Do Good

BC Cares Volunteer

BC Cares started as a group of Chicagoland Boston College alumni and friends who volunteer together, founded by Sara McCarthy and Saya in 2001. (If you need a realtor, Sara is the Mac & Cheese Chicago realtor of choice!)

The Chicago branch continues to thrive and grow, and with Saya’s move to Winston Salem, a Winston branch has sprouted. Both are actively looking for more volunteers; you don’t have to be a BC alum to participate.

BC Cares Chicago

• Boots For Babes outfits McCutcheon Elementary students, many of whom are unhoused, with winter attire. The drive is part of a holiday party, featuring photos with Santa, arts & crafts, games, and pizza. Volunteers needed to set up and to help run activities like “shopping” and face painting. Takes place on a December Saturday.
• The Day of Service is a day of giving back by BC alumni across the country. Chicago projects have ranged from cleaning a shelter for homeless families to playing bingo with low-income elderly neighbors. Takes place on an April Saturday.
• Variety of other volunteer opportunities throughout the year…

BC Cares Winston Salem

• Hot Mess Express volunteers organize and clean the homes of women in need
• Our Lady of Salem Women’s Shelter volunteers cook, serve, set up, and check in guests at a woman’s shelter

Education Benefactors

Trigger warning: sexual assualt

Since 2008, a group of Cheese-Its has sponsored the education of Patience, a young man whom Saya met in Rwanda in 2007 during a videography work trip. While traveling the country, Saya met the family of her host, Sister Anna.

When Sister Anna’s siblings were killed in the Genocide, she became mother to their children, one of whom is Benita. Benita welcomed Saya with hugs, orange Fanta, a tour of her bright green house, and introductions to her two children. Benita became pregnant with Patience when she was raped at age 17. She lived with Patience’s father for three abusive years and left when she became pregnant with Benigne. The father has not been in the picture since. Because of the trauma of the Genocide and rape, Benita was unable to finish high school and suffers from deep depression, making it difficult for her to work and provide for her children.

When Saya met Patience, he was 9. Though they couldn’t communicate verbally—at that point, his English was limited to “Jesus loves me” and her Kinyarwandan to “Muraho” (hello)—they connected through her teaching him how to use her camera. He captured her heart by sitting as close to her as he could and gingerly holding her Canon in his hands for the entire afternoon.

When Sister Anna approached Saya a year later about sponsoring his education, she wanted to say yes . . . but she didn’t have the $400. Instead, she banked on what she did have: a very generous network. She asked for $10 donations toward Patience’s schooling, promising only to collect if they reached their goal, and raised the funds quickly. Ever since, a group of Cheese-Its has sponsored Patience with annual donations that range from $5 to $1200.

As they’ve been able to raise more and more each year, starting in 2015, they began to sponsor both Patience and his sister Benigne, and in 2023, their cousin Christelle.

Benefactor Financial History

• 2025, 19 people, $710 — graduation gift for Benigne
• 2025, 27 people, $1069 — $619 goal; the balance from what wasn’t raised in 2024 for Christelle’s college tuition, housing, and supplies. Surplus funds will be rolled over for Benigne.
• 2024, 31 people, $2081 — $2700 goal; Benigne college tuition, housing, and supplies and Christelle college tuition, housing, and supplies
• 2023, 1 person, $1200 — $1200 goal; Christelle (their cousin) college tuition, housing, and supplies
• 2023, 42 people, $1350.50 — $1200 goal; Benigne college tuition, housing, and supplies (Biomedical & Equipment Engineering program). Surplus funds to be used for fun things and rolled over to next round.
• 2023, 43 people, $1156 — surprise graduation + small business owner gift for Patience
• 2022, 25 people, $1998 — $1200 goal; Benigne college tuition, housing, and supplies (Biomedical & Equipment Engineering program). Surplus funds to be used for Christmas gifts for the family and rollover to next round.
• 2022, 32 people, $1200 — Benigne college tuition, housing, and supplies (Biomedical & Equipment Engineering program); video of her on campus
• 2021, 37 people, $1549 — $1200 goal; Patience college tuition and supplies (Water & Sanitation program. Benigne TBD; dependent on test scores). Surplus funds to be used for Benigne.
• 2020 — due to the pandemic, schooling put on hold
• 2019, 41 people, $1500 — Patience college tuition and supplies (Benigne covered via scholarship)
• 2018 — Benigne was covered via scholarship and Patience took a mandatory year off before college
• 2017, 31 people, $750 — Patience sponsored (Benigne received a local scholarship)
• 2016, 55 people, $1200 — both kids sponsored
• 2015, 35 people, $1350 — both kids sponsored
• 2014, 29 people, $825 — $600 goal; first year sponsoring Patience and Benigne. Sent surplus money for Christmas gifts for the family.
• 2013, 31 people, $1200 — $600 goal; $600 went towards this year’s education, $100 went to gifts for the family, and $500 went to 2014’s education
  
• 2012, 29 people, $600
• 2011, 31 people, $750
• 2010, 21 people, $400
• 2009, 19 people, $400
• 2008, 30 people, $400