Many years ago, before I got married and had children and was an eager twenty-something working in the Back Bay, I re-discovered my love of volunteering and found People Making A Difference. No pressure, no monthly commitment, just an incredible army of like-minded people who wanted to make a difference in their communities and enjoy thoughtful, well-organized, impactful volunteerism. A few years later, I found myself on the board of a large event on the Boston Common and engaged PMD to make our event even more hospitable, engaging and well-run... and they brought so much to the party, they were invited back year after year as a reliable resource for this nonprofit public health event. Nearly 25 years later, I'm proud to be back in the fold as the organization celebrates a milestone anniversary, and am just as impressed with PMD as I was so many years ago. Few nonprofits stay as focused and true to their mission as People Making A Difference - an unsung hero in Massachusetts, for sure. Happy anniversary PMD!

I've enjoyed every single project that I've participated in with PMD! It's a great way to make an impact on my local community and to get to know other civic-minded people in the area.

People Making a Difference has been a great resource for me over the years to stay informed and involved in my community.

PMD gets volunteers into the small projects that need help but are unable to attract attention. Projects only take a portion of a day and fill a broad spectrum of needs (elder community engagement, STEM education assistance, greenspace conservancy, etc.). PMD allows your volunteerism to fit your schedule.

I have had the pleasure volunteering with PMD both this year and last year. They are tremendously well organized and credit to the community.

Thank you for making my community better!

PMD is a wonderful organization that allows you to volunteer when you want for the projects that interest you and that fit your schedule. There is no weekly/monthly commitment that other organizations require. It lets you select the projects that suit your schedule. There are familiar faces and new faces both. It is well organized and committed to helping people. Highly recommended!!

A great non-profit with hands-on projects and a fun, interactive community.

PMD always have meaningful projects that really help organizations. As a volunteer I never felt my time was being wasted because the projects are so well organized and the purpose of the project and why we are there is really well explained. A PMD project is always a great experience.

PMD is an amazing opportunity for people of all backgrounds to find interesting and impactful opportunities to volunteer! There's a wide variety for people to try out and additionally, it's great that there are different ones you can try every weekend - so that you can commit to a few when it works in your schedule. Often times volunteering requires a long commitment and can be prohibitive to busy families or individuals, but this allows you to volunteer as often as you want without being worries of not being allowed to volunteer again!

I appreciate PMD especially for advertising a wide variety of service opportunities in the area. There are projects for every type of volunteer and a range of time commitments. It gives everyone a chance to contribute however they want.

I have volunteered with this group for over 15 years now. Each project is very well organized so volunteers will be fulfilled and satisfied that their work was needed, and that the project lasted just long enough to keep it enjoyable rather than overtiring. I love the opportunity to do self-contained projects for a variety of charities and events. I've painted route signs for walkathons, run activities and face-painted for family fun days, given out books at literacy fairs, staffed science competitions between HS teams, sorted seeds for free gardens, planted flowers at the zoo, and much more!

I have volunteered with PMD for many years and the projects are always very organized. Once you get to the project site, the plan for the day is explained and everyone is given clear instructions so a lot gets done over the course of the day. One of the things I love about volunteering with PMD is that often I get to interact with the community I am serving and learn more about them. Being able to see how the project impacts people is a priceless experience that is often missing from other community service opportunities.

People making a difference is a grass roots organization providing volunteers and organizations with a positive experience.

For many years, People Making A Difference has provided motivated, energetic volunteers for our volunteer work days at Spy Pond Park. They willingly do whatever is needed including enhancing the view of visitors by trimming hedges bordering the pond, cutting back invasive plants that crowd out flowers and bushes in our planting beds and planting new ferns, bushes and plants. In addition to this important work, we always welcome their enthusiasm, camaraderie and work ethic along with the expertise and careful organization of their leader, Lori Tsuruda. Lally Stowell, Volunteer Coordinator, Friends of Spy Pond Park

People Making a Difference seems like a simple kind of nonprofit--small good-works for many many community projects, but they are cumulative, and this nonprofit has earned its stars for many years, run by the incredibly smart, incredibly dedicated and professional Lori Tsuruda. The work PMD does really does make a great difference. And without that work, the agencies it helps would survive, but not anywhere near as well. This nonprofit deserves more than 5 starts. Bravo to PMD.

PMD's projects are always well-planned and well-executed. It fills a vital role in connecting volunteers with organizations who might not have the resources to run volunteer recruitment . Great for people looking to explore the city more while giving back to their community.

Volunteering with PMD is always a positive experience. Well organized, we are always presented the bigger picture of what we are contributing to, and the difference we are actually making. The events range a wide variation of opportunities from helping to bind braille children's picture books to sorting seeds for community gardens to preparing and packaging food to delivered to people homebound by illness to constructing chemistry and DNA kits from Legos to be used in classrooms. Always interesting, fun and rewarding - I always check the calendar for future events.

I've received the President's Volunteer Service Award several years running - PMD was key in getting me volunteering as a life choice. And I'm thankful.

PMD is a local, grass roots non-profit that works in and around greater Boston, MA. This organization is perfect for individuals or groups seeking to lend a helping hand on one-time volunteer projects. Service projects range from traditional volunteering at a shelter or park, to helping run the annual Blue Lobster Bowl (as part of the MIT Sea Grant program)!

Volunteering for PMD I know that they have vetted the non profit I'll help so I can get in there and really make a contribution and not waste my time. Host agencies are prepared for the number of people coming, provide a substantial project to work on with plenty of tools and leaders that stay with you and tell you how what you'll do with them matters to their agency and who some of the people are that will benefit. It's about task and relationship. They also provide opportunities to get to know the other volunteers while the project runs which is great if you're new to the area or you want to expand your network. I like that the projects are one time events at different agencies so there's lots of variety in tasks, locations, times and dates. They also use evaluation sheets at the end of each project to get immediate feedback on the volunteer's experience. I can't ask for more!

Terrific organization - adds real value to both volunteers and to the organizations it help. Adds may hours of valuable work and does it on a shoestring. A "best-in-class" operation.