Center

I’m 13 years old. I’m in National Junior Honors Society and need 14 more hours of community service. I’ve looked a lot for opportunities online, but haven’t found anything that a 13 year old could do. I only have four days and would really love to find some online volunteer sites. If you have any other ideas that aren’t online, let me know as well!
thanks c:

You aren’t going to be able to do 14 hours of community service in four days, no matter what your age.

Finding Online Volunteering / Virtual Volunteering
& Home-Based Volunteering
http://www.coyotecommunications.com/stuff/findvv.shtml

Instead, call every nonprofit theater, nonprofit performing arts center, nonprofit dance studio, etc. on Monday that has a performance this week, or email them, and ask if you could usher at their performances this week. That will get you two hours per performance – which still isn’t 14 hours, but is probably the only way you can sign up to volunteer and actually volunteer in the same week.

Community Service and Volunteering by Teens: How to Find Opportunities
http://www.coyotecommunications.com/stuff/teenvolunteers.html
Very detailed information that discusses your many, many options – the usual and many activities you probably never thought of.

What type of items do peace corps volunteers usually take on their two year trip? and how many bags can they take?

I read some stuff online that they can only take 2 bags not to exceed 80 lb together. Besides clothes what other stuff can they take on their trip?

I’m currently in the last phase of my application process.

What you read is correct. 80 pounds in two bags is your *checked* luggage, though. You can also take a carryon and a personal item.

You can bring anything you like. Upon invitation, you will get specific information from your country of service, including suggestions of what to bring. For example, in some countries, you can’t get good sheets and you’ll need those. In others, it might be paper goods are hard or expensive to come by and you want to bring those. If you serve in a place where the water’s not potable, you might want to bring a purifier (although Peace Corps will make sure you have a way to make drinkable water.)

It also depends on your sector. I was youth development and brought some kid-friendly games and markers to use for classes.

You should make room for reminders of home that you can show people, like postcards from your hometown and pictures of your family.

On clothes, focus on quality. Unless you’re hard to fit, you can buy stuff easily in other countries. That’s what your counterparts do. You should bring the stuff you can’t get there: SmartWool socks, good underwear and stuff like that.

But really, clothes are easily obtained wherever. You aren’t taking a two-year trip. You are moving for two years. You want to make yourself comfortable. I’ve known people who’ve brought stuff I thought was weird, but to them, it was their home. (Seriously, I know someone who brought silverware.)

Stuff you need: laptop, MP3 player, a handful of good books you don’t mind parting with (you’ll be trading with other PCVs throughout your service), extra USBs, possibly a sleeping bag for crashing at the homes of other Vs during business/pleasure trips.

Once you’re invited, you can look at that list you’ll get (or view some now at the Peace Corps Wiki) and hit up www.peacecorpsjournals.com to find the blogs of Vs in country, and then email them about what they’d recommend.

The oddest thing I brought that I used regularly: a bathrobe. It was a throw-in at the last minute, but I wore that like Hawkeye Piece.

I’ve been asked to help out recruiting volunteers for a non-profit that I’m involved with. I’m a volunteer myself, and don’t have much recruiting experience. We don’t really have the time or staffing to do any large events. But something like the volunteer websites, would be great, and we will be posting on them. But are there other similar ways that take little time to set up?

Maybe in the future, when we have more volunteers, we can plan larger events.

First, you have to define every volunteering tasks, IN WRITING. Every assignment should have a start and end date. If it’s an ongoing role, like a web site manager, require a commitment of at least six months. You want as many tasks as possible, in writing, and you want them in the smallest pieces as possible — you want lots of opportunities that someone could do just in a couple of hours, or in just one day. Some people will want to take on a role, like web site manager or volunteer recruiter, but others will want to volunteer only when they have some time — help at your April 15 event, help at your volunteer orientation next week, etc. No recruitment until you have volunteering assignments in writing.

Then, mapped out what *exactly* happens when someone calls you or emails you or or fills out an application on VolunteerMatch and says they want to volunteer. When an organization tells me they are having trouble recruiting volunteers, this is always where I find the problem — they aren’t getting back to people immediately, with exactly what the next steps are, the entire staff doesn’t know what the intake process is, etc. No recruitment until you have this as well.

And don’t put a "mega" listings on things like VolunteerMatch — one listing for all volunteering. Instead, list EACH volunteering role for which you are recruiting.

Whatever you use to recruit volunteers — social media, online databases like VolunteerMatch and AllforGood.com, registration with your local volunteer center, notices on your web site, fliers at the local library, etc. — will not work unless you have all tasks written out and your intake process mapped out.

