This
summer, your kids — or your whole family — can reap the
benefits of giving to and learning from others by finding fun and
easy ways to volunteer.
“There are tons of
opportunities out there,” says Cassie Collins, director of Volunteer Services for
Children’s Medical Center. “Teens who volunteer have an
opportunity to see that what they are doing is truly helping someone
else.”
Volunteering gives older children and
teens real-life experience that will help them as they enter
adulthood. For instance, most volunteer programs require that candidates
fill out an application and complete an interview. It’s also
a great way to develop a young person’s social skills and
add to their resume. Plus, many college applications ask for
volunteering experience.
If your child is interested in
finding a volunteer opportunity, begin by following these steps:
Step 1. Select your project
Ask your
family to talk about what kind of project you’d like to work on.
Make a list of things you like to do and organizations that
interest you. Would you like to help people, animals or the environment?
Do you like to talk with people, or work with your hands? Decide
how much time you have to give.
Before you volunteer
every week or every month, try a one-time project first. Try
different groups to see which one fits your interests best.
Step 2. Call the organization
When you’ve
decided which organization you’d like to volunteer for,
call the volunteer coordinator. If you have trouble connecting,
don’t get discouraged. Keep trying. Many coordinators are busy
and will appreciate it if you keep trying.
Step 3.
Prepare for your project
Volunteering means just
showing up, right? Not quite. It will mean more to you if you learn
about the group you’re going to help. And find out what
supplies you will need. Will the work be dirty? Do you need to look
nice? Do you need to bring food?
Step 4. Go to
work
Bring your supplies with you and arrive on time to
receive any instructions you will need. Afterward, be sure to thank
everyone who helped, including the volunteer coordinator, your
family.
Resources
Looking for a group that
needs help? Try these services:
Volunteer Center of North Texas
VolunteerMatch
ServeNet
“Zoom Into Action” from PBS
Kids
While the Student Volunteer program at Children’s is full for
the summer, the program is accepting applications for fall and
spring. On average, 250 teens participate in the teen summer program
at Children’s, which is designed to encourage teens to
provide volunteer support to the hospital and to learn more about
healthcare-related career opportunities. Teens in the program commit to
50 hours, but most exceed that because they enjoy the experience
of volunteering.
