My daughter is 13 and wants to find a volunteering opportunity this summer. Is it too late for her to do this? Where should she start? – Doing Good
Answer: The first step for potential teen volunteers to take is to consider their interests as it can lead to a better experience. On the other hand, the child needs to remain flexible and be willing to try new things. A good online search site for places to volunteer is www.serve.gov. Here she can find out about volunteer opportunities in your community tailored to her interests. She’ll also be able to get information about organizations seeking volunteers.
There is no shortage of places in every fair-sized community for teens to volunteer. In contacting a possible organization, they should try to talk to the individual who is directing volunteer activities. Here is our list of places where teens may find volunteer activities: food banks, libraries, museums, aquariums, scouting organizations, hospitals, animal shelters, Sierra Club, nursing homes, retirement communities, parks and recreation departments, offices of politicians, summer camps, child-care centers and fairs.
One problem volunteers your daughter’s age may encounter is being too young to act as a volunteer for some organizations. If this seems to be true in your community, she and her friends should consider creating their own volunteer project tailored to their interests and the needs of the community. They might teach young children a skill (tennis, dance, acting), they could do yard work for the elderly, they could start a free babysitting service or they could do shopping for busy working moms.