THANK YOU FOR LENDING YOUR HELPING HANDS

For 15 years, the generous efforts of volunteers on MLK Day have supported dozens of Cambridge organizations that deliver critical services to our neighbors in need, provide an important social safety net, and make our city a better, healthier and more just community.

Your many helping hands help to power the efforts of these organization and increase their ability to serve and their impact on our community. Each year we talk with leaders in our community about their needs and we talk to volunteers about enhancing their experience.

Many Helping Hands 365 continues to focus two goals— 1) supporting and amplifying the work of local nonprofit organizations and 2) inspiring increased action on social justice in our community.

  • More than 2000 volunteers lent their helping hands during the 2025 Cambridge MLK Day of Service. 70+ non-profits and programs benefitted from the work done on MLK DAY
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  • More than 2000 of us gathered at City Hall, the Senior Center, Central Square Church and YWCA to work on hands-on projects for people in need in our community
  • During the weeks surrounding MLK DAY, 100 more of us gathered in many locations around the community to work to prepare for the MLK DAY and complete hands-on projects, working with faith organizations, local business to participated in neighborhood and workplace collection drives

“Life's most persistent and urgent question ...What are you doing for others?”

Dr. Martin Luther King

HERE ARE THE LATEST RESULTS...​

Food Pantries

We collected and donated 457 bags of donated groceries and $375 in grocery gift cards. These were given to 15 area food pantries and programs.

  • Cambridge Community Center Pantry
  • CEOC Food Pantry Central
  • CRLS Falcon Market
  • East End House Food Pantry
  • La Colaborativa in Chelsea
  • Lowell High School Food Pantry
  • Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House Food Pantry
  • Project Manna Food Pantry
  • Pentecostal Tabernacle Food Pantry
  • Somerville Food Pantry
  • St. Paul AME Church Pantry
  • St. Paul’s Catholic Parish Food Pantry
  • St. James Helping Hand Church Pantry
  • Salvation Army Food Pantry
  • Zinberg Clinic at Cambridge Hospital

BLANKETS and Scarves

We delivered 624 handmade fleece blankets and scarves made on MLK Day to 27 organizations sheltering and helping homeless children, teens and adults, recent immigrant and refugee children and other at-risk children, teens and adults.

  • Albany Street Emergency Shelter (CASPAR)
  • Bridges Homeward
  • Bridge over Troubled Waters
  • Cambridge Center for Families, Baby University & Early Childhood
  • Cambridge Health Alliance
  • Cambridge Multi Service Center for the Homeless
  • Camino a Casa
  • Chapel Street Shelter
  • First Church Shelter
  • First Step Outreach (CASPAR)
  • Friday Cafe at First Church
  • Harvard Square Shelter
  • Hildebrand Family Self-Help Center
  • IINE (International Institute of NE)
  • La Colaborativa
  • On the Rise
  • Our Place at Salvation Army
  • RIAC (Refugee & Immigrant Assistance Center)
  • Salvation Army Shelter
  • The Warming Center (CASPAR)
  • Transition House
  • Woman Place (CASPAR)
  • Women’s Center
  • Youth on Fire
  • Y2Y
  • YWCA Family Shelter

 PHOTOS:  Photos were taken with the consent of the participants by MHH356 Volunteers

VALENTINES

At least 2815 Valentine Cards were created and given through more than 20 organizations helping elders, veterans, the ill and homeless and hand delivered to hundreds of elders living alone.

  • Cadbury Commons Memory Unit
  • Cambridge Homes
  • Cambridge Hospital Health Workers
  • Cambridge Rehabilitation and Nursing Center
  • Cambridge Veterans Services
  • CASPAR Albany Street Emergency Shelter
  • Community Servings (Cambridge residents)
  • Food for Free
  • GROW House 
  • Isolated elders identified by Cambridge Housing Authority and Cambridge Police Department
  • HAGAN Manor (CASPAR)
  • Meals-on-Wheels (Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services)
  • Mens’ Residences 1 and 2 (CASPAR)
  • Mt. Auburn Hospital Health Workers
  • New Day (CASPAR)
  • On the Rise
  • Operation American Soldier
  • Rogers Veterans Hospital, Bedford
  • Sancta Maria Nursing Facility
  • Warming Center (CASPAR)
  • Woman Place 
  • Y2Y
  • YWCA Cambridge –Tanner Residence and The Family Shelter

New & GENTLY USED CLOTHING

Volunteers collected and donated 1020 pounds of gently used winter clothing and delivered them to 10 local organizations assisting people in need.

  • Albany Street Emergency Shelter (CASPAR)
  • Children’s Clothing Exchange
  • First Church Shelter
  • Harvard Square Homeless Shelter
  • MAAP (Material Aid and Advocacy)
  • On the Rise
  • The Spot
  • The Women’s Center
  • Youth on Fire
  • Y2Y

BOOKS FOR ALL

We collected, organized and delivered 120 bags of books for 18 local literacy programs.

  • Cambridge Center for Families, Baby University and Early Childhood
  • Cambridge Community Center
  • Cambridge Multiservice Center for the Homeless
  • Cambridge Youth Centers (Frisoli, Gately, Moore, Moses, Russell)
  • East End House
  • La Colaborativa and 2 Chelsea afterschool programs
  • More Than Words
  • Reach Out and Read programs at 3 Cambridge pediatric practices
  • Tutoring Plus
  • YWCA Cambridge

We collected, organized and delivered 120 bags of books for 18 local literacy programs.

PHOTOS:  Photos were taken with the consent of the participants by MHH356 Volunteers

Community Gathering

This year’s opening community gathering was hosted by Central Square Church in Central Square Cambridge. This location is where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to Cambridge residents in January, 1960.

More than 700 people attended the opening gathering for this year’s celebration. High school students shared Dr. King’s writings and singer Krystal Ray led everyone in civil rights era songs. The Good Trouble Marching Band led participants to the 4 sites of the hands-on projects. 

Racial JustICE CONVERSATIONS

We held a public ZOOM conversation about Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., his work, his legacy and his call that all of us work to create a more just and racially equal society.

PERSONAL CARE KITS

1020 personal care kits were assembled for homeless and low income teens and adults in Cambridge and Somerville, helped by 25 non-profits and service agencies.

PHOTOS:  Photos were taken with the consent of the participants by MHH356 Volunteers

  • Bridge Over Troubled Waters 
  • Cambridge Community Center
  • Cambridge Health Alliance Immigrant Support 
  • Cambridge Multi-service Center for the Homeless  
  • Children’s Clothing Exchange
  • Albany Street Emergency Shelter (CASPAR)
  • Chapel Street Shelter
  • First Church Shelter
  • First Step Outreach (CASPAR)
  • Friday Cafe
  • Gately Youth Center
  • Health Care for the Homeless
  • Hildebrand Family Self Help
  • On the Rise
  • MAAP (Material Aid and Advocacy)
  • Salvation Army 
  • St. Paul AME Church Pantry
  • St. Paul AME Church Pantry
  • The Spot
  • The Warming Center (CASPAR)
  • The Women’s Center
  • Woman Place (CASPAR)
  • Youth on Fire
  • YWCA
  • Y2Y
  • Zinberg Clinic at Cambridge Hospital