6 Jun 2010
For most teenagers summer is a time for kicking back, sleeping in, and hitting the beach. A great start to the summer break but often not enough to sustain interest for the entire summer. And when boredom sets in it can lead to risky behavior.
Volunteering to help others can be a richly rewarding experience on many levels. Teens who volunteer are more likely to feel connected to their communities, and tend to do better in school. Statistics indicate 55% of young people volunteer compared to 29% of their adult counterparts, which may suggest the enrichment derived from offering a helping hand is widely recognized by teenagers.
Programs are diverse, allowing volunteers to match their unique skills or areas of interest with projects in need. Although many of the programs are located in Palm Beach County there are statewide programs such as the gulf oil spill disaster. If international volunteerism is your focus and within your budget, opportunities abound in the far corners of the world.
Local Volunteer Opportunities
If you’re an animal lover and want to help save a life, the Tri County Humane Society located at 21287 Boca Rio Road has openings to assist with fundraising events, various office functions, and laundering of animal bedding and towels. They welcome teen groups to assist with landscaping projects. Due to insurance issues you must be at least 16 to groom cats and 21 to work with rescue dogs. Call (561) 482-8110 or go to http://www.tricountyhumane.org for further information.
The Ruth Rales Jewish Family Service
located at 21300 Ruth and Baron Coleman Blvd in Boca Raton has a plethora of opportunities. If you sing, play the piano, and enjoy performing, they have a venue to utilize your talent entertaining seniors. To find out more contact Marci Bezark, Director of Volunteers, at (561) 852-3333 or marcyb@RRJFS.
If you enjoy horses and would like to aid handicapped youngsters, Horses & The Handicapped of South Florida located at 3600 West Sample Road in Coconut Creek are looking for teens to help as handlers and sidewalkers or with barn maintenance and grooming. Training is provided, and prior horse experience is not necessary. They also need assistance in their office and with special events. For more information contact Molly Murphy, Volunteer Program Manager at (954) 974-8889, or go to their website at www.handhmagic.org.
Boca Raton Community Hospital
located at 800 Meadows Road in Boca Raton has volunteer opportunities for teens to deliver flowers to patients, deliver medical records to the emergency room and attend the nursing station or the information desk, etc. For further information call (561) 995-4559 or contact Ms. Riley at jriley@brch.com
For a more complete listing of Palm Beach County teen volunteer opportunities go to www.volunteens.com
Gulf Oil Spill Volunteers
Over 1,750 volunteers have thus far served 7,807 hours and 136 miles of beaches have been cleaned in response to the gulf oil disaster. But this has become the worst environmental disaster our country has experienced and additional help is needed to support organizations throughout the oil spill and beyond through appropriate activities such as Coast Watch, pre-oil landfall beach cleanups, fundraising, and meeting other needs of responding organizations. For further information visit http://www.volunteerfloridadisaster.org
International Volunteers
Cross Cultural Solutions (CCS) provide in-country staff that serve as chaperones for 9-day to 2-week trips for teens between the ages of 15 to 17 years in Africa (Ghana), Asia (China and India), or Latin America (Costa Rica or Guatemala). You can obtain additional information from their web site at http://www.crossculturalsolutions.org.www.unitedplanet.org, www.teenmissions.org, www.adventurescrosscountry.com., and www.transitionsabroad.com.
Becoming a teen volunteer does not preclude kicking back, sleeping in or hitting the beach. And for those willing to donate time and effort this summer to aid the less fortunate you just might discover yourself by being in a place that is larger and more hallowed than you can perceive.
Judi Gray, The Lakesite News
Additional sites providing information for international volunteers are: http://www.voluntourism.org,
These programs do require that certain expenses such as travel be paid by volunteers, thus careful investigation of the organization prior to any money exchange is highly recommended.
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