I love being able to volunteer for different communities because I not only get to meet many new people, but I am also able to help make others genuinely happy through acts of service. However, my peers often tell me that I should focus my time on activities other than volunteering in preparation for college and my academic classes, but by managing my time and allocating my responsibilities effectively, I am still able to have room within my schedule to volunteer and give back to a community who has given so much to me. 

There are over 63 million Americans who volunteer each year and you could easily become a volunteer, too. Not only does volunteering help others, but it positively affects the volunteers through boosting their self-esteem and helps them create connections with a variety of people in their community. Through volunteering, an individual can participate in fun service opportunities and learn valuable life and social skills that can be utilized later on in life.

According to the Stanford Center on Longevity, “the most common reason for not volunteering is lack of free time (about half of Americans cite this as the main reason), and another common reason is that the volunteer schedules and commitments are too inflexible.” Even if this is the case for most people, it is always rewarding  to participate in a volunteering project. Here is a list of fun and rewarding volunteer opportunities you can try out. 

The Birthday Party Project

The Birthday Party Project aims to “bring joy to children experiencing homelessness through the magic of a birthday celebration.” As a volunteer, you can help set up birthday parties, lead activity stations and prepare party supply bins. If you are interested in volunteering for this organization, check out their website on how to register as a volunteer for future events.

Reading Partners

Reading Partners aims to “help children become lifelong readers by empowering communities to provide individualized instruction with measurable results.” As a volunteer, you tutor elementary students either virtually or in-person on how they can improve their comprehension and reading skills. If you are interested in volunteering for this organization, check out their website to learn how to become a registered volunteer and make an impact.

School Clubs

There are many clubs active in school, such as National Honor Society, National Art Honor Society, Psychology and Neuroscience Club and HOSA that give members a plethora of unique volunteering opportunities throughout the year. By clicking on this link, you can be redirected to the many clubs at Hebron and the contact information for the sponsor of the club, who you can email if you are interested in joining to gain access to the special volunteer experiences specific clubs provide.

I have never regretted volunteering for the organizations I am a part of as I always leave feeling happy that I was able to give back to my community. It can be hard to take the first step in volunteering in your community, but by taking a step forward, you can make a positive impact on the world.