Are you between 14 and 19 years old and available Thursdays after school for a couple of hours? The city of Vancouver has regular service opportunities to help teens fill those volunteer requirements for class, graduation or college applications, or to simply allow them to give back to the community.
The #VancouverVolunTEEN program is entering its second full year offering service projects on the second, third and fourth Thursdays of every month, except for December and January and the third Thursday of November (Thanksgiving). The city partnered with Vancouver Parks and Recreation, the Water Resource Education Center and the Greater Clark Parks District to set up adult-supervised opportunities.
“There are tons of other opportunities out there. This is one of many,” said Hailey Heath, the city’s volunteer coordinator.
But, the dependability and ease of a regular 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. time slot that teens could attend might be appealing.
It can be challenging for curious teens to figure out where to go to get information and who to talk to about service opportunities. The city gets calls from teens asking how to sign up to volunteer. Finding something that’s the right fit for a teen’s skills and interests requires some research and initiative.
Using social media
The #VancouverVolunTEEN program is an experiment in making that effort easy. Information about upcoming work projects can be found online at www.cityofvancouver.us/VolunTEEN and by searching the hashtag #VancouverVolunTEEN on social media sites. It’s meeting young people where they are, Heath said.
The opportunities offered through #VancouverVolunTEEN are mostly outdoors-geared, including beautifying and cleaning up sites. So far, the program doesn’t run in the summer or during winter break. Heath hopes to expand the volunteer opportunities, or maybe add another day of the week.
“We’re certainly open to another nonprofit or group that would be interested in taking that first Thursday” of each month, she said.
Research shows that volunteering boosts health and happiness, and those who make a habit to volunteer while they’re young are more likely to continue that habit later in life, Heath said. “Besides, it’s just the right thing to do for your community.”
Teens searching for a good volunteer fit can try websites such as www.volunteermatch.org, or ask their school counselors or the school’s service clubs, such as the National Honors Society and Key Club.
The first #VancouverVolunTEEN is Sept. 10 at the Water Resources Education Center.
“This is the year we really want to see it blast off into success,” Heath said.
Teens can register to volunteer online at www.cityofvancouver.us/VolunTEEN, or show up on the day of the event. They have to fill out a consent form signed by their parents to participate.
