Project Leader City Year HQ - Team Care Force
Boston, MA | July 2021 - June 2022
For my second year as a City Year AmeriCorps Member, I relocated to Boston, MA to serve as a Project Leader on Team Care Force. In this role, I created documentation and prepared logistics for service projects as well as led volunteers. Team Care Force partners with corporate sponsors and coordinates with service sites to provide value to the community.
Service Events happen all across the country. During my year with Care Force, I led service projects in:
Chicago, IL
Orlando, FL
East Palo Alto, CA
Phoenix, AZ
Philadelphia, PA
Washington, D.C.
Denver, CO
Boston, MA
Service Development
My team and I gathered information, created documentation, and communicated with partners in order to prepare for corporate service events. Throughout my year on Team Care Force, I have worked on:
Project Coordinator Guides - a multi-page document for referencing timeline, safety information, and leadership approach
Shopping Lists - directory for service materials in large quantities at several stores to be able to purchase seamlessly once arriving to site
Mural Books - collection of murals to be projected and traced on-site
Cut Lists - order list for amount of dimensional lumber calculated for several construction items
Prep Lists - detailed list of tasks to be completed on-site
On-Site Prep
A typical prep week starts 3-4 days before the event in order to ensure each element of service is prepared and ready for volunteers to join on event day. Depending on the service, we may measure, cut, and kit wood for construction projects, prime and trace murals for painting projects, and determine scope and/or plants for landscaping projects.
Event Day
On Event Day, we led volunteers in service projects to benefit their communities. These projects provide resources to service partners to help them shine.
Storage Shed Paint and Mural (Chicago)
Tree Planting (East Palo Alto)
Farm Entrance Signage (Philadelphia)
City Year Project Coordinators & Staff (D.C.)
Wall Mural Painting (Denver)
Holiday Meal Kit Sorting (Orlando)
Financial Literacy Game Creation (Phoenix)
Morning Programming (Philadelphia)
Youth Garden Filling and Planting (D.C.)
Outdoor Classroom Construction (Denver)
Herb Garden Planting (East Palo Alto)
Teacher Tote Bag Design (Phoenix)
Picnic Table Construction(Philadelphia)
Entryway Flower Garden and Path (D.C.)
Garden Bed Planting (Boston)
What does a full event look like from start to finish? Click on the case studies below:
Virtual Service Events
The COVID-19 Pandemic shifted Care Force’s service model to include virtual options. My team and I ran several different types of service through Zoom and Microsoft Teams. We adapted these service events to meet the needs of corporate and service partners. Types of virtual service include:
Decorating Pencil Pouches and Teacher Totes
Healthy Eating Seed Starter Kits
Explore Your Environment Activity
Encouragement Cards
Homework Helper Kits
STEM Challenge Cards
Pencil Boxes
To prepare these for these events, we would create PowerPoint presentations, Microsoft Forms, and other digital resources to present and receive service. We also packed, shipped, and sorted materials to be sent to volunteers or schools receiving service.
Local Direct Service
During the course of the year on Team Care Force, we volunteered directly in the Boston community with a focus on food insecurity.
OASIS on Ballou
An urban farm in the Dorchester neighborhood that produces fruits and vegetables using sustainable techniques to provide food for the nearby community
Red Cross Food Pantry
A distribution center that provides meals to families in need through drive-thru service
Fresh Truck
A mobile grocery store bringing affordable produce to neighborhoods with limited food stores