Volunteer work for teenager. Ideas?

Question

15 yr old boy -- besides video games and sleeping, he likes animals, history, and sci-fi. Do you have any ideas? Do you think this is a good idea?

Answer 1

Walk dogs for habitat for humanity (or any animal shelter)
Volunteer for J.E.L (just eleminate lies) a stop smoking campain
Volunteer for D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education)
Volunteer for T.A..D.D (Teens Against Drinking and Driving)
Volunteer for picking up trash at a park
Volunteer setting up for an Art show
Volunteer for painting background sets for a play
Volunteer setting up chairs for a community event
Volunteer to pass out programs at a community event
Volunteer to give tours at a local museum
basically volunteer for anywhere they need a FREE hand!

Answer 2

I think it is a marvellous idea - but who is this? your son? - do you have a right to suggest this to him?

hmmmm volunteer ideas.......
what about if takes a dog from the pound (that is recommended as gentle) and takes the dog to a local retirement home so the residents can see/pet a pet.

Is there a local museum that can use some help with organizing their storerooms?

What about volunteering at a hospital - visiting long term patients and reading to them or writing letters for them? Or at a retirement/nursing home, volunteering to wheel residents to activities.

Or what about just a concerted effort with his friends - to wear a garden glove and bring a plastic bag and pick up trash from the streets. I myself love to do this when I am taking a walk. What a wonderful feeling it gives to be out in the air, doing exercise, and at the same time cleaning up the area. A win, win, win situation.

Keep it up. Well done.

Answer 3

Maybe volunteer at the animal shelter or the humane society? I don't know how to incorporate history or sci fi, but there are dozens of animal organizations that always need volunteers.

Answer 4

Volunteering is a great idea. I started volunteering as a teen at my local hospital.

I would suggest contacting your local volunteer center. They have many diverse volunteer opportunities that meet real community needs. The opportunities can be one-time, short-term, or long-term, and they typically screen the non-profit organizations to find suitable volunteer opportunities for you.

I currently tutor children at the local library, lead a teen group of volunteer docents at the local museum, work at the food bank packaging food, clean up the parks and beaches, and do lots of other things.

You can find your volunteer center through the following links:
http://www.handsonnetwork.org/our-network/
http://www.pointsoflight.org/centers/find_center.cfm

There are lots of other projects that are available through my volunteer center. I've done some work at our local cat shelter, delivered toys and other things during the holidays, and many other great projects.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Animal shelter?

I think it is a wonderful idea! It gets him out and might have the bonus of getting him into helping others. It might teach him to interract with other humans. It might teach him empathy.

I was going to suggest a drop in or free meals place but he might meet some of the wrong types. Not a risk you wish to take.

Animal shelters are pretty cool.

Why not call your local volunteer agency and find out what they have to offer.

Thing is, he might not agree that this is a good idea. So get him involved in the choices...

Good luck...

I remember kids that age... lol

fortunately my girls were athletes and scholars and hated doing nothing .. unless they were exhausted of course... which I usually tried to make them be by the end of the day LOL...

sports were wonderful... for that

Good luck Mom

Answer 6

He should go out and paint address numbers on curbs to make money I have done about 70.000 of them part time in 20 years.I average about twenty dollars an hour now that i have learned how to ask them.then he can help people with money and programs he wishes to start.he can then also buy some registered dogs and breed them and make plenty of money, this is what i do I make in profit.about ten thousand a year breeding dogs and selling the pups, with 3 females and one male.or registered persian cats is also what i raise .with money you can do much more then just volunteering.I have extra money I give to old homeless people I see and give to charitys.
something I always do is pick up broken glass were rednecks break bottles around where children play.like at the lake .Good luck to Y'all

Answer 7

If he likes animals, the shelter would be a great place to volunteer. I'm not sure if you'd have to go with him at this age or if he has to wait to be 16. Also, I've known elderly people who have a dog but can't physically manage to walk their dogs anymore and would love for someone to help them with their pet.

Answer 8

it is always a good idea to get involved in your community in a positive way. how about volunteering at an animal shelter or if you have a local zoo? or at a community center "teaching" a class about video games or something else he knows alot about. even just volunteering his time at a community center would be good for him.

Answer 9

Some ideas:At the hospital, At a game store, At a local arena doing odd jobs(penalty box or something).

Answer 10

Well: yes there is an " Youth Services Programs that he'd
would like to try http://www.awanaclubs.org or http://www.kclubs.org see we'd can help him towards an
better idea " ok?