Ways You and Your Teen Can Volunteer

The new year is a time for resolutions and changes. It’s never too early (or too late) to get involved in your community and teach your teen the importance of community service and ways that volunteering can help others and can also be a very fulfilling experience. There are many benefits to volunteering and serving others such as trying something new that might interest your child, gain a more selfless perspective on life, and an opportunity to be engaged in something positive and spend quality time with you.

Here are some ideas you and your teenager can do together to help your community

Cook a meal: Find a homeless shelter or a Ronald McDonald House where you can cook a meal at.

Care Packages: Care packages are so handy and it is something you can make in your own home for the homeless in your area, for parents of babies in the NICU, or for deployed military men and women.

Build a Home: If your teen likes to be physically active she can help build a home for a family in need through Habitat for Humanity with no prior experience needed. Not only will she be helping out she will also learn some building skills! Many cities also have re-stores run by Habitat for Humanity where they sell new or gently used building supplies, and often need volunteers to help organize the stores.

Tutor: If your teen is good at reading or math he can help tutor a younger child after school. Many schools have tutoring programs for kids who need extra help with their homework, also public schools often organize services for homework help and often need volunteers. Look for a Reading if Fundamental organization near you.

Public Library: Public libraries often have programs to help children with homework help or senior citizens with computer help and are eager for new volunteers. If your child is more on the introvert side and would rather not have one on one time with a stranger then reshelving books or helping with administrative tasks might be a better idea.

Senior Citizen Center: If there is a senior citizen center close by there are probably a few ways you can get involved, one is cooking a meal or helping pass out meals, another is spending time with the residents.