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Here’s how you can get involved in your Boston neighborhood this January
Stay connected to Boston's neighborhoods with this monthly guide.
Welcome to your Neighborhoods community bulletin board, a monthly guide to community events, civic engagement, and volunteer opportunities in Boston’s neighborhoods.
Do you have an event, session, or other ideas about what we should include in the community bulletin board? E-mail us at [email protected] or fill out the survey at the bottom of this page.
Things to Do | Civic Engagement | Volunteering | Share your event with Boston.com
Things to Do
Free jazz performances at Long Live Beerworks
Come to Long Live Brewery in Roxbury Thursdays in January for free jazz music and great beer. The performance will feature bassist John Lockwood, pianist Tim Ray, and drummer Mark Walker. Food by Fresh Food Generation will be provided at the event. Thursdays at 6 p.m.; 152 Hampden St., Boston; Free
Enjoy mocktails and music this Dry January
Dry January doesn’t have to mean a stalled social life. Time Out Market in Fenway invites you Jam’uary Happy Hour every week this January, starting Jan. 4. On the menu is a new batch of mocktails (and winter cocktails if you’d like a drink) plus performances from local band Legends of Summer. Jan. 4, 11, 19, and 25 at 6 p.m.; 401 Park Drive, Boston; Free
Check out the Bars Over Bars hip-hop showcase
Every first Tuesday of the month, Jamaica Plain’s Midway Cafe features local hip-hop artists. You’ll hear some of the best of Boston’s local hip-hop scene all while supporting a local business. Must be 21 or older to attend. Jan. 2 at 8 p.m.; 3496 Washington St., Boston; $10
Celebrate Haitian Independence Day in Mattapan
Haitian Independence Day may be the first of January, but the celebration will continue on Jan. 4 at the Mattapan library branch. Toutwel Restaurant will be there to help patrons learn about, and eat the traditional Haitian Independence Day dish: Soup Joumou. All ages are welcome at this event. Jan. 4 at 3 p.m.; 1350 Blue Hill Ave., Mattapan; Free
Share your talents at Midway or the Highway’s open mic
Also at the Midway Cafe in Jamaica Plain is the Midway or the Highway Open Mic on Jan. 14. See Boston’s best comedians, musicians, poets, sketch performers, or storytellers for free, and enjoy a glass of cheap beer in the process. And if you’re feeling bold, step on stage after the planned line-up for your own performance. Jan. 14 at 8 p.m.; 3496 Washington St., Boston; 21+; Free
Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the MFA
Spend Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the MFA, where admission will be free and Massachusetts residents will get free access to the “Fashioned by Sargent” exhibit. The museum, located in Fenway, will host art workshops, live performances, free guided tours, and talks with members of the community. Jan. 15; 465 Huntington Ave., Boston
Civic Engagement
Empower young Bostonians to advocate for community health
The TEACH Program is an interactive workshop series designed to help Boston-area teens make positive impacts on communities struggling with substance use disorder. At these sessions, hosted at Grove Hall library branch in Dorchester, young people learn harm reduction strategies, healthy behaviors to cope with stress, how to advocate for themselves and other community members battling SUD, and more. Teens who go to three or more sessions receive a $25 gift card. Registration is required. Wednesdays at 1 p.m.; 41 Geneva Ave.
Learn how to start and scale a Boston-based startup
Let 2024 be the year you start a business in your community. If you’re interested in being a local entrepreneur, join this discussion about the Boston startup community. You’ll learn about resources available to Boston entrepreneurs, recruitment tools, fundraising options, and more. Jan. 3 at 9 a.m.; Virtual
Attend a South End library community meeting
Join City of Boston officials and Boston Public Library leaders for a virtual community meeting to discuss plans for the South End Library. The branch is currently closed due to facilities issues. Jan. 8, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Virtual
Get up to date on MBTA subcommittees
Spend some time on the morning of Jan. 11 hearing from MBTA board members about the status of the agency’s finances, planning, and safety. Each subcommittee will meet for an hour starting at 9 a.m. Jan. 11 at 9 a.m.; State Transportation Building, 2nd Floor, 10 Park Plaza, Boston
Attend Civic Summit 2024
Mayor Michelle Wu’s Office of Civic Organizing will host “Civic Summit 2024: Community Over Everything,” an in-person event for community-minded Boston residents. The event will feature talks from community leaders, interactive sessions, networking opportunities, and a fireside chat with Mayor Wu. The Civic Summit is registration-only. Jan. 13, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; 808 Commonwealth Ave., Brookline
Give input on Southwest Corridor Park improvements
The Department of Conservation and Recreation continues to renovate and modernize Southwest Corridor Park in 2024 to make the greenspace more accessible, inclusive, interactive, and fun. DCR will host four community meetings to receive feedback on design concepts. The open houses will be held in the South End on Jan. 10, Roxbury on Jan. 16, Jamaica Plain on Jan. 18, and virtually on Jan. 23. Location varies by neighborhood.
