About Us
Cambridge Volunteers
DCR Universal Access Recreation Programs MA
Mission
Cambridge Volunteers strengthens civic engagement and supports the nonprofit sector by recruiting an effective and inclusive volunteer corps for agencies serving residents of Cambridge, MA.
Passion
We believe in community as an active verb. We help build it, one relationship at a time. Volunteerism offers an opportunity for people to embed trust into these relationships across diverse social realities, a two-way process that can change both participants. Working together we can unlock the transformative potential of civic engagement.
Waltham Fields Community Farm
Cambridge Volunteers
Vision
We envision a Cambridge – and a world – whose community members expect the best for each other, and show up for each other with mutual respect, especially in times of need.
History
Cambridge Volunteers was founded in 1994 as Cambridge Senior Volunteer Clearinghouse by retired school principal and dedicated community volunteer Robert S. Hurlbut and adult education researcher Dr. Beverly Cassara, under the fiscal sponsorship of the Cambridge Community Foundation. At this time, the organization provided individualized information and guidance to local retirees, and published a Yellow Pages of local nonprofit agencies that relied on volunteers.
In 2017, we diversified and intensified volunteer outreach, dropping the word “Senior” from our name and expanding our services to all demographics. We also moved our information online with a continuously updated “Needed Now” list, and hosted free Find Your Mission workshops that attracted more than 250 individuals annually.
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In 2020, during the COVID pandemic and national racial reckoning, we expanded our Board, and made explicit our commitment to equity in volunteering and to more intentionally soliciting and incorporating community voice into our strategic and operations planning. In 2022, we became a project of Sponsor, Inc. dba Mission Earth.
In 2023, with thousands of newsletter subscribers and website users, a year-round schedule of diverse events, and a rapidly expanding "Needed Now" list of volunteer opportunities, we launched the current website with its Find Your Mission database. We also refreshed our logo and colors, and updated our name to “Cambridge Volunteers.”
The rest, as they say, will be history!
Who uses our services?
First-time volunteers. Seasoned volunteers. Individuals. Groups. People who know Cambridge like the back of their hand. People who just moved here. People with lots of time. People with little bits of time.
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Small agencies. Large agencies. Private nonprofits. Public programs. Agencies looking for 50 people to pack groceries once, or one administrative assistant to stay at least forever.
Cambridge Volunteers
Food For Free
Community Art Center
Our Impact
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Our outreach helps to fill an estimated 350+ critical volunteer openings annually.
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Each year, thousands of local residents and employees are introduced to Cambridge’s rich volunteering landscape through our monthly Volunteer In Cambridge: Find Your Mission workshops and annual Volunteer Fairs.
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Our database offers easy access to searchable, continuously updated information about local volunteer opportunities. Our guarantee: we provide 100% human-sourced information.
- Residents have a supportive space to consider first-time nonprofit leadership roles through our Board Member Basics workshop series.
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We foster connections across organizations, bringing together Nonprofit Directors and Volunteer Managers to share challenges and best practices, building relationships throughout the Cambridge community.
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Businesses advised by Cambridge Volunteers put the community first when fulfilling their civic engagement agendas.
Who We Are
Staff
Maddie Ball, Operations Manager
Laurie Rothstein, Executive Director
Board of Directors
Kavish Gandhi, Co-Chair
Katinka Hakuta, Co-Chair
Electra Hui
Bob Hurlbut, Co-Founder
Sinclair Meggitt
Our board of directors steers strategy, builds connections, and works on special projects. Learn more.
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For board-related inquiries, please email Co-Chair Kavish Gandhi at kmbrgandhi@gmail.com.
Volunteer With Us!
We welcome volunteers to help with administration, communications, database management, and various projects. Join our multi-talented team as a Committee member or project-based helper.
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Cambridge Volunteers' board of directors meets regularly, works on special projects, and steers agency strategy. If you’re interested in volunteering with us at the program or board level, contact laurie@cambridgevolunteers.org.​​
We’d love to hear from you.
Connect With Us!
To become a partner agency, to sponsor our work, or for help finding or promoting a volunteer opportunity, please contact us.
617-864-6688
Cambridge Volunteers
c/o Mission Earth
1257 Worcester Road, Suite #312
Framingham, MA 01710