Volunteering as a teenager can serve many purposes. It can help add to your college applications, help develop certain skills, and it can also give you that heart warming feeling at the end of your shift when you feel like you’ve really helped someone out. Volunteering is something that everyone should do once in awhile but what’s great about young adults helping out is they’re reaching out to a certain aspect of a community that may not have many teen helpers. There are many great places for a teen to spend their time and you don’t have to look far.
Your Local Community
Your local community is going to be your central resource. I had many volunteer positions as a teenager and all of them were within just a few miles of my home which made it convienent for not only myself but mom and dad as well. You want to make sure you’re choosing a place that is safe and well known to the neighborhood. Make sure parents know all the facts and are able to meet with the leader or other members of the administration to give that extra padding of comfort and security.
Ask Yourself What You Want
What do you ultimately want out of this? What types of skills are you looking to posess or are you simply just trying to fill in some hours of volunteer time for school? Think about what interests you. If you’re interested in animals check out your local Humane Society. If it’s the elderly you’d like to spend time call a local senior citizen home or even a hospital. When I volunteered at a hospital I was able to work on the maternity ward. Such a great experience working with newborns! If it’s building/labor you have a knack for give a call to your local Habitat for Humanity. There are so many opportunities out there and many businesses love having volunteers lending a hand.
Outcome
Whatever reason you decide to volunteer or regardless of how long you do it there are always benefits. Many volunteer jobs can lead to employment offers, some result in school credit, and others always look good on a resume. If you’re young and haven’t had much experience in paid employment volunteering is a great way to build up your experience and network with people to learn of other offers and to also create valuable references.
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