Community Service Ideas And Information
While visiting a neighboring town today, I realized the importance of community service. It's not that I didn't feel it was important before, I just didn't realize just how much is done by volunteers until today.
My sons and I decided to go to a park in a neighboring town while my husband fished nearby. The playground was in severe disrepair. The equipment was broken, there was trash everywhere, it needed some paint... The sad part is that the park had great potential. It was in a shaded spot, away from a main road, it was fenced in, and there were a few picnic tables nearby.
I sat there watching my children play on the slide and swing (all the equipment that was safe), and I couldn't help but wonder why the people of this community didn't take the time to care for this little gem. In hopes of inspiring others, I have compiled a collection of community service ideas and information.
Image Credit Service in Progress T-Shirt by ThePeaceFoundation
A Look At What's Here
- Reasons To Volunteer
- Why do you volunteer?
- Tools For Finding Volunteer Oportunities
- Help The Environment
- Help Those In Need
- Help The Elderly
- Help Children
- Help Your Community
- The Teen Guide To Global Action
- Community Service And Volunteering News
- Recent Volunteering And Community Service Blog Posts
- Tweets From People Who Love Volunteering
- What's Your Favorite Way To Volunteer?
- Call To Action
- My Other Community Service And Volunteering Related Lenses (Articles)
- Know Any Good Community Service And Volunteer Organizations?
- None
Reasons To Volunteer
There are so many different reasons to volunteer your time. Everyone seems to have their own reasons for volunteering. Some people want to make a difference in the world. Some people want to have some fun. Some people want to learn or use a skill. There is no right or wrong reason for volunteering, it is just important that you do volunteer.
Reasons To Volunteer
- to help others
- to meet new people
- to make a difference
- to have fun
- to feel better about yourself
- to feel an increase sense of community
- increase your productivity
- to learn a new skill
- to use skills you already have
- to give hope to others
- to help make others happy
- to help the environment
- to feel valued and appreciated
- to give your life purpose
Why do you volunteer?
Why do you volunteer?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byI volunteer because......
VJYoung says:
I volunteer for many reasons, a lot of you have listed here. Having a support system to help control my weight is a primary one. Thank you for mentioning EnviroCorps!
Posted October 25, 2009
Dylan says:
I need hours for my high school graduation requiremnets.
Posted October 19, 2009
KIm says:
because it is something better to do than watch tv or be lazy.
Posted October 03, 2009
Mr.Sir says:
I volunteer because my school makes us if we want to graduate.
Posted October 01, 2009
I don't volunteer
Tools For Finding Volunteer Oportunities
Volunteer Match is a great tool to find volunteer opportunities in your community.
Charity Navigator Your guide to intelligent giving.
Community Service Ideas
Help The Environment
Ideas And Resources
Ideas For Community Service Projects And Activities
- Plant a tree.
- Clean up trash from a park, sidewalk or other public area.
- Recycle.
- Plant a garden and share the produce with your neighbors.
- Start a community garden and invite neighbors to plant produce and help tend the garden.
- Start a compost pile.
Resources For Helping The Environment
Take Pride In America encourages Americans to volunteer in in forests, parks, schools, and other public lands. It also provides information about volunteer opportunities available.
Do Something .org community service ideas to help the environment- Do Something .org encourages teens to get out and do something to help someone else. There is an opportunity and instructions for teens to start their own community service club on the site.
The Adopt A Highway Program Enables organizations and businesses to adopt a portion of a highway to keep clean.
EnviroCorps is a nonprofit organization that provides you with self-directed opportunities to serve your community close to your home. Litter free roads and parks in one of our objectives available to anyone, anywhere at any time.
Help Those In Need
Ideas And Resources
Ideas For Community Service Projects And Activities
- give a homeless person a pair of socks
- give a homeless person food
- give a homeless person a blanket
- help habitat for humanity
- have a yard sale and donate proceeds to a homeless shelter
- buy a gift for a needy child at Christmas
- volunteer at a soup kitchen
Resources For Helping Those In Need
Do Something .org helping those in need- Do Something .org encourages teens to get out and do something to help someone else. There is an opportunity and instructions for teens to start their own community service club on the site.
Habitat For Humanity builds houses for people in need with the help of volunteers.
Red Cross is an emergency response organization that also serves communities, collects and distributes blood, and helps educate about health and saftey.
Brookings Area Habitat for Humanity (BAHFH) is a nonprofit, Christian housing ministry that works to eliminate substandard housing in the Brookings County area.
Help The Elderly
Ideas And Resources
Ideas For Community Service Projects And Activities
- make a craft and give to an elderly person
- rake an elderly neighbor's yard
- help an elderly person carry in groceries
- go to the store for an elderly person
- just spend some time talking to an elderly person
- Sing Christmas carols at for an elderly person close to Christmas
- pick flowers for an elderly person
Resources For Helping The Elderly
Meals On Wheels- delivers meals to elderly people in their homes.
