Without the hard work of volunteers, the John M. Barry Boys & Girls club wouldn't be the great community resource it is today.  Although it costs just $125/year per family –regardless of the number of children the family has—it costs the club roughly $1,000 per child, according to Development Director John Ryan. Needless to say, the volunteer work of Lasell College students like Kristen Casey, Scott Janz and Robert Schneider are vital to the success of the program. Thanks to this handful of humanities majors, kids at the Newton community center get some extra help on their homework and …

'Tis the season for giving, and the Newton Highlands Congregational Church is certainly doing doing its share. But instead of handing out gifts, the church is providing a helping hand to those in need through good deeds and donations, according to Pastor Kenneth Bailey. "We have had a commitment to the local area since the beginning," said Bailey, minster at the Lincoln Street church, which started in 1872. The church--which has a year-round mission of helping the less fortunate in Greater Boston--hosted what Bailey called an "alternative gift market" earlier this month, which featured a …

Growing up in Newton, Bunny Aronson was never wanting for much. That upbringing, she says, is what brings her to help those who are far less fortunate that she is. Dozens of people at Temple Beth Avodah in south Newton join during the holiday season to help others, according to Aronson, co-chairman of the temple's Social Action Committee. That means doing everything from knitting clothing to donating new toys, from serving meals to the sick to raising $6,000 during the past month for a Boston group helping those with AIDS or HIV.  "I enjoy giving back to the community," said Aronson. "That's…