Apply to be a summer volunteer for HSHS or Y2Y by WEDNESDAY 5/31!

Are you looking for a way to give back this summer?

The Harvard Square Summer Shelter and Y2Y Summer Shelter are 8-week housing programs designed for people who need a stable living situation as they work toward housing-related, job, family, or personal goals.

Our shelters can only operate through the help of dedicated local and student volunteers, particularly as the majority of our regular student volunteers are away from the area during the summer. If you will be in or near Cambridge this summer, we at HSHS and Y2Y would love for you to join our team!

Both shelters operate from June 10th to August 10th, but we can try our best to accommodate volunteers who might not be able to volunteer for the entire period. You will be assigned a shift by early June. If you are interested in becoming a supervisor or being more involved, there's space for that in both program's application forms. HSHS's application form is here and Y2Y's is here!

Both shelters have availability in the following shifts:

1. Breakfast (6:30 AM - 9:15AM, 7:30AM - 10:15AM on weekends): Volunteers help prepare breakfast, help guests be ready to leave the Shelter by 8:00AM, and then clean up the Shelter.
2. Dinner (6:45 PM - 9:15PM): Volunteers prepare and serve dinner to the guests, clean up afterward, and then help the guests with anything they might need.
3. Evening (8:45 PM - 11:15PM): Volunteers start preparing plates of food for homeless non-guests who come to the door for a  meal and help the guests get settled in for the night.
4. Overnight (11:00 PM - 9:00AM): Our highest priority shift! Volunteers and  supervisors sleep in shifts, so that someone is always awake to answer guests' questions and help them with whatever they might need. In the morning, overnight volunteers stay to help prepare breakfast and clean up the shelter.

You can expect to hear about training and your shift assignment by early June if you apply to volunteer by the Priority Deadline of May 26!

Extended Priority Deadline: May 26

The Harvard Square Homeless Shelter serves adult populations and operates out of the basement of University Lutheran Church. Over the summer, we will provide a second home to 15+ individuals through our transitional housing program. We work hard to keep a welcoming, inviting, and affirming space, and we are so excited to welcome you into this community. Thank you for all you do - your efforts are invaluable to this work! Find out more about HSHS in our Linktree here, if you can't commit to a weekly shift become a substitute volunteer here, and read our volunteer handbook here. Feel free to reach out to hshs.volunteer@gmail.com with any questions!

Y2Y Harvard Square is a student-run overnight shelter that employs a youth-to-youth model to provide a safe and affirming environment for young adults experiencing homelessness. Y2Y guests will have opportunities to collaborate with service providers, other young adults experiencing homelessness, and student volunteers to create sustainable pathways out of homelessness and develop skills for long-term success. Read Y2Y's volunteer handbook here, and reach out to volunteer@y2yharvardsquare.org with any questions!

Best,

Harold and Ian

HSHS and Y2Y Summer Volunteer Directors