An international organization that delivers emergency aid and to people suffering from natural disasters or man-made crises.
Help Children
Ideas And Resources
Ideas For Community Service Projects And Activities
- help children in your neighborhood do homework
- play with children at a local park
- help children complete a service project
- teach children how to play a game
- read to a child or group of children
Resources For Helping Children
Big Brothers Big Sisters matches children with adults of the same gender so that the children will have a role model and mentor.
The mission of the March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.
Help Your Community
Ideas And Resources
Ideas For Community Service Projects And Activities
- repair an abandoned park
- organize a food drive
- plant a community garden
- organize a book drive for a local library
- join a neighborhood watch program
- clean up a park
- clean up along highways
- clean up graffiti
We identify small communities working towards sustainability, and use a DIY approach to teach community members skills so they may be seen and heard, and compete in a global marketplace.
"This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in."
-Theodore Roosevelt
The Teen Guide To Global Action
This is a book that every teen should read.
Review of The Teen Guide To Global Action
The Teen Guide to Global Action: How to Connect with Others (Near & Far) to Create Social Change
Amazon Price: $10.36 (as of 12/02/2009)
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Community Service And Volunteering News
Here you'll find news from across the web about community service and volunteering.
- Alliant Energy Foundation: Offering community service scholarships
- Judges consider several criteria, including the applicant's leadership experience and community service or volunteer activities; academic grade point ...
- Six properties get city ownership awards
- It is doubly impressive that such a sorely needed community service is housed in such a handsome facility. 618 West State Street is the last building on its ...
- Local community center sees brighter future wth motivated director
- The Booker T. Washington Community Service Center is located at 800 Presidio Ave. in San Francisco. To inquire about their numerous volunteer opportunities, ...
- Plotting out your marketing moves
- While it could sound like a double standard, even your community service can serve as a marketing tool, as can simple conversations with customers. ...
Recent Volunteering And Community Service Blog Posts
Recent blog posts about volunteering and community service from a variety of blogs.
- Nov 30, 2009 @ 12:40 pmPepperdine University Celebrates 21 Years of Stepp... from Serve.gov - Stories of Service Feed
- This past September 12, Pepperdine University alumni, parents, and friends took part in service projects around campus, across the nation, and around the world as part of the 21st annual Step Forward...
- Nov 30, 2009 @ 12:39 pmVolunteer Cracks Exterior and Lets Light In from Serve.gov - Stories of Service Feed
- Feeling overwhelmed sometimes by the magnitude of the poverty, homelessness, and violence in this country and in our world, a volunteer learns to keep giving, keep loving, keep trying. 'You never run...
- Nov 30, 2009 @ 12:35 pmSports Plus Benefits from Serve.gov - Stories of Service Feed
- My partners and I have started an off season youth football camp to better prepare the youth of our community in the fundamentals of the game and at the same time keep them occupied and off the street...
- Nov 24, 2009 @ 7:05 pmReviewed: Joyful Volunteering, Together We Can from Engaging Volunteers
- The everyday business of recruiting and coordinating volunteers can leave you lost in a maze of training programs, background checks and program management. Somewhere along the way, you lose sight of...
- Nov 24, 2009 @ 2:17 pmBookmarks: Changents.com from Engaging Volunteers
- Here?s some refreshing news: amidst penny-pinching times, the online social action site Changents.com has plenty of spare change, and they?re making it easier for you and your nonprofit to share the w...
- Nov 23, 2009 @ 4:23 pmMore Employees Are Volunteering: LBG Report from Engaging Volunteers
- With fundraising on life-support right now, there is mounting evidence that volunteering is carrying the bulk of the weight in U.S. philanthropy right now — and much of it is being led by corpor...
- Nov 23, 2009 @ 2:19 pmPlanting Trees to Celebrate Global Youth Service D... from Serve.gov - Stories of Service Feed
- In celebration of Global Youth Service Day 2009, high school students in El Paso planted tree seedlings behind three major non-profit organizations to provide a windbreak and safety screen for their o...
- Nov 23, 2009 @ 2:18 pm An MLK Day Experience to Not be Forgotten from Serve.gov - Stories of Service Feed
- I am currently serving my second AmeriCorps term with Youth Service Opportunities Project (YSOP) in Washington, DC. YSOP coordinates opportunities for youth to engage in meaningful service in Washingt...
- Nov 23, 2009 @ 2:18 pmNational Blood Drive Honors Legacy of Cesar Chavez from Serve.gov - Stories of Service Feed
- The College Assistance Migrant Program Alumni Association will launch the 2nd National Cesar E. Chavez Blood Drive Challenge in March 2010. This national service learning program promotes the engageme...
- Nov 23, 2009 @ 2:17 pmJoy Found in Supporting Veterans from Serve.gov - Stories of Service Feed
- In my hometown of Reno, Nevada, about 60 low income, older veterans live in a subsidized-housing complex. Most live alone and have no family living nearby to help. The majority of them have no cars or...
