"The question is not whether what I do is enough, but whether I do anything at all."
---15 year-old volunteer, Youth Service, Independent Sector
ALL COMMUNITY SERVICE MUST BE DOCUMENTED IN
Students will log all service which will include the name, phone number and email address of the supervising adult from the organization where the services were performed. Once the service is verfied by that person, it will be processed for approval at school. Community service cannot be approved until it has been verified.
Why volunteer?
Any of the following reasons are ones you might consider in deciding whether to volunteer and what you might want to do:
SERVING OTHERS
If you want to give of yourself, if you want to make a difference in the world, volunteering is the perfect way. You will learn about the needs of others and contribute to their well being.
GET TO KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY Volunteering can help you get to know more about how your community works. You can discover what services agencies provide, how the government works, and who to call on for specific needs. You can also meet adult United Way, Volunteer Center, and other volunteers who can become valuable resources in the business and nonprofit worlds.
SEE THE DIFFERENCE IN ONE LIFEPerhaps you decide to tutor a child. Or visit someone in a nursing home. Or work with a day camp. You can make a difference in one life and really see how caring for someone can improve their life.
SUPPORT A CAUSE
What issues do you believe in? The environment? Suicide prevention? World hunger? The end to diseases like cancer? Volunteer your time to help a cause you really believe in.
HAVE FUN
Volunteering is fun! Ask a volunteer if they enjoy what they do and they will almost always say yes. The rewards are so many and the work is pleasurable. It's a great way to spend your time!
CAREER EXPERIENCE
Volunteering lets you try a career field and see if you like it. It can help you see what the medical field, education, social service, the arts, and many other job opportunities are really like.
COLLEGE/JOB PREPARATIONCollege admissions people and employers look at volunteer experience very seriously. They are impressed by applicants who are willing to share their time. They consider skills gained in volunteer activities to be as important as those gained in paid positions.
LEARN NEW SKILLS
Have you always wanted to try a new skill? Would you like to gain experience in a new area? Volunteering can be a perfect way to share your time and gain new skills at the same time.
MEET PEOPLE
Get to know other volunteers, agency staff and others who share similar interests. Volunteering can help you meet people from a variety of walks of life and of different ages. It's a great way to make new friends!
PREVENT BOREDOM
Volunteering can take a little bit of time or it can fill a whole summer. You might give a few hours a month or a week. Or you can volunteer every day, especially during the summer. It's a great way to fill a few or many hours and be doing something of great value.