Your Volunteer Day

Individuals, families, and groups come to the Boston mission for focused days of service, and some opportunities may also be available at the Providence mission as well.

The Boston Seafarers Center operates on Cruise Ship Days with 6-12 volunteers. Cruise Ship Days come from April to the end of October whenever there is a cruise ship in port. Weekend days usually fill up first with churches and individuals who've been doing this for years. Weekday Cruise Ship events are more difficult to staff, and for those with a free weekday now and again, we encourage you to make this your entry point to mission service at NESM.

Volunteers receive training and assistance to help seafarers contact home, send home wages, find the things they need. You don't need any particular experience or background, and we try to put you where you will be successful. A lack of volunteers means that we have to close parts of the mission for service on that day. There may be only one seafarer who needs a particular service, but that seafarer needs this particular service badly, and so does his or her family. It's a shame when we can't be fully open, but only your participation can prevent such a thing from happening.

Volunteers should bring a bag lunch or be prepared to order in take-out or delivery from a local place. A soda and a bag of chips will be provided for each volunteer. There's free coffee and tea for all (and worth every penny!). We have two microwave ovens and a refridgerator on the premises.

Arrive by 8am for Cruise Ship activity, if possible. We have found the crew members waiting at our door by 8:30. We like to finish up around 3 pm on Fridays and 4pm on most other days. We'll then get you on your way home, or better yet, recommend some great restaurants in the area so you can enjoy a relaxing meal before heading back.