- Nov 23, 2009 @ 2:17 pmWisconsin Fraternals Help Community Year Round from Serve.gov - Stories of Service Feed
- The members of Western Fraternal Life Association Lodge #144 in Mosinee have made addressing community needs their top priority.
- Nov 18, 2009 @ 11:00 pmNational Service Agency Promotes Funding for Veter... from Serve.gov - Newsroom Feed
- On the heels of Veterans Day, the Corporation for National and Community Service hosted a conference call today to promote funding opportunities to support programs that leverage veterans' skills and...
Tweets From People Who Love Volunteering
Twitter is full of people who love volunteering. Follow some of these great people, or just read what they have to say.
- @spacepal Hi SP, I'm back stalking you via google/fb/le tweet. Oh I've missed our overcommunication :) Lemme know if u want volunteering...
- is anyone volunteering this for me? http://www.mobiletor.com/2009/11/28/iphone-3gs-supreme-for-1-92-million/ iphone worth 1.92 $million :D
- @leilabanijamali Haha thanks for volunteering to help in what way you can! ^_^
- @kitestring I agree but I'm neither COOL or YOUNG!? You volunteering? Yay, Chris!! :)
- excited about volunteering @ the Celebration of Life program tomorrow :) who's joining me??
- @TheEllenShow I'm planning on volunteering Xmas eve & day @ Midnight Mission for Skid Row in Downtown LA. What are YOU doing for Xmas? :)
- Aaaaaaaaand I just found an aidsbuzz volunteering thing :) this is PERFECT! #happy
- @DonnieWahlberg hahaaaaaa LOVE IT!!!! And Love you!!!!!!!! u KNOW I'm comin to Boston!!! Can't wait! I'm volunteering for a rubdown! :-)
- Finally done volunteering. :)
- Why not? It sure seems like a good idea. RT @seeJillrun: R u volunteering Larry? :)
What's Your Favorite Way To Volunteer?
How do you like to volunteer?
What others are saying...
Call To Action
If you were inspired by this lens (article) then act. Don't wait to act, act now! If you join squidoo and create a lens about a volunteer or community service project you can leave the link below. Or if you're already a member of Squidoo and have a lens about a volunteer or community service project then feel free to add it below.
Feed the Homeless During the Holidays
What's the first thing you think of when you think more...0 points
My Other Community Service And Volunteering Related Lenses (Articles)
These are other lenses (articles) that are closely related to community service and volunteering.
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Horse Themed Gifts (Proceeds Go To Charity)
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Do you love horses? Do you love anything with a horse on it? If you answered yes to any of these you are in the right place. This lens (webpage) is full of wonderful horse themed gifts. Any of these products will make a perfect gift for yourself or t...
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Care Packages For The Homeless
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Many, many folks were touched by my lens, Homeless In America. They want to know how to help. Here, I set out to show you how you can make a difference. Having done more research into the homeless plight, this lens gives you my current top five recomme...
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Open Letters To Humanity
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Has winter penetrated so deep as to reach out hearts? Are we so cold inside that the thought of helping others no longer warms us? Am I just expecting too much from my fellow man? These are questions that I have been asking myself lately. Answers to...
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I Walked On Fire :Fire Walk For The Visually Impaired 2009
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"My family is calling me crazy, but I have decided to participate in the Fire Walk For The Visually Impaired. Yes I am serious and no I am not crazy. I have no experience in firewalking, but I could not pass up the opportunity to do this for charit...
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Homelessness in America
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What if the cupboards are bare and you don't even have a cupboard or a house any more? Do you hit the soup kitchen? Hope the nearest homeless shelter has a bed? What if you have children and can't put a roof over their heads or food in their...
Know Any Good Community Service And Volunteer Organizations?
Let me know what you think
Tell me about your experience with volunteering.
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Reply
- LeanneChesser LeanneChesser Nov 4, 2009 @ 12:08 pm
- Crystal, thanks for the chance to add my lens to the plexo here. This is a great resource for community service and volunteering ideas. Returning the lensroll to my feed the homeless lens.
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Reply
- Evelyn_Saenz Evelyn_Saenz Oct 19, 2009 @ 4:25 am
- What a wonderful job you are doing teaching your children how to help others.
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Reply
- shajo shajo Oct 17, 2009 @ 10:47 pm
- Great lens with an important message! Thanks! :)
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Reply
- OhMe OhMe Oct 15, 2009 @ 6:34 am
- Well, I had the same idea to drop back here to bless this wonderful lens and I will do just that. Do you know anything about the Disney project where they are giving away free tickets to people who volunteer for one day?
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Reply
- lasertek lasertek Oct 14, 2009 @ 9:19 pm
- This is a good lens. Reminds people that it is our responsibility to help the community. Great job!
Visit my lens as well if you got the time. Thanks
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by luvmyludwig
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