Late last month, Ian mentioned the Huffington Post's story about the potential postive effects this recession may have on teens, including the possible reform of exorbitant shopping habits. I would like to take this opportunity to point out another positive side effect that wasn't mentioned in the Huffington Post--the recession has encouraged more teens to become involved in community service. In fact everyone is spending more time volunteering. As the national unemployment rate rises to 8% the number of volunteers has risen along with it to almost 16%.So that is good news right? It's great news! Various studies conducted throughout the years confirm that teens like to help out but often need support from schools, families, or community organizations to get them started and encourage them to continue. A study entitled, "Youth Helping America" conducted in 2005 by the Corporation for National and Community Service found that 55% of teens reported participating in some type of community service at least once a year. The same study also found that the majority of teens that reported participating in community service have family members or other adults in their lives that volunteer on a regular basis.
This is the perfect time to get involved as a family or as a class or to encourage students individually to spend time volunteering in their community. Here are some websites to help you get started:
Do Something.org
dosomething.org
This is an organization designed specifically for teenagers that want to find local volunteer opportunities that interest and inspire them. Also, the Do Something Clubs could be a great way to get involved as a group or class, check them out!
Oregon Zoo
http://www.oregonzoo.org/Volunteer/index.htm
Americorps Oregon
http://www.oregonvolunteers.org/cgi-bin/display.cgi?page=americorps
And check out this article for additional ideas:
Interesting Volunteer Ideas for Teens
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/882837/interesting_volunteer_ideas_for_teens.html?cat=7
And remember, you can always volunteer at your local library branch!
http://www.beavertonlibrary.org/volunteer/apply.html
