Volunteer Hour Ideas

By Vanessa Castillo, Staff Reporter

PAULA MULROONEY/The Shamrock

The class of 2020 is the first to be required to complete community service hours in order to graduate. Many seniors are currently struggling, rushing to complete them in the last days leading to the deadline to submit hours, April 30.

“I didn’t receive a lot of information from the school on where and how to gain my volunteer hours, so I procrastinated and waited until my senior year and now I’m struggling to find places where I can volunteer 40 hours,” senior Kyla Roxas said.

Clubs are most commonly used for volunteer opportunities. A lot of club members complete their hours quickly and efficiently, since they do not have to go out of their way to seek different volunteer opportunities. Instead, hours are handed to them.

“Being a president in a club is very rewarding knowing that I'm able to give those who can’t find volunteer opportunities fast enough and that it will be effective for them,” Educators Rising President Mya Lynd said.

Animal shelters are also popular, although some shelters do not allow students to interact with the animals until age 18. However, in Long Beach, there are certain animal shelters where minors can volunteer and read to the animals. It is a fun and easy way to fulfill hours while helping furry friends.

An easy place to volunteer is the local library. Many libraries need assistance in organizing the books and helping with kids afternoon activities. Libraries help an individual get involved with the community while completing hours as well.

“It was a fun and a simple job I did over the summer to keep me busy where I gained 10 hours checking reading logs for the summer reading program and helped guide activities,” senior Sofia Glitch said.

Big Brothers and Big Sisters is another amazing volunteer opportunity. It is an organization in Orange County that allows students to be a mentor for kids from age 6-16 up to twice a month for 90 minutes. The organization aims to increase the connection in youths who feel alone and help them realize the potential they have.

With these various community service opportunities, leaving it until senior year to finish volunteering could be avoided. Finish your hours quickly and enjoy the rest of your high school years without having to worry about completing 40 hours of community service in one semester. For more opportunities, visit the counseling website.