The Allston-Brighton Food Pantry provides nourishing food at no cost to members of the community. This provides solutions to food security, accessibility, and food waste, as well as healthy food options.
We collaborate with the ALS TDI to support their mission to find a solution to an underfunded disease. The Kendall Square site is the world's foremost drug discovery lab focused solely on ALS, as well as home to Boston Rotaract's bi-weekly meetings.
Our partnership with the Boston Debate League (BDL) promotes its objective to integrate competitive debate and data-backed argument into public schools in Boston. This helps youth develop critical thinking skills and prepares them for college and career. While engaging them with the world around them, it also proves that their opinions are valued and important.
Our club members serve as volunteer judges at day-long debate competitions. There is also the option to get further involved with BDL's planning committee and help them with preparing debate materials and choose new topics for upcoming semesters.
Over 720 public school students from the Boston area participated in a BDL tournament last year. Boston Rotaract encourages Spanish-speakers to get involved, as we are always looking for more representation in our service. The BDL is the first league in the U.S. to have a Spanish-speaking division.
Our club partnered with the MIT branch of a national, non-profit organization, Challah for Hunger, to bake and sell challah to raise money to end local and campus-wide hunger. Together, we are baking a difference!
At Cradles to Crayons, their mission is to make life better for children in need. Focusing on youth poverty, the organization provides kids with the essentials necessary for a healthy and productive life, free of charge.
To make this happen, Boston Rotaract volunteers in the Giving Factory to fill requests for school supplies.
Boston Rotaract partners with the Crossroads Family Center at its annual Turkey Drive to provide Thanksgiving-themed meals and items to families in the community.
One of Boston Rotaract's long-term partners, Found in Translation empowers low-income and homeless, bilingual women to become certified and professional medical interpreters at no cost to the students.
On average, alumnae of the program see a $10,000 increase in salary after completing certification, creating career opportunities and a pathway to becoming more self-sufficient.
For the past two years, volunteers have provided free childcare on a weekly basis, as well as professional development support.
Fresh Truck is creating access to healthy food by bringing it closer to those who need it the most. The mobile grocery store offers high quality produce to communities with a lack of resources/food deserts in the Boston area.
A Boston Rotaract favorite, Haley House is a multi-faceted organization that believes in food with purpose and the power of community. Most notably, we partner at their Community Tables events and in their community garden.
At Community Tables, event attendees are welcome to have a three-course meal and pay as they're able. Volunteers prepare and serve food, socialize with folks, and help with clean up. In the community garden, volunteers participate in a variety of tasks to maintain the raised garden beds and current crops.
Among these initiatives, Haley House employs folks who recently left the incarceration system, helping to integrate them back into society. It also implements a number of outreach programs to educate youth and local people on healthy, sustainable, equal food access.
To create opportunities that empower Boston's youth, More Than Words employs young folks who are in the foster care system, court involved, homeless, or out of school to take charge of their lives by leading a business. In addition to running the book stores, youth also partake in professional development and leadership training.
Operation Thank a Veteran is an initiative led by Boston's city government to engage with and support local veterans and their families. Our city is home to more than 17,000 veterans. OTAV's goal is to thank each one and provide them with resources specific to them.