More at the URLs below.
Links:
http://www.coyotecommunications.com/volunteer/othersites.html
http://coyoteblog.posterous.com/your-flow-chart-for-volunteers
http://www.coyotecommunications.com/

any editing suggestions? thank you!

As a —— Medical Center volunteer I compile new admit packets, assist the unit secretary with basic administrative work, clerical duties, and answer call lights. Volunteering in a hospital has influenced my decision on being a Pre-Med student. Moreover, being an intern at a biotech company allows me to work alongside highly skilled scientists who build disease models for oncology, cardiovascular, inflammation and metabolic diseases. Interning at —–, Inc. I conducted media changes and counted cells as well as eliminated the risk of cell contamination. My internship at ——-, Inc. enhanced my prospective as a student researcher and helped me understand medicine on a molecular level.
While I enjoy volunteering and interning I consider tutoring children in the Latino community to be the most rewarding. I have tutored at ——. As an active member of my community I help children with their history and science courses. Tutoring children in the Latino community allows me to engage with their parents and reiterate the importance of higher education.

As a volunteer at a hospital I understand the importance of giving back to my community. During my experience as a volunteer at —— Medical Center I realize that volunteering my time to patients is something I will to continue throughout my undergraduate career. In 2015 I will continue volunteering, tutoring and attending community events. In five years I will have traveled to Asia and South America along with returned to a once visited country, ——-. Academically, I will have commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and earned a bachelor degree with successful completion of a MCAT prep course.
In the year 2020 I will attend my first solo exhibition reception in —–, California. Aside from my passion for medicine—painting is a therapeutic hobby of mine that I am fortunate to excel in. As an active officer of the military in 2020 I will be enjoying my time back home in the —–. In ten years from now I will still be an artist and a hardworking student in a residency program at a hospital overseas.
Thereafter at the age of 38 in the year 2025 I will be a practicing cardiothoracic surgeon in the US Military. I will own a gallery and rent the space to up and coming artists from all over the world. Conclusively, I am now taking the next step in life to challenge myself in illustrating my passion through knowledge. I am reminded that knowledge is never selfish and should be used to help those in need. Lastly, with the assistance various degrees, internships, fellowships and work experience from military and civilian life I will have reached my ultimate dream—happiness.

As a —— Medical Center volunteer I compile new admit packets, assist the unit secretary with basic administrative work, clerical duties, and answer call lights. Volunteering in a hospital has influenced my decision on being a Pre-Med student. Moreover, being an intern at a biotech company allows me to work alongside highly skilled scientists who build disease models for oncology, cardiovascular, inflammation and metabolic diseases. Interning at —–, Inc. I conducted media changes and counted cells as well as eliminated the risk of cell contamination. My internship at ——-, Inc. enhanced my PERSPECTIVE as a student researcher and helped me understand medicine on a molecular level.
While I enjoy volunteering and interning I consider tutoring children in the Latino community to be the most rewarding. I have tutored at ——. As an active member of my community I help children with their history and science courses. Tutoring children in the Latino community allows me to engage with their parents and reiterate the importance of higher education.

As a volunteer at a hospital I understand the importance of giving back to my community. During my experience as a volunteer at —— Medical Center I realize that volunteering my time to patients is something I will to continue throughout my undergraduate career. In 2015 I will continue volunteering, tutoring and attending community events. In five years I will have traveled to Asia and South America AND WILL HAVE REVISITED ANOTHER COUNTRY, NAMELY________ (IF IT"S ASIA OR SOUTH AMERICA, MAYBE LEAVE IT OUT) , ——-. Academically, I will have BEEN commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and earned a bachelor degree with successful completion of MCAT (SPELL OUT THE ACRONYM THEN PUT MCAT IN PARENTHESIS) prep course.
In the year 2020 I will attend my first solo exhibition reception (RECEPTION IN WHAT? SPECIFY) in —–, California. Aside from my passion for medicine, (COMMA) painting is a therapeutic hobby of mine IN WHICH I AM FORTUNATE TO EXCEL. As an active officer of the military in 2020, (COMMA) I will be enjoying my time back home in the —–. (DELETE IN) Ten years from now I will still be an artist and a hardworking student in a residency program at a hospital overseas.
Thereafter at the age of 38 in the year 2025 I will be a practicing cardiothoracic surgeon in the US Military. I will own a gallery and rent the space to up-and-coming (ADD HYPHENS) artists from all over the world. Conclusively, I am now taking the next step in life to challenge myself in illustrating my passion through knowledge. I am reminded that knowledge is never selfish and should be used to help those in need. Lastly, with the assistance OF various degrees, internships, fellowships and work experience from military and civilian life, (COMMA) I will have reached my ultimate dream—happiness.

