What are some possible community service I can get into as a freshman?

Question

Okay I'm a freshman in High School. Right now I'm interested in getting into community service, have any ideas?

[I know of like tutoring and stuff, but anything else?]

Thankss :]

Answer 1

Are you a member of any organizations, like Boy Scouts that do different projects?

First consider what type of things you have time for, what you are good at, or what is something needing to be done in your community.

Check with your town hall, fire department, police department, church, school, parents, hospitals. They either know a lot of community projects that can put you to work.

One example, in our community we have a faith-based project every spring called Great Days of Service where many of the different churches and synogogues pool their resources and volunteers.  They find people whose houses need to be repaired, painted, bushes trimmed, trash removed, wheel chair ramps needed.  Usually there are several elderly and disabled people who aren't able to do the work themselves and can't afford to have someone else do it.  Large numbers of volunteers turn out for 2 or 3 weekends to make a difference. High school kids also help either with their parents or part of a youth group. There is a lot you can do.

Food banks and other social help centers, can always use help to stock the food coming in, separate it into certain lots, sort clothing for the poor, and other tasks.  Hospitals usually have a volunteer group that helps at the hospital. They may have tasks for your age group.

You might get a few other friends together and pick up trash along a stretch of highway or street that people throw out of their cars.  

Of course, the easiest thing to do first would be to do a yahoo search for community service or volunteer opportunities in your community.

I will guarantee you, that if you seek this out and get involved, you will meet some of the finest people and make some great friends.  You get a lot more out of it than you give.

Answer 2

You've read the theories -- now see what volunteering opportunities are actually out there for you:

VolunteerMatch, http://www.volunteermatch.org

Idealist, http://www.idealist.org

Change.org, http://www.change.org

CraigsList, http://www.craigslist.com

Network for Good, http://www.networkforgood.org

http://www.1-800-volunteer.org/

ServeNet, http://servenet.org/

Also, contact your local volunteer center; you can find this via the Points of Light Foundation web site,

http://www.pointsoflight.org/centers/

There's also this government sponsored site, http://volunteer.gov/gov/ which provides volunteer positions through USA federal land agencies like Fish & Wildlife, Forest Service, National Parks, etc.

If you want to be a volunteer to help with the consequences of a natural disaster, such as Hurricane Katrina, you need to register and prepare NOW. Here's a web site where you can register and start your preparation so that you can help the next time disaster strikes:

http://www.helpindisaster.org/

Answer 3

Community theatre (my dad owns one, and they constantly have community service people coming through).

When I was in highschool I had to earn community service hours, so I volunteered and coached a kids soccer team. It was great fun.

Answer 4

www.thepencilproject.com

Answer 5

Check with your church

Volunteer at the hospital or nursing home

Civil Air Patrol