20 Ways for Teenagers to Help Other People by
Volunteering
Have you ever thought about volunteering your time to a local charity or
community organization? There are many different reasons for you to start
volunteering:
To help others
To learn about an activity or organization that interests you
To beat boredom (if you find yourself sitting around the house feeling totally
bored, volunteering in an activity you enjoy can be a great way to change
things)
To overcome a loss you have experienced (one of the best ways to help yourself
in a time of loss is to help others)
To gain perspective on life (there is no better way to understand your
blessings than to help people in need)
Your reasons for volunteering are as individual as you are, but no matter what
your reasons you can get a lot out of volunteering. You can learn about
yourself, learn about others and meet a lot of interesting people by
volunteering. You can help others as you help yourself.
For more information on volunteering in general and the advantages of
volunteering, see this site.
One of the hardest parts of volunteering can be finding a volunteering
opportunity that fits your personality. The following list will give you lots
of different ideas and will show you many different possibilities. Look in your
local area until you find a volunteer position that works for you.
——————————————————————————–
Homeless Shelters
If you live in a city of any size, then there is at least one homeless shelter
that helps homeless people with meals, beds and other services. Most homeless
shelters welcome volunteers and have a variety of programs through which you
can get involved. You might help prepare or distribute meals, work behind the
scenes in the business office, help organize a food drive to stock the pantry,
etc. You can learn more about the problem of homelessness and ways you can help
by looking at this site. Look in the phone book for a local homeless shelter if
you are interested.
Food Banks
Food banks often work with homeless shelters, but they also serve poor people
living in the community (especially around the holidays). Food banks collect
food, manage their inventory and distribute food to those in need. The
following link shows you the different volunteer opportunities available at
food banks around the country:
Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana
Any food bank will offer similar opportunities in your area. Look in the phone
book for a local food bank if you are interested.
The Guideposts Sweater Project
If you would like something to do in your spare time at home, one innovative
way to volunteer is to get involved in The Guideposts Sweater Project,
sponsored by Guideposts magazine. People around the country knit sweaters that
are then sent to needy children around the world. This article gives you a description
of the project and a pattern for the sweaters. Don’t know how to knit? Not a
problem, because the article also links to sites that teach you how!
Ronald McDonald House
There are Ronald McDonald Houses around the country – almost every major city
has one. The idea behind all Ronald McDonald Houses is very important. When a
child is seriously ill, the child is frequently treated for long periods of
time at a hospital or university medical center. Many families have to travel
long distances to get to the hospital, and “where to stay” becomes a
problem. Staying at a hotel becomes extremely expensive, and a hotel can be a
lonely and sterile place. Ronald McDonald Houses provide a low-cost
“home-away-from-home” for parents and children to stay during treatment.
Volunteers help prepare meals, talk to families, take care of the house and so
on. The programs offered at the Dallas Ronald McDonald House are typical, and
you can read about volunteer opportunities there. Then call the Ronald McDonald
House in your area to find out more.
Special Olympics
As described on the web site for Special Olympics International, “Special
Olympics is an international program of year-round sports training and athletic
competition for children and adults with mental retardation.” The site
also describes a wide variety of volunteer activities, including sports
training, fund raising, administrative help, competition planning and staffing,
etc. Look in the phone book for a local office or search the Special Olympics
Web Site for more information.
Habitat for Humanities
Habitat for Humanities builds and gives houses to poor people in local
communities. Volunteers not only help others, but can learn a great deal about
building houses by getting involved. See the Habitat for Humanities web site
for more information. Call the national office or your local office for
information about volunteer programs in your area.
State Parks
Many state parks offer volunteer programs, and in these programs you can try
anything from educational programs to trail construction and maintenance. This
site for the North Carolina State Park system shows some of the possibilities
available. Contact a state park near you and see what options are available if
you are interested.
City Programs
Most large cities offer a wide range of volunteer opportunities. Look in the
phone book and call around to see what might be available where you live. [Do
not be discouraged if your first few calls seem to hit a brick wall. Many city
governments are large and fairly disorganized. Keep calling around until you
find someone who understands what you are talking about and who is willing to
help.]
Helping Others Learn to Read
When you think about it, reading is one of the most important skills an adult
can have. Many adults, however, have never learned how to read. Literacy
volunteers act as tutors who help illiterate children and adults learn this
important skill. There is probably a literacy program in your area. See also
Reading Is Fundamental (RIF).
Hospitals
Many hospitals have volunteer programs to help patients both inside and outside
the hospital. This page for the Summit Medical Center is typical. The
volunteers programs allow participants to explore medical careers and gain work
experience. Contact local hospitals to learn more about opportunities in your
area.
Libraries
Many libraries need help reshelving books, running children’s programs, making
books available to the community, and so on. This program specifically for
teens at Phoenix Public Libraries trains teen volunteers to assist library
staff and the public during the Summer Reading Program. Contact a local library
for volunteer opportunities in your area.
Senior Citizens Centers
Many senior citizen centers offer volunteer programs to provide friendship and
community activities to senior citizens. If you would like working with senior
citizens, call a senior citizen center in your neighborhood and see what kinds
of volunteer programs they have available.
Animal Shelters
Many animal shelters are non-profit or government organizations, and therefore
they welcome volunteers to help take care of animals, keep facilities clean and
work with the public. Call a local animal shelter for more information.
United Way
The United Way is a nationwide umbrella organization for thousands of
charitable organizations. The United Way raises billions of dollars and
distributes it to these charities. There are local United way affiliates across
the country and they need volunteers. Contact your local affiliate for more
information.
Red Cross
The American Red Cross helps people in emergencies – whether it’s half a
million disaster victims or one sick child who needs blood. Volunteer
opportunities exist across the country. Contact your local Red Cross for more
information.
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army provides social services, rehabilitation centers, disaster
services, worship opportunities, character building activities for all ages and
character building groups and activities for all ages. Volunteer opportunities
exist across the country.
Environmental Organizations
The Sierra Club (and numerous other environmental groups) encourages volunteer
support to help with environmental activities. You can help in many ways: by
helping lobby on conservation issues, by leading hikes and other activities, or
by lending a hand at the Chapter Office. Contact the local office of an
environmental organization near you. See also the Earth Day site.
Political Campaigns
If it’s an election year, there are thousands of opportunities to volunteer in
political campaigns around the country. You can learn more than you imagine by
helping a candidate win election. This article talks about some of the options.
Pick a candidate whose ideas you believe in (either on the local, state or national
level) and volunteer to be a part of his or her campaign.
800 Number Volunteer
Many 800 help-lines rely on volunteers to staff the phones and handle other
tasks. If there is an 800 phone bank in your area, you may be able to volunteer
to help out.
Web site creation
Many small charities and organizations do not yet have web sites. You can help
by learning how to create a web site and volunteering your services. You could
also raise money to pay for the web site, or seek help from a local company in
the form of a donation. When creating a web site for a charity, you will want
to take care to listen very carefully to the people who work for the charity to
understand exactly what they want their web site to look and feel like. This
will be extremely important to them, and you should be willing to change and
improve the site to match their mental image. See this page for information on
creating web sites.