GENERAL COMMENT: I think you are a very good writer, but it was confusing to me to read your essay. In the beginning, you need to state what your purpose is in a summary fashion and then give examples to support that generality or purpose. In the first sentence, you’ve launched with examples. What are the examples are supporting? Re-read it from the perspective of the reader. Where would they get confused? Do they have the big picture? Give big picture statements and then illustrate with specifics. For example: My past experiences make me highly qualified for the intern position at ___________. Many examples support this. I volunteered at …… Then give examples of why this is so. But first we need to see the forest, then we need to see the trees. First you need to give the reader a roadmap of where you’re going in your essay, and then give examples along the way – but then the readers will understand where you are going without wondering, what does this example of painting, working with Latinos, what I plan to do in the future, etc. have to do with applying for an intern position?

Good luck! I hope you get it.

- Number 1 in my middle school
- Valedictorian in my middle school
- Straight A’s since the 7th grade up till now.
- Number 6 out of all freshmens in high school
- My first semester grade in 9th grade was 4.333
- Volunteers at the community center
- Volunteers at the church to give out food for the poor/homeless every Wednesday to get hours (5-7 p.m.)
- In clubs/programs (Asian club, G.A.T.E. club, math club, Bright Prospects, Upward Bound, Medical Academy)
- I’m in track (long distance)
- I am taking Algebra 2 (skipped pre-algebra in the 7th grade and took algebra 1)
- I am in G.A.T.E. (Gifted and Talented Education)

I want to be a pediatrician when I grow up.
I am in high school.

Awww I don’t know how the schooling system works in USA, but it sounds like you have every good qualifications and strong experience, if UCLA doesn’t accept your application then it’s their loss to not have a fine student like you

Good luck my friend

I am turning 13 soon and I want to start working with children. I don’t want a career in day care or something like that but I’d like to work with small children before i reach university or college.

I’ve never been to the daycare either. Will that effect the chance of them letting me work there?

You cannot volunteer anywhere you have never been. And the daycare is probably a for-profit business, meaning the only people there are paid employees. In addition, nonprofit or for-profit, no place that takes care of children allows people under 18 to help, because all volunteers have to undergo a criminal background check, have to have certain training and certification, etc., that someone your age cannot have.

Most volunteering with babies and toddlers is reserved for people 18 and over. There are volunteering opportunities for older children, but most of these require you to be at least 14, even 18.

Here is advice on finding volunteering opportunities, whatever your interest:
Community Service and Volunteering by Teens: How to Find Opportunities
http://www.coyotecommunications.com/stuff/teenvolunteers.html

im 13 and live in england
i love working with animals and have plenty of spare time
i would just like to know can i volunteer at a local animal center e.g the RSPCA (i live in nottingham)
i dont have to be paid i just want the experiance and as i said i love working with animals
thanks
id like to point out that i live in ENGLAND not america

Good for you Betty, just go to your closest RSPCA and ask them if you could help. I hope you are lucky.

Willing to do (mostly) anything. I’m looking for something on weekends or weekday evenings after regular business hours.

I can wholeheartedly recommend the American Red Cross.
They have several section / services in which you might find interest.
Service to Military Families…Red Cross workers in hundreds of chapters and on military installations brief departing service members and their families regarding available support services and explain how the Red Cross may assist them during the deployment.
Safety Services, my favorite. I was a volunteer First Aid Instructor for 18 years.
This service also teaches CPR, Swimming, and Life Guard Certifications.
Disaster Action Team, You can be called upon to go to places around the country to aid in disaster relief such as New Orleans and Katrina, or California fires.
Then there is Blood Services, going and taking history or work the canteen. You will not be called upon to draw blood

http://www.redcross.org/

There have been some reports in the media, always hungry for controversial news about miss-deeds at the Red Cross. I can say, having been an employee for the Red Cross and then a non paid volunteer, it is still one of the best charitable organizations out there. Not encumbered by bureaucracies, they were the first on the scene at Katrina. The Red Cross spends $0.90 of every dollar received in donations and sends it back into the community, through disaster relief, service to military families, to educational information to schools. They operate on $0.10 of every dollar. I have personally seen them take and re-cycle used desk and office equipment donated by the major corporations in Atlanta. They will re-paint desk and file cabinets to use. They will recycle usable posters by using the back side.
They work with whatever hours you have to give and find you a meaningful task.

Keep Clear
Spartan Caver
Let me know what you wind up doing.