looking for individuals and groups who would like to join us as we sort and pack bags of fresh, rescued produce to be distributed members of the community. Distributions are the 1st and 3rd Friday of the month and volunteers are needed between 12:30 pm and 2:00 pm although we can be flexible based on your particular availability. All volunteers go home with a bag of produce! For more information please contact Eileen, call us at 617-568-4865 or visit our webpage .Neighborhood Health Center Volunteer Opportunity
Volunteer at the Blackstone Community Center
The Blackstone Community Center, BCC is looking for volunteers to help with an array of activities. Examples of volunteer opportunities at this site is available here. Contact Bonita Andrade (boandrad@bu.edu) to volunteer or if you have any questions.
Volunteer and Partnership Opportunities with St.Stephen's Youth Programs
St. Stephen’s Youth Programs works with 800+ young people across six neighborhoods in Greater Boston. They are seeking individuals and groups who would like to join their community!
For more information please email volunteer@ssypboston.org or visit our webpage.
SPH Student Organizations
Community volunteering forms the heart of our students’ commitment to public service. Student organizations—student-led groups that form around common concerns pertaining to public health—have made a meaningful impact on the surrounding community. In past years, our students have participated in charity walks for breast cancer and AIDS research, made handmade blankets and clothing for the homeless, coordinated flu shots for senior citizens, sponsored clothing drives, and manned outreach vans providing food and medical services to displaced persons.
The Student Senate, which holds monthly general body meetings open to all SPH students, advises the administration on a range of issues that affect the student body. During monthly Meetings with the Dean, students are able to hold discussion directly with Dean Galea. These activities offer School administrators and faculty vital information regarding the evolving needs of students.
National Public Health Week
As part of National Public Health Week, each April students organize—with support from faculty and staff—to conduct middle- and high-school education programs in Boston-area schools. SPH students speak with high school students about how public health is relevant to their everyday lives and how they can regard themselves as active participants in creating healthy communities. It is a great opportunity for SPH students to be able to get out in the community and practice what they have been learning in the classrooms.
Charity Walks
Together, faculty, staff, and students have raised thousands of dollars actively participating in charity walks. In the past three years, SPH teams have adorned team t-shirts and participated in the Breast Cancer Walk, the AIDS Walk, the We Care Walk to support Boston Medical Center, the Jingle Bell Run to support the Bill Rodgers Foundation for Arthritis, the Tufts 10K for Women, the Walk for Hunger, and the Jimmy Fund Walk.
Collection Drives
Collection drives are conducted throughout the year to benefit a number of local charities. At the change of each season, a clothing drive is conducted to benefit local homeless shelters such as Rosie’s Place. A special drive is conducted each fall by the Health & Human Rights student caucus to gather cold-weather clothing for displaced refugees who find it difficult to adapt to the Boston winters. Also, food collection drives are held throughout the year for organizations that serve the homeless, such as the Pine Street Inn.
South End Community Health Center Initiative
An initial collaboration with the South End Community Health Center and volunteers from SPH involved developing a business plan for an enterprise being led by the Family Services Division of the South End Community Health Center. This project provided a venue for the South End Health Center staff and community experts to deliver health services and health outreach seminars. During this time, the health center was completing construction of a new building. A neighborhood collective artisans and craftspeople were interested in leasing property in the building to open a coffee shop where they could also sell their products. Volunteers from SPH guided that group through the completion of a business plan, reviewed architectural renderings of the space, and assisted in procuring a bank commitment for a loan. The coffee shop/gift shop opened in the summer of 2000.
Peer Health Exchange
Peer Health Exchange is a non-profit organization that is expanding its program at Boston University this fall. PHE’s mission is to give teenagers the knowledge and skills they need to make healthy decisions. We do this by training undergraduate students to teach a comprehensive health curriculum in public high schools in the Boston area that lack health education. Last year, we trained 180 BU volunteers to teach health workshops to nearly 1400 low-income 9th grade students. This year we are excited to recruit more BU volunteers to reach an even greater number of high school students.
Teach health workshops to high school students who urgently need them. Join Peer Health Exchange and give teenagers the knowledge and skills they need to make healthy decisions.
This year, Boston University undergraduate volunteers will teach public high school students workshops about sexual health, relationships, substance abuse, and nutrition.
Peer Health Exchange volunteers will:
- Provide a much-needed service in their community.
- Develop valuable skills, including public speaking, teaching, and leadership skills.
- Expand their career opportunities.
- Learn useful health information.
- Be an integral part of the campus community.
Questions? Contact buphe@peerhealthexchange.org
Apply online at www.peerhealthexchange.org/apply
Health Leads
Health Leads, formerly known as Project HEALTH, is a non-profit organization that mobilizes student volunteers to provide hihg-impact services to low-income families and, in the process, transform our healthcare system into one that is more effective and more just. Students from Boston University participate in local Health Leads initiatives in Boston Medical Center’s pediatric, obstetrics/gynecology, and nursery departments, the Codman Square Health Center, and the Dimock Center in Roxbury. For more information visit the Health Leads website.
Professional Organizations
In addition to skills that are gained through classes and professional development seminars, students benefit greatly from joining professional associations. These associations offer students opportunities to meet people working in public health, learn about job opportunities, understand trends in the field, and polish communication and presentation skills at annual meetings. Students are strongly encouraged to become active in any of the following organizations:
- American Public Health Association
- Massachusetts Public Health Association
- Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health
- Society for Clinical Trials
- American Statistical Association
- Women in Healthcare Management
- American Medical Association
- American Psychological Association
- AcademyHealth
- Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE)