Boston Cares, a volunteer organization for local students wishing to pursue community service, will hold an orientation meeting tonight from 5 to 6 p.m. in room 102 of the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences building, according to director Matt Lebovic.
With more than 6,000 members and about 100 new volunteers joining each month, Boston Cares recruits and organizes groups of students to assist local non-profit agencies in service projects around town, including Habitat for Humanity, Boys ‘ Girls Club and the Greater Boston Food Bank, Lebovic said.
“The projects are designed to be a team experience with direct interaction with the population or environment that is being served,” Lebovic said.
According to Lebovic, commitment to any one project is not binding, and volunteers have the opportunity to experience different areas of service. They may work as many or few hours as they wish.
The core of Boston Cares is a monthly calendar program that offers 150 local service projects, ranging in focus from assisting the environment and animals to working with HIV/AIDS patients, children and the mentally and physically disabled, Lebovic said.
“We want to show how volunteering can be made a regular part of every person’s life,” Lebovic said.
Tonight’s meeting is sponsored by Champions, the community service group of the College of Communication, and is part of a larger campaign to promote service on campus.
Lebovic said he hopes for a high turnout, and cited the large number of student volunteers that comprise Boston Cares’ workforce as a factor.
“The myth that college students care only about themselves is untrue. Statistics prove that half of our volunteers are students,” Lebovic said.
Joelle Sarette, a COM junior and a member of Champions, said she felt students should give back to the city that thousands of them call home during the school year.
“We all go to school in Boston and it’s important to give back,” Sarette said. “[Boston Cares] offers a great way to get your foot in the door.”
Boston Cares is a division of City Cares, a national service network that has chapters in New York and Philadelphia