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Here’s how you can get involved in your Boston neighborhood this February
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
See a “Show Out Boston!” performance
White Snake Projects presents its youth arts community engagement program, “Show Out!,” which celebrates the work of Boston’s youth arts organizations on a Roxbury stage. This program provides young artists with a common platform to showcase their works, as well as an opportunity to listen to and build connections with youth arts organizations. Your attendance supports the organization’s goal to co-create operas written, composed, and performed by young people from around Boston. Feb. 2 at 7 p.m.; 184 Dudley Street #200, Boston; free (registration required), $10 for food
Take a winter group bike ride
Explore Boston’s largest and most diverse neighborhood with this winter bike ride. The free bike ride takes participants through Dorchester on the morning of Saturday Feb. 3 and includes a complimentary hot chocolate at the end of the ride. Make sure to wear layers. Feb. 3 from 10:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.; 1 Franklin Park Rd., Boston; Free
Learn about Massachusetts’ 54th Regiment
The first all-Black regiment in the United States’ military was right here in the Bay State. Following President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in January 1863, then Massachusetts Governor John Andrew formed the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, which would engage in several battles in the Civil War. Shawn Quigley of the National Park Service will give a presentation on the Massachusetts’ 54th Regiment at the Boston Public Library’s Roxbury branch. Feb. 10 at 2 p.m.; 1497 Tremont St., Boston; Free
Go on a walking tour of African American history in the West End
The West End Museum and the Afrimerican Academy and will take participants through Joy Street in the West End, the home of the first African American community in the area. Residents there founded the oldest standing Black church in the United States, a school, and developed a successful elite class. Following the tour, the founder and senior project engineer of the Afrimerican Academy, Marlon Solomon, will lead the lecture discussing the history of Boston’s redlining and the consequential urban renewal projects. Feb. 17 at 11; 52 Causeway St., Boston; $0-$20
Have fun at the Children’s Winter Festival
Join Mayor Michelle Wu and the Boston Parks and Recreation Department for the annual Children’s Winter Festival on the Boston Common Parade Ground. This Downtown Boston festival will include music, giveaways, winter activities, treats, and crafts. Feb. 21 from 11 a.m. to 2:p.m.; corner of Beacon Street and Charles Street, Boston; Free
Visit the fifth annual Brighton Winter Farmers Market
Come check out the Brighton Winter Farmers Market, which will feature several local vendors, live music, and balloon animals. The farmers market will be held every other Saturday in February from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the PSF Community Center Parking Lot in Oak Square. Feb. 23 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; 640 Washington St., Boston; Free
Take a Leap Day hike
Celebrate the Leap Year with a Leap Day hike. Boston Park Rangers and Urban Wilds staff will lead several free hikes open to the public on Feb. 29 through Jamaica Plain, providing both formal and informal discussions or tours during the hikes. Feb. 29 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.; 217 Jamaicaway, Boston; Free
Civic Engagement
Learn about job opportunities at the City of Boston Career Fair
The City of Boston, MassHire Boston, the Boston Public Library Career Services, and YouthBuild Boston will host a multi-industry job fair at the Bruce C. Bolling Building in Roxbury. There will be career and training opportunities for residents with and without degrees. Whether you have an interest in the green industry, construction, transportation, higher education, or other city services, there will be something for you. Registration is required. Feb. 15 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.; 2300 Washington St., Roxbury
Give your input on Boston housing and development plans
The Mayor’s Office of Housing has received $143 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to “invest in housing, homeless assistance, and community development programs that serve low to moderate income residents.” As the office puts together a five-year plan for the funds, they are accepting public comment on how the money should be spent. Join this meeting at BPL’S Central library in Back Bay to share your thoughts on Boston’s housing priorities. Feb. 12 at 6 p.m.; 700 Boylston St., Boston
Learn how White Stadium upgrades will impact the Franklin Park Action Plan
The fourth meeting in the Reimagining White Stadium community meeting series will focus on how the White Stadium Project aligns with the Franklin Park Action Plan. Residents of Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, Dorchester, and Mattapan are particularly encouraged to give their feedback at this virtual meeting. Feb. 12 at 6 p.m.; Virtual
Attend the Youth Sports Fair with a young person in your life
We may be in the middle of winter, but there are plenty of opportunities for young people in Boston to stay active and get some exercise. BCYF Shelburne in Roxbury will host a youth sports fair where kids ages nine to 14 can participate in basketball, volleyball, track and field while learning about upcoming youth sports programs and opportunities. Plus, once they’ve worked up an appetite, there will be snacks, music, and giveaways to keep them entertained. Feb. 22 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.; 2730 Washington St., Roxbury
Meet your neighborhood advocate
Sapphire-Cypress Lan Ngoc Trinh, advocacy representative for the Age Strong Commission, will host an informational session at the South Boston library branch. The Age Strong Commission is a city department that advocates for and supports Bostonians over the age of 55. At the upcoming meet-and-greet, you’ll find information about applying for eligible city services and government benefits (like SNAP, Medicaid, and Medicare), get connected to connecting to city programming and volunteer opportunities, and get a chance to meet your neighbors. Feb. 21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; 646 East Broadway, South Boston
Learn about the Green New Deal for Boston Public Schools
As part of her commitment to make Boston a more climate-friendly city, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu wants school buildings that are “safe, healthy, climate-resilient, inclusive, and inspiring.” As the city works toward that goal, the city will host workshops diving into the data about BPS school buildings. Current public school students in the city are invited to learn more and help develop proposals for the future of BPS. The first session of the workshops will be held on Feb. 3 in Back Bay, followed by a session on Feb. 12 in Roxbury. Check the city’s website for specific details. Location and time varies by neighborhood.
