Volunteer opportunities for young teens?

[bisous]

DS1 legitimately enjoys volunteer opportunities when they arise. He spent an entire week helping out at Cub Scout Day Camp for example and he loved it. I'd love to get him involved in some meaningful volunteer work. I think he actually needs it for his development.

Anybody got any great ideas for a young teen?

TIA!

[lil_acorn]

Where do you live? I'd suggest a food bank or https://www.cradlestocrayons.org/ has some local options.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Habitat for Humanity.


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[o_mom]

Our library and food bank both have opportunities for 12 yr olds/7th graders.

[speo]

I don't know Cub Scouts well, but can he continue on as a permanent mentor with a troop? Also, up in my area, the churches rotate providing dinners every night to homeless and in the colder months have a shelter. I have done that with DS1 and we found helping there rewarding.

DS1 is helping my DH coach DS2's soccer team. He will also be a ref for the first time this year. He is so excited!

[anonomom]

Check with your town and see if they have any organized programs for kids who want to volunteer. One of the towns near us has a "teen council" that provides volunteer help throughout the community. They help with events at schools, in neighborhoods, and on town projects. It's a great program.

[niccig]

DS wants to be a counselor in training at camp, but has to wait until he's going into 9th grade. He does the trash cans for 2 houses with elderly neighbors. They call him when the groceries are too heavy and he helps unpack their cars. I'd like some regular volunteer work. The after school director at his elementary said she'll have him as a volunteer when he needs it during middle and high school. He has to walk past the elementary school to get home.


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[gatorsmom]

What about through your church? Our church is always looking for volunteers to help with yard work or fundraising, etc. my boys serve as alterboys at 2 different churches in the area. They are on a calendar and are responsible for knowing what weekend is theirs, helping the younger boys understand their jobs, etc. They are often requested for weddings and funerals. It's really become a point of pride for them. Does your church have something like that?

Otherwise, a very kind thing to do is make acquaintances with some elderly people at the nearest nursing home and visit them regularly. Bring your oldest kids a few times and show them what to do. The elderly are so often forgotten and overlooked.

[squimp]

Helping with youth sports? My DD volunteers for one of the sports programs with Boys and Girls Club, she loves her sport and they let her volunteer with the K-2 kids. This was about 6 hours per week all spring. She also volunteered nearly a full week for Special Olympics this summer.

Youth Volunteer Corps? Our local Parks and Rec department through the city has a thing called "Youth Volunteer Corps" - DD did this for the past 2 summers. They work in groups of 12 and take kids to local food banks, community gardens, preschool programs, senior centers, Humane society and other community organizations. She has gotten a lot out of it, and will continue working with them during the school year. Next summer she can work at Parks and Rec camp.

Great that your kiddo wants to do this. I cannot say enough good things about how DD has benefited from volunteering. She has learned a lot about less fortunate folks in our community and this has really been eye-opening. Also, our school has some kind of program where they keep track of volunteer hours and kids receive recognition. Not that this is the sole or main reason for doing it, but it does create another reason.

[specialp]

Check with your town and see if they have any organized programs for kids who want to volunteer. One of the towns near us has a "teen council" that provides volunteer help throughout the community. They help with events at schools, in neighborhoods, and on town projects. It's a great program.

We have something similar where they have lists of wants/requirements. Most of the organizations I know like humane society, nursing homes, food pantry, and I think even the libraries require they have an adult with them if they are under 16 but food pantry is particularly easy to do as a family affair. A couple of the museums and zoo have volunteer opportunities for 14 and up, but they fill up quick. I know several churches here organize among themselves to serve at shelters and visit a nursing home Saturdays on a rotating basis and have a friend very involved with that.

[KrisM]

Is there an after school club or something that he has aged out of that he could help with? DS1 helps at the coding club at the elementary weekly during the school year. He helps kids set up accounts, log in, work on code.org, etc.

During the summers, he has been a Counselor in Training for Camp Invention. It's just a week, and it costs, so not volunteer. But in high school it's volunteer.

He does volunteering with his robotics team too and they help at school fairs (running games), school clean ups, spring clean up in the community, etc.

[KpbS]

Is he in Scouts himself? If so, he can be a den chief for the Cub Scouts! It's actually required to advance in rank so that's a bonus. :). Good den Chiefs are a great help to the parent leadership and they get to participate in some fun activities as well. :)

[Globetrotter]

Scouting has tons of possibilities.

What are his interests? I would start there. If he has gone to a camp, apply to be a junior counselor. Ds has done that for the camps he attended in elementary school.
Our local state park allows middle schoolers to volunteer, and a local organic community garden welcomes young volunteers.
Look on volunteermatch.

[solsister]

Food pantry or Bread and Broth (not sure what its called in other places, but they feed the homeless from a church). My daughter does food pantry twice a month. They fill backpacks on thursday for kids to take home with them for the weekend. It's got 3 dinners, 2 breakfasts, and 2 lunches. She does the Bread and Broth on holidays with us. We prepare and serve food from the church kitchen.

[cuca_]

Our local humane society has a reading program for kids. Volunteers read books to dogs, as it helps the rescues with socialization. Kids have to attend a training for a couple of hours, and after that the schedule is pretty flexible.

ETA: Just saw this site on our school website: Volunteennation.com . You can do a search for volunteer opportunities.

[daisyd]

Child care centers have volunteer opportunities.

And I second Lisa's idea of helping out seniors. They really appreciate interacting with kids.

[bisous]

There are so many ideas here! I think I want to spend some time trying them out and seeing what fits him the best. He definitely has volunteer opportunities through our church and through scouts but I think he needs to have a focus that really fits his skill set and his personality. He's an interesting kid. He's super smart and actually does fairly well in school (its touch and go) but hasn't been so successful in developing talents like we did as kids growing up and as I'm helping my other children develop. He's got ADHD that impairs him pretty significantly and some fine and gross motor skills issues that make sports and musical instruments really challenging. But he has the biggest and best heart of any kid I know. I think that's his talent. I want to help him find meaning and purpose and help show him that he can do good and important things for other people. His body and personality are changing as he's growing older and maturing. He needs to reach outside of his family and I think this might be the way.

Thank you for your ideas. I seriously want to try all of them!