Volunteer through STM's Solidarity in the City Program
Solidarity in the City is a student-centered program that fosters community, reflection, and inspiration around the shared values of service and social justice in the context of faith. Each month, assistant chaplains host a dinner gathering where students come together to reflect, discuss, and pray about their service experiences—including advocacy and justice work—through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching.
We believe that group reflection transforms acts of service into deeper encounters with God’s call, helping us discover meaning, purpose, and grace through engagement with those who are marginalized, vulnerable, and underserved.
For more information or questions, contact Pauline Little, Assistant Chaplain.
APOSTLE IMMIGRANT SERVICES (AIS)
AIS supports immigrants and their families in Greater New Haven through legal services and food distribution. Founded by the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus who serve all without discrimination. Students can volunteer through Dwight Hall groups such as Migration Alliance at Yale (MAY) and Yale Undergraduate Legal Aid Association (YULAA).
Learn more here.
Contact: mgibbons@apostleimmigrantservices.org
CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES STUDENT AMBASSADORS (CRS)
The CRS Student Ambassador Program engages college students in building a more just and peaceful world. Yale and Albertus Magnus have partnered to form a chapter of student leaders who mobilize peers through awareness campaigns, prayer services, advocacy, fundraising, and programs like CRS Rice Bowl, Fair Trade, and Helping Hands.
Contact: allan.esteron@yale.edu
COLLECTIVE FOR REFUGEE AND IMMIGRANT WOMEN’S WELLBEING (CRIW)
CRIW builds equity-led partnerships that honor immigrant and refugee women’s self-determination, cultures, strengths, and aspirations. Together, we work to understand their needs, address barriers, and create meaningful solutions.
Learn more here.
Contact: rachelepierro.criw@gmail.com
COMMUNITY SOUP KITCHEN (CSK)
CSK provides healthy, nutritious meals to all who walk through its doors. Committed to improving quality of life and restoring dignity, CSK offers hot meals and groceries to anyone in New Haven County.
Learn more here.
Contact: cskvolunteerjean@gmail.com
DOWNTOWN EVENING SOUP KITCHEN
DESK relies on dedicated volunteers to prepare meals, set up the dining room, serve guests, clean up, and help run the weekly pantry. Students are welcome to join in a variety of service opportunities offered throughout the week.
Learn more here.
Contact: volunteer@deskct.org
INTEGRATED REFUGEE & IMMIGRANT SERVICES (IRIS)
IRIS is a nonprofit organization that helps refugees and displaced people build new lives, restore hope, and contribute to communities in Connecticut and across the country. They also support Americans sponsoring refugees for resettlement, offering services and resources that guide newcomers toward self-sufficiency and help them make local communities their home.
Learn more here.
Contact: ekelly@irisct.org
LOAVES AND FISHES
Loaves and Fishes shares God’s love by offering food, clothing, and community in a safe, welcoming space. Rooted in connection, the organization seeks to blur the line between those who serve and those who are served.
Learn more here.
Contact: ngibbs@loavesandfishesnh.com
NEW HAVEN READS
New Haven Reads shares the joy and power of reading by partnering with the community to provide free one-on-one tutoring, family support, and a book bank. These resources help aspiring readers build the literacy skills they need to succeed in school and in life.
Learn more here.
Contact: fernanda@newhavenreads.org
STM WEDNESDAY SOUP KITCHEN
STM Wednesday Soup Kitchen serves lunch to hundreds of guests each week. Students are welcome to volunteer for an hour between 9am and 1pm, helping prepare, serve, and welcome visitors. The soup kitchen runs annually from October through April.
Contact: allan.esteron@yale.edu
WEDNESDAY SOUP KITCHEN FOOD PICKUP (Pickup Day is Tuesday)
Each Tuesday, students are invited to help collect food from Yale’s dining halls for the Wednesday Soup Kitchen. This weekly service runs from October through April.
Contact: allan.esteron@yale.edu
SUNRISE CAFÉ
Sunrise Café serves breakfast to New Haven’s homeless and hungry Monday through Friday from 6:30 to 8:30am. Students can help welcome guests and serve fresh, warm, nutritious meals in a bright, welcoming space at the undercroft of St. Paul and St. James, near Wooster Square, just south of the New Haven Green.
Learn more here.
Contact: benedict.reilly@yale.edu
TUTORING AT ST. MARTIN DE PORRES ACADEMY
Yale students are invited to volunteer at St. Martin de Porres, a school serving underserved students in greater New Haven. Volunteers meet weekly after school (3–6 pm, Monday–Thursday, times vary) to serve as tutors, mentors, club leaders, and coaches each semester.
Learn more here.
Contact: smurphy@saintmartinacademy.org
YALE COMMUNITY KITCHEN (YCK)
YCK is Yale’s student-run soup kitchen on campus, serving food donated by Yale Dining on Friday and Saturday evenings at St. Martin de Porres Parish in the Dixwell neighborhood. Students can volunteer for a prep shift (3:30–5:15 pm) or a service shift (4:45–6:30pm) throughout the academic year.
Learn more here.
Contact: yck@deskct.org