School is out for summer vacation! This means students of all ages have some time to study and more time to engage in other things.
Summer is the perfect time to volunteer. With so many unique volunteering opportunities, there’s sure to be something that suits your interests.
In addition to helping to improve the lives of others, volunteering can be a great opportunity to explore a career you might want to pursue in the future.
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Here are some volunteer opportunities to look for this summer that will give you something worthwhile to do with your time.
Beach cleanups and mentoring kids are just two of the many ways you can volunteer this summer. (iStock)
Check out this list.
- Participate in or host a local park, beach or forest cleanup
- Find Museum Volunteer Programs
- Volunteer at a local hospital or health-related organization
- Become a mentor to your kids through the Boys & Girls Club
- Caring for animals in need at a shelter
- Take part in a purposeful walk
- coach a sports team
- Start your own organization
- Organize a food event
- Be a mentor
1. Participate in or host a local park, beach or forest cleanup
You may want to spend some time soaking up vitamin D during the summer, so looking for outdoor volunteer opportunities at this time of year is ideal.
A park, beach or forest cleanup is a great opportunity to clean up your community and spend time outdoors.
With a quick online search, you’re likely to find cleanup efforts underway in your area.
Participate in or organize a cleanup event to keep your local beach clean. (iStock)
You can also gather your friends to organize your own cleanup.
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Word of mouth can go a long way, so you might be able to gather a fair amount of people to clean up your local park and/or beach.
2. Find museum volunteer programs
The museum is often looking for volunteers to assist staff and share knowledge with visitors.
There are many different types of museums, so you can choose one that matches your interests to volunteer at.
Volunteering in a museum can help your future career if you choose an environment that matches your goals. For example, if you have a talent for science, look for different science museums to volunteer at.
3. Volunteer at a local hospital or health-related organization
Hospitals are often looking for volunteers to interact with patients, answer calls, run information and provide support to nursing staff.
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Spending some time helping in a hospital setting can be very rewarding and fulfilling.
If you think you’ll have a career in the medical field one day, this is a great way to get your foot in the door.
4. Become a mentor to your child through the Boys & Girls Club
There are Boys & Girls Club locations across the United States looking for volunteers.
If you enjoy working with children, this might be a great volunteer opportunity for you. You can have a lasting impact on young children that they will remember for a long time.
If you enjoy working with children, consider volunteering at a summer camp this summer. (iStock)
You can also volunteer at a summer camp or program.
5. Care for animals in need at shelters
If you love animals, volunteer at an animal shelter.
Some common duties for volunteers are cleaning cages, filling food and water, walking dogs, and spending time with the animals.
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If you want to work with animals, you can volunteer elsewhere, such as a local aquarium or zoo.
6. Take a purposeful walk
There are many charity walks/runs held throughout the year to raise funds and awareness for causes.
Search the web for any walks taking place in your area during the summer.
If there aren’t any walks in your area, you can organize your own walk and raise funds for a cause of your choice.
7. Serve as a sports team coach
Were you involved in sports growing up?
If you do, the experience may have a lasting impact on you. Maybe you even had a coach who had a big impact on your life.
You can provide a positive experience for young athletes by donating your time and assisting athletic teams.
Whether you’re returning to your local high school to help the football team prepare for the season, working with a Little League baseball team, or volunteering at a sports camp, volunteering can help you get involved in sports again and help young athletes reach their goals of fullness potential.
8. Build your own organization
If you have some extra time this summer and you’re ambitious, you might want to start your own organization.
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The options here are endless. You can sell the products you make and donate the money to a group you are passionate about. You can host a 5k run or golf tournament to raise money for a cause.
Any little thing you do can have a huge impact and potentially become something you continue to do for years to come.
9. Organize a food drive
Food drives are a great way to help those less fortunate in your community.
Food events are fairly easy to organize and can have a big impact. (iStock)
To organize a food drive, you first have to decide where the food will be donated and then decide how to collect the products.
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Make sure to promote your food drive in your community before the event so you can get as many donations as possible to the organizations you support.
10. Be a mentor
Students across the country complete their summer homework while school is out.
Since their summer jobs are often focused on next year’s studies, they may need some extra help learning the new upcoming topics.
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Additionally, the motivation to complete schoolwork is difficult enough for students during the year, but it is even more challenging during the relaxing summer months.
If you excel in a subject, you can offer free tutoring to kids this summer.
It fills you with joy when you see your mentorship help young students succeed.
