It makes a difference for our kids to see people from the community come here and care.”

Glenn Hoffman, director of development, Boys Town New England

PORTSMOUTH — A group of Salve Regina University freshmen spent last Thursday afternoon giving back to the community by rolling up their sleeves at Boys Town New England’s Portsmouth campus.

Working side by side with Boys Town staff, the students cleared brush, painted, and tackled landscaping projects as part of the university’s annual fall service plunge. The effort not only refreshed the grounds but also strengthened ties between the young volunteers and the children who call Boys Town home.

“This is this year’s day of service,” said Glenn Hoffman, director of development at Boys Town New England. “They did this last year with us, and they have 28 kids from the freshman class coming out. We’ve formed a really good relationship.”

The Portsmouth campus is home to up to 30 children at a time, spread across five residential homes. While not all the homes are currently at capacity, Hoffman said the need remains constant — not just for safe housing, but also for the small joys of childhood.

Speaking to Salve students, he recalled one moment that has stuck with him: a boy living on campus who asked for a birthday cake for Christmas.

“We’re thinking, you know, a video game, whatever,” Hoffman said. “And he says, ‘I just want a birthday cake because I’ve never had a birthday cake in my own place.’ We got a really nice birthday cake, and he was like, ‘This is the best birthday I’ve ever had.’”

Salve students help clear out a garden near the Boys Town administration building.

Jim McGaw

“Our peace garden area has been overtaken by Mother Nature, and we would like to take it back,” Hoffman told them.

For the Salve volunteers, the work was part of a long tradition.

“We’ve been doing this for 14 years,” said senior Momo Lesperance, the university’s fall service plunge facilitator. “Students come move in early on campus, and they volunteer around the Rhode Island area.”

Both sides benefit

Boys Town was added to the list of service sites just last year, but the partnership has quickly become meaningful for both sides. Hoffman said the effort helps the organization complete much-needed projects, while giving Salve students a first-hand look at Boys Town’s mission.

By the end of the day, the once-overgrown garden beds and fresh coats of paint offered visible signs of progress — but the deeper impact, Hoffman said, was in the connections formed.

“It makes a difference for our kids to see people from the community come here and care,” he said.