Anura Leslie Perera – Community Service Ideas for High School Students
Community service advocates like Anura Leslie Perera applaud the fact that more and more schools are adding mandatory community service hours to their graduation requirements. Not only does this help to support in-need communities, but it also teaches young people about the value of selfless service and the many benefits of volunteerism. It can sometimes be a challenge for high-school students to find appropriate community service activities – not every town has a food bank, and many other “go-to” places for volunteers have age requirements. However, there are plenty of options for young people to fulfill their community service hours while making a meaningful contribution to their communities.
Senior Support
Many seniors these days live in residences that are able to offer activities, social events, and companionship. However, many seniors lead isolated lives without meaningful contact with caring individuals. Volunteering for a program dedicated to supporting seniors is a way to make a significant difference in the day of someone who may be lonely, looking for conversation, or in need of some assistance with basic errands or tasks such as walking their dog or shoveling snow. Nursing homes, which provide medical care for the elderly, are often stretched for resources when it comes to providing social interaction. Volunteer to spend a few hours a week helping to organize card games, music appreciation, or simply to have a conversation – you are guaranteed to learn a great deal and to bring a smile to someone’s face.
Hospitals
Whether or not you plan to enter the medical profession, volunteering at a hospital can make a difference for patients in concrete ways. Given the nature of hospital routines, it is likely that you would have different duties day-to-day ranging from watering plants in patient rooms to helping to cheer up young patients whose parents are not able to visit.
Local Community Centers
Because most community centers are underfunded, they tend to rely on volunteers to do a whole range of activities. If you have a special skill that that you can share, you may be able to run a class or seminar. Or, you might be tasked with making fund-raising calls, helping to paint the games room, contributing to the local garage sale, or any number of other jobs. Working in your local center has the added advantage of helping you to get to the know the people in your neighborhood.
Animal Shelter
Unless you have some prior experience or training, the chances are that you will not be assigned very glamorous duties at the local shelter, but volunteers provide vital support to the important work of the shelter by helping to clean cages, feeding bowls, or tools and supplies. You may also be tasked with the most important job of all – to show some love and attention to animals who are in desperate need of care and affection.
These are just some of the ways that young people can contribute to their communities through volunteerism. The benefits and rewards of community service go two ways, making your work at any of these or other organizations a win-win situation.