Get updates from the BPS opportunity and achievement gaps task force
In 2016, the Boston School Committee unanimously approved the Policy of the Boston Public Schools to Eliminate Opportunity and Achievement Gaps for students of color, English language learners, students with disabilities, and students of low socio-economic status. The task force charged with this goal will meet virtually on Jan. 30. A Zoom link and meeting agenda will be available 48 hours before the meeting. Jan. 30, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.; Virtual
Volunteering
Help serve food at the East Boston Community Soup Kitchen
The East Boston Community Soup Kitchen accepts individuals and groups of volunteers to help with setup, food prep, serving meals, interacting with guests, cleanup, and other tasks every Tuesday. All shifts take place at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in East Boston. Tuesdays at 9 a.m.; 28 Paris St., East Boston
Maintain bicycles with Bikes Not Bombs
Bikes Not Bombs uses the bicycle as a vehicle for social change to achieve economic mobility for Black and other marginalized people in Boston. The Jamaica Plain-based organization holds a weekly Volunteer Night where all skill levels and ages are welcome to help with bike maintenance. Pre-registration is required to attend and spots are guaranteed for up to 10 registrants.
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Work may include: “flattening” bikes (turning the handlebars sideways and the pedals inside-out so that the bikes fit easily into a shipping container to send overseas), “stripping” bikes (taking all parts off of a frame for bikes that have some broken pieces), sorting parts, building up bikes, general cleaning, housekeeping, and other tasks. Volunteers are encouraged to wear clothes that can get dirty, and closed-toed footwear is required to ensure the safety of all program participants. Wednesdays, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.; 284 Amory St., Jamaica Plain
Deliver food pantry staples to the Hyde Park Food Pantry
The Hyde Park Food Pantry is looking for volunteers who could help with food pantry deliveries on Wednesday mornings. The job involves driving your own vehicle to the Greater Boston Food Bank, picking up the week’s groceries, and delivering them to the pantry in Hyde Park. If interested, email [email protected]. Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.; 1179 River St., Hyde Park
Distribute meals to unhoused people at the Boston Common
Every Sunday morning, the Boston Rescue Mission seeks volunteers to help prepare and pack meals in the kitchen which they later help distribute to unhoused people at the Boston Common in Downtown Boston. Once meals are distributed, volunteers help to clean up and return outreach materials. Sundays at 10 a.m.; 39 Kingston St., Boston
Beautify the Holmes Innovation School in Dorchester for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
City Year, an organization that places its members in schools all day, every day, to prepare students with social, emotional, and academic skills, will hold a day of service to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. Service will focus on beautification projects for the Holmes Innovation School in Dorchester, which serves nearly 300 students in grades K-6. Volunteers will also be supporting City Year partner schools by creating resource kits to benefit students and teachers. Jan. 15, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; 40 School St., Dorchester
Inspect, sort, and repackage donated food for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
The Mission Continues, a national nonprofit that empowers veterans to serve in under-resourced communities, is collaborating with the Greater Boston Food Bank in the South End for a day of service to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Volunteers will be needed in the warehouse to inspect, sort, and repackage donated food and grocery products. Some volunteers load boxes onto conveyor belts, some inspect or sort products, and others check and label boxes. While a few of these tasks require the ability to lift a 30-pound box, most tasks require a volunteer to stand and inspect products or package boxes. Volunteers are asked to wear closed-toed shoes for their shifts. Jan. 20, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.; 70 South Bay Ave., Boston
Make handmade Valentine’s Day cards for older adults
The Boston chapter of Gay For Good, an organization that mobilizes LGBTQ+ and ally volunteers to help strengthen ties to the broader community, is holding a Valentine’s Day card creation event with the Boston Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in Back Bay. Volunteers will be provided with materials, and are encouraged to bring creativity and arts and crafts supplies of their own if they wish. The handmade cards will be delivered to older adults throughout the Greater Boston area by FriendshipWorks’ volunteers. Jan. 20, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.; Arlington Street Church, 351 Boylston St., Boston
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