While many teenagers are spending the summer sleeping in or heading to the beach, dozens of Central Massachusetts students are choosing a different kind of vacation.
Eighty-three young people from across the region are spending the next six weeks volunteering with nonprofit organizations, helping families, supporting youth programs, improving public spaces and tackling food insecurity through the 2026 WooServes Youth Service program.
The initiative, a youth leadership and volunteer program operated by United Way of Central Massachusetts and powered by The Hanover Insurance Group, officially kicks off Monday, June 29, and brings together students ages 13 to 18 from 15 communities across the region.
This year’s participants were selected from a pool of 100 applicants representing communities including Auburn, Grafton, Hardwick, Holden, Millbury, North Grafton, Northborough, Northbridge, Paxton, Princeton, Shrewsbury, Sutton, Westborough, Whitinsville and Worcester.
The program opened with an orientation and volunteer project at Community Harvest Project in North Grafton, where students helped grow and harvest fresh produce that will be distributed through local hunger relief organizations.
Over the course of the summer, participants are expected to complete at least 21 volunteer hours before graduating from the program in August. Along the way, they will work with 16 nonprofit organizations focused on issues ranging from food security and education to youth development, veterans services, outdoor recreation and community engagement.
Volunteer placements include Pernet Family Health Service, Project New Hope, Worcester Housing Authority, Worcester United Lacrosse, the Office of New Americans, MOAD, Roots Soccer Academy and the College of the Holy Cross. Students will also assist with preparations for the Worcester African Festival, support youth recreation programs, help families and veterans, and participate in community improvement projects throughout Greater Worcester.
A distinctive feature of WooServes is its peer leadership model. This year’s participants will be mentored by Community Engagement interns Emma Nicodemus and Mio Loubaresse-Takei of Clark University and Siri Shingireddi of UMass Amherst, who will work alongside United Way staff to coordinate projects and guide students throughout the program.
“Volunteerism creates a powerful ripple effect,” Idaliana Medina, director of engagement at United Way of Central Massachusetts, said in the announcement. “Through WooServes, young people are not only addressing real community needs today, they are also developing the leadership skills, empathy, and civic engagement necessary to help build a stronger community tomorrow.”
According to the announcement, the program is part of United Way’s Community Resilience initiative, which focuses on addressing immediate community needs while helping build stronger neighborhoods over the long term.
Participants who complete the program will graduate in August and share reflections on how their volunteer experiences affected both the community and their own personal growth.
Additional information about WooServes and volunteer opportunities is available through United Way of Central Massachusetts.
Have a story tip, community concern, or insight to share? Email Editor Charlene Arsenault at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org.
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