Why should teens volunteer?

It is well known that providing service of any kind without compensation is a great thing for people of any age. Knowing this you may consider getting your tween or teen involved in volunteering. The earlier the better! Children are never too young to learn how to do for others and they will benefit for their whole lives from the feeling that comes from helping others and being productive.

If your child has not been in the habit of volunteering and helping others then you can start by talking to them about what they see in the world around them. Do they see any needs that are not being met or that could use more help? Do they see how they may make a difference? It is great for kids to see that the world is vast and is not just about them. However, you don't want them to feel like the world is so distant from the child that they cannot possibly create change. We need teens who believe in themselves enough to know that they can change what they put their minds to.

It is key to make your child realize that there is more to volunteering than just donating money. While they should know that donating monetarily is great, it is also just one aspect of service and that sometimes it is harder to give of your time than to just write a check.

You teen may need help in finding appropriate places to volunteer. Here are just a few ideas:

1. Animal shelters - if your child loves animals they could visit any number of shelters and find out if they have volunteer programs. This may include walking dogs, cleaning kennels, feeding or bathing animals. This can be very good for kids of all ages because animals are very therapeutic for all.
2. Political involvement - Does your teen have strong beliefs and interests in what is going on politically? Any political organization is going to be willing to let people help their cause. It is a great thing for teens to be community minded and to try to make their city, state or country a better place.
3. Hospitals - Most hospitals, rest homes, rehabilitation center and other health care facilities offer volunteer programs and they are in need of volunteers more than ever. This is a great place for teens to learn how to serve but to learn to empathize with others.
4. Shelters - Whether alone or as a family you can serve at your local shelter. You can organize drives for donations, collect food for food banks, serve food to those in need, clean, work in literacy programs and more. This is truly a place where the whole family can be involved and work together on behalf of others and ultimately their community.
5. Church, volunteering is youth groups and other areas is a great thing.

Volunteering is a great self esteem booster and keeps kids from at risk behaviors.