I have been a project leader for about a year and a half, since I moved to Cambridge from Philadelphia. I work at the MIT Public Service Center helping students find work-study jobs with local nonprofits, and enjoy the opportunity to volunteer myself with Boston Cares. I also like bike riding, baking and participating in two book clubs!

I lead most often at Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic. I find reading really soothing and I love knowing that I'm helping students at local schools.

I also really enjoyed pruning at the Rose Garden! I'm looking forward to doing that again when the weather gets warm.

Stefanie Tarantino
Project Leader since 2008

I got involved with Boston Cares when I went on a relief trip to New Orleans with some people from Starbucks (where I used to work) and I met some people that were in Boston Cares and had been to NOLA before with BC. I had been looking for volunteer opportunities in Boston, and Boston Cares was perfect - I was working and going to grad school full time, but still found projects that fit into my schedule. Since joining Boston Cares in December of 2006 I have had the opportunity to do all sorts of projects, including going to New Orleans again. Best of all, I have found a passion for volunteering and have encouraged many friends and my fiance to join too! I have met lots of new people and made some great friends, and I always have a wonderful time representing Boston Cares at any project.

I became a PL after hearing of the need for more people to lead at the MSPCA, which was the first project I volunteered at as a Boston Cares member. I thought about how nice the PL was to me, and how much fun she made the project, and I wanted to have that effect on volunteers too.

My favorite project has been the relief work in NOLA. Meeting the residents of that city and seeing how resilient they have been since the storms has been incredibly life changing for me and has inspired me to want to do more volunteer work in my own community. I also love doing Special Events, such as the MLK Day where we had a bunch of different projects and impacted a variety of people - it's always fun to have big events like that and get to show the community what they can do to help out their fellow Bostonians!