volunteer INFORMATION

WHEN
WHO
WHAT
VOLUNTEERING FAQS

when

Please sign up in advance.

If a session you want to attend is full, check for late cancellations the night before or morning of a session.
Spots often open up at the last minute.


Tuesdays 6:30-9:00 pm
Wednesdays 1:00-4:00 pm
Thursdays 6:30-9:00 pm
Saturdays 1:00-4:00 pm

Books can be dropped off during any volunteer session. If you’re just dropping off, you don’t need to sign up, but please check the sign up page to make sure that the session is happening. Cancellations are rare, but they do happen.


Interested in a special session just for your group?
For a donation, Prison Book Program can offer private sessions apart from our regularly scheduled sessions.
Contact our Program Coordinator for details.

WHO

You can sign up just before you arrive or weeks in advance! If you can no longer attend a shift you’ve signed up for, please cancel so that someone else can have your spot. You can also check your sign-ups here.

Bringing a kid or friend? Great, but each individual person attending the session must be signed up, even if you use the same email address twice. Please do not bring “plus one’s” who aren’t signed up.

We love hosting all kinds of groups! We can set aside up to 15 spots at any of our regularly scheduled volunteer sessions for groups. Contact our Program Coordinator with your desired dates. Groups should schedule 8+ weeks in advance since sessions fill quickly. If you have a group of more than 15, you’ll need to inquire about a private session. We are happy to arrange these for a donation.

What will i be doing

Prison Book Program is 100% volunteer-powered. Our work would be impossible without the thousands of people who serve with us every year. You might:

  • choose books from our library to match requests from incarcerated readers
  • prepare book packages for the mail
  • sort through donated books and decide which ones to keep and where to shelve them
  • process incoming book requests by verifying requestors’ locations and marking up requests with each facility’s rules and regulations
 

Jobs are distributed at each session through a card system. The number of cards put out for each task is the number of people needed for that task. Arrive early if you want your choice of job. 

Whatever task you do, it will make a direct and tangible positive impact on someone’s life. Although you will not have personal contact with our book requestors, you will have a strong sense of interacting with them and getting to know them through their letters and our fulfillment process.
 
There is a short break time in the middle of every volunteer session where we get to know new people, ask and answer questions, read awesome letters, eat snacks, and learn about the U.S. prison system.

VOLUNTEERING FAQs

You can sign up on our website before the session. Some sessions fill up quickly, especially Saturdays, so sign up early! 

We ask that first time volunteers arrive at the beginning of the session, and all volunteers should stay through the session to help clean up. 

Yes! Most of our work is done by volunteers. We have jobs to match all abilities ranging from sit-down jobs to moving heavy boxes. There are no prerequisites or orientations for volunteers. If you are under 18, please look under “Can kids volunteer” below.

Book enthusiasts under 16 are welcome but must be accompanied by an adult. Before your child volunteers, please consider the work that is involved (see “WHAT” above). Many tasks require a general knowledge of books and high-school level reading skills that younger kids usually don’t have. In addition, letters from prisoners sometimes contain comments and life stories that may be inappropriate for kids.
All of our work is done in the basement of the United First Parish Church in the heart of Quincy Center (also known as the “Church of the Presidents.”) See our directions page for detailed info on parking and finding us in the church.
Sometimes.  It depends on your skills and how much time you want to devote. Prior volunteers have worked on calling prisons to verify restrictions, graphic design, social media and more. Most volunteers who do remote tasks start by volunteering in person, to get to know PBP and our needs. Contact volunteer@prisonbookprogram.org if you are interested.
Partially!  The United First Parish Church has an elevator and an accessible bathroom. A staff member will need to open the front door of the church for you and guide you back to our work space in the basement. Please come to our regular entrance and call 617-423-3298 for assistance. See our directions page for more details on how to find the right door. We work in two sections of the church – a large dining room and two smaller rooms where we shelve books. While the book rooms are too crowded for a wheelchair to navigate, there is plenty of space in the dining room.

Yes. The church has three all-gender bathrooms including one that is single occupancy and handicapped accessible.

While there is no water fountain, we do provide cups people can use for tap water. We usually have light snacks available but you should not count on food. Quincy Center has several restaurants, coffee shops, and convenience stores where you can purchase your own food and beverages.

Many of our volunteers need signed confirmation of their hours, which we can provide. Ask at a volunteer session, where we have blank forms to fill out. If you want a personalized letter with all the dates you volunteered included, email us before your final session and we can have it ready for you.