Is your teen struggling to come up with community service ideas? With schools across the nation instituting mandatory (but still beneficial) community service hours, teens may see volunteering as a chore. Try to guide them away from that point of view. Play up the connection between volunteering and doing things they enjoy. Use this opportunity to turn your teen onto enjoyable volunteer work that appeals to their interests. It may not be as hard as you think.

Where to start?

Start the search looking for causes or volunteer opportunities that will give your teen a sense of accomplishment and direct contact with the people the service project is helping. Allow them to see the impact they can have on their neighbors’ lives.

Four steps to picking the right opportunity

Volunteer opportunities are nearly endless. This makes narrowing down your preferred options a daunting task. Follow these steps to help the most mutually beneficial community service ideas stand out:

  1. Do any community service ideas align with my hobbies?
  2. How can I use my skills to help others?
  3. Where is a major need in my community?
  4. Can I make the commitment this volunteer project requires?

Also, try to find mildly challenging opportunities that require problem solving; they tend to be more engaging.

17 community service ideas for teens

The following list will get your teen started with particularly rewarding and fun community service ideas.

1. Feed and take care of rescued and abandoned pets at an animal shelter.

 


2. Collect and distribute food at a food pantry to families needing assistance. Your local pantry can be found here or here.

3. Sort clothes or cashier at a St. Vincent de Paul, Salvation Army, or other thrift store that donates its proceeds.

4. Participate in church activities such as a Vacation Bible School or fundraisers.

5. Organize a blood drive at your school or community center/library. Someone needs blood every 2 seconds in the U.S. alone.

6. Participate in a charity run/walk. You can help register runners, distribute water and food, or set up the course.

7. Tutor either peers or younger students in a subject you are passionate and proficient in.

8. Coach a youth sports team. Youth clubs are always looking for assistants to work with their players.

9. Read and play games with senior citizens at an assisted living home. You might find you enjoy it more than they do.

10. You know that feeling of sitting down in a de-cluttered and newly clean room, admiring how nice it looks? Participate in, or organize, a trash cleanup day.

11. Volunteer for the Special Olympics. You can work with the athletes or as a day volunteer helping the competitions run smoothly.

12. Work for a state park or U.S. National Park near you. They have opportunities doing minor trail/park repairs and in customer service.

 

 

13. Socialize with hospital patients. For those patients without family to visit them, you could be a lifesaver.

14. Stock shelves and lead programs/events at your local library. Volunteers are increasingly vital to these important community resources.

15. Trick or Treat for UNICEF or Operation Gratitude on Halloween. Grab some friends, dress up, and collect money for children and veterans.

16. Cook or serve food with Meals on Wheels or a local soup kitchen. Nearly 90% of these facilities rely on volunteers.

17. Collect books and unused school materials at your school and donate them to The United Way or another charity.

 

 

It can be a lot easier and less intimidating to participate in some of these projects with friends. Once you feel more comfortable, branch out on your own and do things that fit in line with your personal interests.

Rawhide programs built on the community service model

Community service is one of the most important things Rawhide provides students. Our About Face Corps is a community service based program designed not only to teach our students core ethical values, but to instill in them a desire to help their neighbors. Past projects include:

Construction projects with Habitat for Humanity | Course construction for the Warrior Princess Mud Run | Installing archery targets at a local shooting range

Help us lift up our young men by donating to our About Face program. With your help we can help give our guys a lifetime of success and a commitment to strengthening our communities. It takes a village to raise a man; we cannot do this without you.