One Time/Special Events

Throughout the year, one-day service projects and events are open to the entire student body.  A number of On-Campus clubs also sponsor events throughout the year. Sign-ups for these events are announced via PA Net and often happen in conjunction with the fall, winter and spring community service sign-ups.  The community service program is also happy to facilitate one-time service projects for athletic teams, dormitories or any other group of Phillips Academy community members.

Bread and Roses Picnic

Students, faculty and staff host this picnic for 150 guests from Bread and Roses community kitchen on the last Saturday in September or first Saturday in October each year. This picnic allows PA students to engage and interact with people from all ages and walks of life in a festive and relaxed atmosphere. Students plan and host games and activities from chess and checkers to face painting and football. In addition to coordinating live musical events including karaoke students also cook and serve the entire meal. This picnic has a long tradition and is a cherished celebration of the friendship between Bread and Roses and PA.

Martin Luther King Day of Service

Martin Luther King Jr. Day at Phillips Academy is observed through various workshops and events designed to enhance students' awareness of the community and understanding of Dr. King's teachings. On this day, the Community Service office offers various service projects ranging from sorting food and clothing to cleaning a homeless shelter. Student and faculty leaders facilitate discussions before and after each trip about the connections between multiculturalism and service. Sign-ups occur at the end of fall term.

Non Sibi Day

Non Sibi Day is a one-day service event that is jointly sponsored initiative of Alumni Council, the Office of Alumni Affairs, the Community Service Program, and the office of Community and Multicultural Development (CAMD).  It marks the realization of a vision to unite the entire Andover family – students, staff, faculty, alumni, parents, and friends – in a day of service to others; bringing our larger Andover community closer together while contributing to the ongoing efforts of worthy organizations in communities around the country and world that share Phillips Academy’s “commitment to a lifetime of effective participation in public life.”  In it’s inaugural year (2007), the day included 108 group projects in 13 countries and 21 states and over 2000 total volunteers. 

Oxfam Auction

Each year students, faculty and local businesses have the opportunity to donate products, skills and services to be auctioned off to benefit the International Chapter of Oxfam. Past donations have included baked goods, home made themed breakfasts and dinners (Mexican, Indian, Italian), Jump roping lessons from a national competitor, handmade jewelry, and Boston Bruins tickets. Attendees at the auction are integrally involved in selecting where the funding raised on the evening goes. This year’s funds will go to a variety of water related projects including the purchasing of a water truck, water irrigation provisions to local farmers, and emergency water for drought affected regions.  

Walk for Hunger

Each year over 100 students and faculty participate in Project Bread's annual Walk for Hunger which takes place on the first Sunday of May attracting over 40,000 walkers from all across New England. Walkers raise funds for the 20-mile walk around Greater Boston to benefit hunger relief efforts throughout Massachusetts, including a number of the organizations with whom we work. Students have the opportunity to serve as walk team leader heading walk teams of 10 to 15 individuals that compete for most funding raised, best attendance and most team spirit! Sign-ups occur at the beginning of the spring term.

Dorm/Club/Team Projects

Groundwork Lawrence:

An organization that works to "bring about the sustained regeneration, improvement and management of the physical environment by developing community-based partnerships which empower people, businesses and organizations to promote environmental, economic, and social well-being." Volunteer groups can help with site clean-ups and as well as season specific community garden preparations. The results of some of the work of Groundwork Lawrence can be seen along the Merrimack and Spicket Rivers.

Greater Boston Food Bank:

The food bank distributes approximately 16 million pounds of food per year and about 465,000 meals a month to hungry children, families, elders, and adults. PA volunteers help sort food and fill orders requested by one of 850 member feeding programs that do their shopping at the food bank.

Sabre Foundation:

The Sabre foundation works to build free institutions and examine the ideals that sustain them. Their largest project makes millions of dollars worth of books available to needy individuals in developing and transitional societies worldwide through nongovernmental partner organizations, libraries, schools and research organizations. Students work in the local warehouse in Lawrence to sort and crate package books for international shipping.

Cor Unum Meal Center:

Cor Unum is committed to the truth that no man, woman, or child should ever be hungry.  Cor Unum is dedicated to welcoming and serving all who are in need with the utmost dignity, love, and respect – with open hands, listening ears, and loving hearts. Each Sunday dorms, clubs, and teams have the opportunity to sign up to prepare and serve a meal at the Cor Unum Meal Center. This restaurant style meal kitchen has students serve as meal preps, hosts, servers, buss boys, and dish cleaners.  

Neighbors in Need:

Neighbors In Need a local grassroots food pantry has fed the poor and hungry of Greater Lawrence for nearly 25 years. They give food to those in need without judgment, respecting the dignity of each individual.  All food, formula, diapers, clothing and household items are provided free of charge to those who request them. Since 1983, They have distributed over 4.5 million pounds of food to hungry families in Greater Lawrence. Located within walking distance of the Academy student groups work in the warehouse sorting and organizing incoming materials for distribution to the Lawrence community.

Sports Clinics

Throughout the year, several varsity and junior varsity teams host young people from the Lawrence Boys’ and Girls’ Club and other after-school programs for clinics and home games. A sports clinic can be as short as two days (one for the home game and the other for the clinic) or as involved as five or six days (enabling a PA team to visit the young people in Lawrence or watch one of their games). Past clinics have included football with first- through eighth-graders, soccer with first- through fifth-graders, volleyball with sixth- through tenth-graders, and softball with sixth- through eighth-graders. The Community Service Program works in conjunction with one or two interested team members to coordinate such clinics.