Volunteering
Volunteer with Winter Walk
The Winter Walk is an organization working to end homelessness. Each year in February, the organization hosts a two-mile walk in all of its host cities. This year, the organization’s Boston chapter will host the eighth annual walk in Downtown Boston on Feb. 11. Participants, housed and unhoused, will walk shoulder to shoulder and share a meal together. You’ll hear stories from those with lived experience of homelessness. Volunteers can attend the walk as well as assist with campaigning, fundraising, administration, team building, and more. Sign up to volunteer by Feb. 2. Feb. 11; Boston Common, Downtown Boston
Support survivors of sexual violence and their families
The Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC) is urgently recruiting volunteers for the Incarcerated Survivor Support Program and hotline volunteers starting in February 2024. Staff and volunteers work closely together to provide crisis counseling and support for survivors. Volunteers who are bilingual in English and Spanish are a plus, but not required. Contact [email protected] for more information. Throughout February; 451 Blue Hill Ave., Boston
Give a hand at the 128th Boston Marathon
Give back this Marathon Monday but volunteering from the start of the race to the finish line, and everywhere in between. Throughout the 3-Day Expo, athletes from around the world come to pick up their race materials, and volunteers assist them at the start of their Boston Marathon experience. Hopkinton volunteers assist at the start of the race and finish area volunteers welcome athletes before they board their bus to Hopkinton, and upon their return after finishing the race. Medical volunteers ensure the health of all participants throughout the marathon. Amateur radio volunteering opportunities exist along the entire event from the start area in Hopkinton to the finish area in Back Bay, as well as in each of the six cities and towns in between. Sign up to volunteer by Feb. 2. Race day on April 15; 185 Dartmouth St., 6th Floor, Boston
Volunteer at the Boston Children’s Museum’s Engineering Week
The Boston Children’s Museum, located along the Fort Point Channel in the Seaport, is seeking volunteers for Engineering Week 2024. Engineering Week this year is held from Feb. 19 to 25 and features a variety of hands-on activities exploring engineering. Volunteering opportunities include assisting educators spread the joy of engineering through various hands-on activities. Sign up by Feb. 9. Feb. 19 to 25; 308 Congress St., Boston
Help children improve their comprehension and reading fluency
The West End House is the largest youth development agency in the Allston–Brighton community. The Reading Buddy program is designed to help children improve their comprehension and reading fluency, while also developing a lifelong love of reading. Volunteers are partnered one-on-one or two-on-one with a WEH member and meet every week to read aloud for one hour. Monday through Friday, between 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. during the school year; 105 Allston St., Boston
Help visitors learn more about Charlestown Navy Yard
The National Parks of Boston include Faneuil Hall, Charlestown Navy Yard, and the Boston Harbor Islands. Volunteers are needed to help visitors learn about the Navy Yard — one of the oldest shipyards in the country — as well as other Charlestown sites and nearby attractions. The position is performed primarily at the Navy Yard visitor center located next to USS Constitution. A minimum commitment of four hours per week is required. Time varies; 1st Ave. & 3rd St., Boston
Empower homeless children through playtime
Horizons for Homeless Children, headquartered in Roxbury, is an organization devoted to serving homeless children across the Commonwealth. The organization’s Playspace Program is seeking volunteers to play with children experiencing homelessness in shelters throughout the state. Your donated time will help create a safe and nurturing environment for them to find joy and feel empowered. Upcoming volunteer training dates are Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 6 p.m. and Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. 1785 Columbus Avenue, Roxbury
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