Viveca Stucke ‘26 and Sophia Mariani ‘26

Opinions and Features Editors

On April 13, 2024, Working for Worcester hosted its 12th annual “Build Day” event, inviting members of the local community to engage in volunteer work throughout the city, primarily intending to support the children of Worcester. Every year, there are over 1,500 volunteers, and over the last 12 years they have reinvested $2,400,000 into the community, supporting over 45,000 impacted people (Working for Worcester). Over seven colleges were represented at the event, and the Holy Cross pride was incredibly strong, especially considering how the founders, Jeff Reppucci and Derek Kump, are alumni who came up with the idea while on Mt. St. James!

The day began with a kick-off rally at City Hall for volunteers amongst all of the groups to gather in anticipation for the busy day ahead. A panel of speakers shared their excitement, encouragement, and gratitude for the volunteers, and then students were set to head to each of their sites across the city. Mario Kyprianides ‘26 volunteered with his rugby team and shared “it was a good showing, seeing how dedicated the volunteers were to bettering the community,” emphasizing how the dedication to Worcester was incredibly important and heartfelt. With students and adults rallied at City Hall, volunteers were able to understand the importance of their shared dedication and the impact that their passion could have. 

The intention with Working for Worcester is to mobilize members of the community in various spaces to volunteer through community service, specifically through infrastructure in local neighborhoods, intended to benefit children. The catchphrase that accompanies Working for Worcester is “For the Kids,”  emphasizing the intention of the organization to create a lasting impact for the lived experiences of our upcoming generations. Kyprianides ‘26, again, who volunteered at the City View site, stated how “important it is to give back to the community that has served my college experience and how service is incredibly important to my life and the Jesuit education at Holy Cross.” College students usually are only part of the community that their campus is in for four years and often underestimate its value. Through Working for Worcester, students are able to create a deeper connection to their community and better understand the importance of their time and efforts while in Worcester.

One of the remarkable things about Working for Worcester is that it is run by college students, providing peers an opportunity to learn the value of volunteer work and gain experience through a meaningful leadership position. Mary Kate Terry ‘26, a site leader for Grafton Street School, shared her perspective: “My experience as a site manager for working for Worcester allowed me to collaborate with others to ensure that our site was successful and efficient. I feel that it was a meaningful position for me because I believe we were making a difference for the students, staff, and families involved in the school community.” The experiences that students gain through these leadership positions grant them the opportunity to create deeper connections to their work, community, and the Working for Worcester organization as a whole. 

Not just the site managers benefitted from this experience, but volunteers as well. Claire Kraemer ‘26 volunteered at Grafton Street School and shared her positive experience, stating, “After seeing how positively everyone reacted last year to Working for Worcester, I was excited to sign up this year. Going to the school and seeing how enthusiastic every volunteer was about the work we were doing, including the kids that stopped by, really made my day. I couldn’t have spent my time better this Saturday and I’m so happy that I was able to make a difference alongside the others at not only Grafton Street School but the other sites as well.” It was very rewarding to visibly see the impact we had on the community and compare the before and after. The goal at Grafton Street was to repaint the basketball courts, paint picnic tables, and trim some of the hedges. Volunteers at each site worked hard with the goal to create better school environments for the kids of Worcester.

Copy Edited by Caroline Kramer