Last Updated June 5, 200927 Ways to Get Involved This Summer

Time after time, friends of the ministry call The Boston Project, and ask "How can I help?"

The reasons they ask are varied, but the common thread is that somehow people see God at work through The Boston Project and want to contribute. And in a time when many people are cutting back, we want to say that there are more ways to give than with your pocketbook! In fact, since the beginning of our ministry God has used the willingness of people giving their time, energy, spiritual gifts, professional skills, and more to invigorate His work here in Dorchester.

So we put together this list with the hopes that you might find something that spurs your imagination to get involved in God's kingdom work in a new and creative way. Each item on the list meets a specific need in our summer programs, but don't box yourself in - there is no limit to how God might use you this summer.

27 Ways to Get Involved in Summer Ministry

1. Spend an afternoon repairing our small engines (lawnmowers, weed whackers, etc.) that get used so much during the summer.
2. Buy and cook a meal for our summer staff on a Wednesday dinner (25 people) or Friday lunch (15 people).
3. Write encouraging notes to our summer staff.
4. Organize a drive to collect needed school supplies for the youth in our neighborhood.
5. Ask paint stores to donate extra or returned paint (full gallons only, please), joint compound, and supplies.
6. Mobilize a cereal collection in your church where every family brings a box of cereal one Sunday.
7. Sew "tops" for our Ugly Quilt Project - homemade sleeping bags for men and women who are homeless. (contact us for the pattern)
8. Give a gift towards our Neighborhood Youth Ministries' "Summer of Discovery," including Bible CLUB, Fun Fitness, and Fine Arts. The cost to run this 6-week, free, drop-in outreach, which includes leadership jobs for two local youth, is $6,892. Because of the faith-aspect, this outreach really depends on your support (rather than grants).
9. Invite friends over to make a few lasagnas. Freeze them and donate them!
10. As you surf the web, use goodsearch.com as your search engine and specify "The Boston Project Ministries" as the charity you'd like the proceeds from your search to benefit.
11. Use your culinary skills in the kitchen with Karen and Sister Philips on a Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday afternoon.
12. Donate your gently used cleaning supplies, such as mops, toilet brushes, and buckets.
13. Pray.
14. Donate the use of your cabin or vacation house for our summer staff to use for a day of rest and relaxation. (<3 hours from Boston, preferably)
15. Ask your local bakery or coffee shop if you can have leftover bagels or bread that are good but they would normally throw away. Freeze them, then donate them!
16. Give Dunkin Donuts, Panera Bread, Flat Black, or other gift cards that staff can use for a much-needed snack or coolata break.
17. Spend an afternoon doing data entry and other office work.
18. Volunteer on Sundays to help with all the logistics of the Summer Missions Program orientation night.
19. Join us at the garage to gather tools and supplies for each workday (7:30am Mon-Thurs).
20. Allow us to use a 15-passenger van for our staff retreat. (we'll top it off before we return it!)
21. Spend a week as an SMP Staff Counselor (only for the brave!).
22. Donate a reliable car or minivan to provide safe transportation for our women staff (particularly at night) and ministry purposes.
23. Design a web site where we can post pictures from the week on a daily basis.
24. Help us keep this site up-to-date each week.
25. Spend a day organizing the garage with our service & outreach staff.
26. Donate extra sewing supplies, like scissors, crochet thread, or even a sewing machine for the Ugly Quilts Project!
27. Help set up and disassemble staff apartments at the beginning and end of the summer (cleaning, moving furniture).