PBHA Open House Draws 400

Balloons, music, candy and warmth lured more than 400 students out of the cold and into the Phillips Brooks House Association (PBHA) open house yesterday afternoon.

The main draw, however, was the opportunity to volunteer for PBHA's more than 70 social service and social action programs serving Boston and Cambridge.

"It's really exciting that people came out in the cold, rain and snow with lots of energy and really were eager to get involved in PBHA programs," said Lisa A. Tomlinson '99, president of PBHA.

Tomlinson said the semi-annual open houses provide "a new burst of energy to serve communities [each semester]."

"This fair is our lifeblood," said Christine M. Hernandez '00, the events coordinator for PBHA.

"We're helping the programs do what they do best," she said. "This event is a major source of volunteers."

PBHA is both a student-run volunteer organization and the largest public service group at Harvard, involving more than 1700 student volunteers.

Programs represented at yesterday's fair included adult education classes, afterschool tutoring and the only student-run homeless shelter in the country.

According to Tomlinson, these programs allow undergraduates to "make a real difference in the lives of individuals and communities we serve."

A survey conducted by the Admissions Office showed that 19 percent of incoming first-years intend to get involved in community service, said Judith H. Kidd, assistant dean for public service.

Surprisingly, by the time students graduate, even more have taken advantage of this opportunity.

Upon leaving Harvard, "the senior exit surveys conducted in the Houses show that two-thirds of all students have participated in public service," said Kidd.

"PBHA programs in some way touch over 10,000 people in Boston and Cambridge," Tomlinson said.

Students flocked to the PBHA fair with a strong motivation to become involved in community service.

"I really admire the way PBHA puts forth such an effort to unite the campus in community service," George W. Hicks '00-'99 said.

"Everyone here has their differences, but pretty much everyone can agree that helping out others in the Boston area is something we should be doing," Hicks said. "I'm glad PBHA exists to facilitate that."

According to the co-chair of the Environmental Action Committee, Larissa T. Jester '99, "PBHA provides a unique opportunity to reach beyond the Harvard campus into a community that really needs us."

"It's a great way to get out of our insular environment," said Natalie Guerrier '01, a volunteer with the Mission Hill Afterschool Tutoring program.

PBHA not only allows students to reach out to the surrounding communities, but also also the organization encourages them to explore a variety of interests and even career options.

"I love the fact that there's such a diversity of programs because it allows me to get experience in the environmental action field while checking out other service and career opportunities" Jester said.

Guerrier added that her work through PBHA "has been one of the best experiences I've had here."

Next Thursday, PBHA will hold an open house for their summer programs, including II low-cost day camps for children in Boston and Cambridge.