😎 Get in losers ... we’re going volunteering

🥳 It’s also Swiftmas, a.k.a. Taylor Swift’s b-day. While some Massholes take the holiday very seriously (see: Swiftmas trees, advent calendars that count down to Dec. 13, etc.), you can also celebrate by watching “The Eras Tour” concert film, which is available on Prime video today.

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first...

There’s never a wrong time to volunteer. But with the generous spirit of the holiday season in full swing, now isn’t a bad time to start. So whether you’ve got extra time, money, food, or clothing to spare, here’s how to give back around Boston:

⏰ If you’ve got time on your hands … Community Servings in JP is making scratch-made meals for local patients with chronic illnesses and they’re on the hunt for kitchen and meal delivery volunteers; Roxbury-based writing and tutoring org, 826 Boston, is looking for volunteers to help students with everything from college essays to creative writing; or you can spend an afternoon in The Giving Factory Warehouse at Cradles to Crayons, where you’ll inspect, sort, and package clothing for local children. 

👕 If you’ve got clothing to donate … Haley House in the Back Bay shared a list of their most-needed items for the winter season (men’s clothing is preferred!); St. Francis House is accepting both everyday and business casual clothing for men and women; and you can drop off clothing, accessories, shoes, and more at one of Second Chances Clothing’s donation locations around the city (double check what your can and can’t donate here).

🥫 If you’ve got extra food to share … The Boston Public Library’s spice bank is still up and running so you can drop off unopened spices and dried herbs to your BPL branch to be shared with local families; Chelsea’s La Colaborativa is currently accepting food, diapers, new clothing, and PPE equipment for community members in need (see the full list of most needed items here); and there’s Eater’s list of community fridges around the city where you can donate produce, pantry items, packaged foods, and more.

🐶 If you’re an animal lover … The Boston MSPCA animal shelter has a list of open volunteer positions, covering roles from cat caregivers to data entry; Last Hope K-9 Rescue, a volunteer-run org saving abandoned and abused dogs from high-kill shelters, is always searching for help with dog transportation and adoption events; and if you’re still holiday shopping, check out the NEADS World Class Service Dogs holiday gift shop — the proceeds support local service dog programs.

💳 If you don’t have time but you do have money … Stop & Shop is matching donations to the Greater Boston Food Bank up to the first $350,000, meaning your $35 donation will provide a holiday meal for two families. Plus, you can donate $25 gift cards to Rosie’s Place’s gift cards registry or to the Pine Street Inn to support those experiencing homelessness in Boston. 

👀 Want more? Here’s a list of local non-profits you can support.

(Bonus: Write in a specific Q and we may answer it in an upcoming newsletter!)

❄️⛸️ Looking to get into the holiday season? Step 1: Head over to The Fenway and shop for the perfect holiday tree. Step 2: Glide solo, with your crew, or a date around The Rink 401 Park while “All I Want for Christmas” fills the air. Step 3: After you’ve ditched the skates, score same-day discounts at Our Fathers, MiniLuxe, and more just by flashing your Rink ticket. By heading to The Fenway this winter, your life’s about to become a real-life Hallmark movie.

🏫 Harvard’s president is here to stay. Claudine Gay appears to be sticking around despite coming under public fire for her testimony at a congressional hearing discussing antisemitism on campus (for context: UPenn’s president resigned following her testimony on the subject last week). Gay has since apologized, and Harvard’s top oversight board issued a statement of unanimous support for her Tuesday, explaining that they believe she’s still the best person for the job. They also pushed back against recent allegations of plagiarism in Gay’s academic writings. 

💼 Two New England companies are making major layoffs. State Street Corp., a Boston-based financial services company with a large presence in the city, just announced it will cut about 1,500 jobs before the end of the year. Of the company’s 42,000 employees, about 19% are based in Mass., but it’s unclear how the layoffs will affect them specifically. Plus: Rhode Island-based toy company Hasbro also announced layoffs for about 20% of their workforce due, in part, to slowing toy sales post-pandemic.

😢 Yes, and … goodbye. ImprovBoston, a Cambridge comedy theater that offers classes and performances, and works with local schools and nonprofits, has announced they will close after 40 years in business by Dec. 31. The closure is largely because of factors set in motion by the pandemic, like losing their larger theater space, smaller audience sizes, and less funding, despite several community efforts to keep them afloat. It’s a sad day for Boston arts, indeed. You can read their (touching) statement here.

🏆 Boston’s best restaurants have been crowned. Eater Boston’s 2023 award winners have been announced, and we are actually drooling (seriously: Look at the pictures). Each year, the site crowns winners in a categories like “Best New Restaurant,” which was awarded to modern Hong Kong-style cafè Rubato in Quincy this year; “Best Night Out,” given to modern day Seaport supper-club Grace by Nia; and “Best New Pop-Up,” won by Southern Pines Diner Car, a sandwich spot in Somerville. And that’s not all! See the whole list of winners here.

Enter our 12 Days of B-Side Giveaway (worth $1,000!+). Over the next 12 days, we’ll be giving away items from some of Boston's favorite brands (Rev’d Cycling, Big Night Entertainment, New England Inns and Resorts and more!). One entry will give you eligibility to all prizes, so the earlier you enter, the more prizes you can win. Refer a friend before 12/21 to be eligible. If you have already referred a friend to B-Side (and they’ve accepted), you're already enrolled! Full details below*

The Globe’s Bostonian of the year is … you! Well, sorta. The Globe named MBTA riders as their “Bostonians of the year,” who snagged the honor over a computer scientist working on racial bias in AI, a beloved Bruins captain and philanthropist, and a doctor who has spent his career caring for Boston’s homeless population. 

Why? Well, as bad as our transit system is in Boston, through shutdowns, slow zones, and even at the risk of injury, Bostonians kept riding the T, and in so doing, proved that hope is possible for the betterment of the MBTA — and that it’s seriously infuriating. And that, the Globe says, truly makes us heroes. 

So, although this honor won’t give us back the hours and hours we’ve lost sitting on the Red Line, it does feel nice to be noticed. Congratulations, everyone. We did it. 

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🏆 Thanks for reading! I just want to say … this is a huge honor. I’d like to thank my mother, Phillip Eng, and the Green Line, which is always there for — wait, sorry, not the Green Line. I meant shuttle bus.

📅 The results are in: A whopping 57% of B-Side readers in our poll don’t make New Year's resolutions at all! One very wise reader said: “Personal growth is a year-round thing.”

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