Flockittome is an on-line app allowing you to easily build competitions (Challenges) between groups (Flocks) for volunteering. Flockittome is currently focusing on volunteering efforts to build better communities. Competitions increase motivation for members to form groups for social good. Be sure to use landscape mode for your photos in Flockittome. Landscape mode shows all of the photo you submit.

How Flockittome Challenges Work Challenge: A Challenge is a competition where groups strive to accomplish a specific goal. The group (Flock) that achieves the most—whether it's collecting blankets for the homeless, food cans, or other measurable tasks—wins. Flock: A Flock is a group of people participating in a Challenge together. You can either join an existing Flock, use one you’ve created, or form a new one. Proof: Proof is the submission of an image and text that verifies your group’s accomplishments during the Challenge. Steps to Get Started: Find or Create a Challenge: On the Home page, you’ll see three options: “Newest” for the latest Challenges, “Popular” for Challenges with the most submitted Proofs, and "Joinable Challenges" for Challenges that are still active, public, and allow you to join your Flock. To create a new Challenge, go to My Challenges and select Create a New Challenge. Join or Create a Flock: You can either join a Flock already participating in a Challenge, join a Flock you’ve created, or form a new one by going to My Flocks. To join a Flock to a Challenge, select the Challenge and click +Join a Flock to This Challenge at the bottom of the description. You can join Flocks to a Challenge even after it starts, as long as the Challenge creator allows it. Submit Your Proof: After the Challenge starts, complete the tasks, and submit your Proof by going to the Challenge in progress, scrolling down, and selecting the Submit Your Proof button. Once the Challenge ends, this button will no longer be available. Completion and Results: The Challenge ends on the specified date, and the Flock with the highest number of completed tasks (e.g., collected blankets, drop-offs, etc.) is declared the winner. Celebrate the Victory: Winners not only take pride in their achievement but also receive exciting prizes as a reward for their dedication and success!

416 Volunteering Ideas Knit Hats - If you’re good with needles, knit or crochet hats for infants in local hospitals, especially those in the NICU. Promote the Cause - Use your social media accounts to raise awareness for any of your favorite causes via hashtags, testimonials or videos. Shop for Good - When you’re filling your Amazon cart, use Amazon Smile. The online retailer’s philanthropy arm makes a donation to the charity you designate for every purchase you make. Go Green - Write emails to lawmakers advocating access to solar energy through a Vote Solar email campaign. This is a good one to get your children involved in to teach them about civic responsibility. Get Crafty - Make something for children in need, the troops, seniors and those with terminal illnesses by connecting with opportunities through the online site Giving Artfully. Projects include making knit blankets, cards, clothes and more. Put Together Hygiene Kits - To help girls and women across the world without access to personal products, you can create and donate feminine hygiene kits through an organization like Days for Girls. Get Grammatic - Put your grammar snobbiness to good use by proofreading for Distributed Proofreaders, an organization that digitizes public domain books. Make Blessing Bags - Create care packages of snacks and bottled water to hand out to homeless people you may encounter while driving. Save Energy - Raise awareness for conservation by washing your clothes with cold water and drying them on a clothesline. Learn more at Project Laundry List. Keep Kids Warm - Knit a blanket, mittens, scarfs and more for children in need through Knit for Kids. When you’re done, just mail your item to the distribution center. Become an “E-Mentor” - Your mentorship could help an at-risk student stay in school and eventually graduate. Give your support through iCouldBe, an organization that connects public high school students with professionals in a field they may be interested in one day. Create a Craft Kit - Put activity kits together for sick children at St. Jude’s Hospital or your local pediatric hospital. Kits can be as simple as colored pencils, crayons and a coloring book for a little waiting room fun. Take a Quiz - Answer questions about world hunger, and World Hunger Notes will make a donation to assist hungry people. Donate Spare Computing Power - Your device can help provide world-saving research on causes like stopping the covid-19 virus. Pick an issue you’re interested in, and World Community Grid will use your computer’s idle time to make research calculations with a promise not to affect your device’s performance. Volunteer Virtually - Groups like the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America’s Street Squad spread the word on social media (and with local businesses if you choose) about MS events and fundraisers. Plant an Extra Row in Your Garden - Donate extra produce to a local food bank or soup kitchen. Find out more at the Association for Garden Communicators’ Plant a Row for the Hungry campaign. Run - Download an app like Charity Miles to earn money for great causes just by going on your morning jog or walking the dog. Also, check out sites such as active.com for a list of charity runs in your area. Let the Dogs Out - Sign up at a local shelter to give their animals much-needed socialization and interaction. Get Geeky - Great at technology? Volunteer with Peace Geeks, a group that puts technology in the hands of humanitarian organizations. Find Your Niche - Use a site like Catchafire to find out what organizations need your specific set of skills. Start Scouting - Reach out to your local Girl Scout or Boy Scout group to see if they need any chaperones or volunteers to help with troop activities. Be a Bookworm - If you love books and reading, call your local public library to see if the staff needs volunteers to read to children, check in books or complete administrative tasks. Tutor a Child - Talk to your local school about tutoring opportunities. Most will jump at the chance for you to work with students who need extra help. Host a Car Wash - Grab some friends and spend a Saturday cleaning cars for cash, then donate the proceeds to your charity of choice. Make sure to publicize where the funds will go ahead of time. Buy in Bulk - Shop and then drop (your purchase off at a donation center). Next time you find that once-in-a-lifetime deal on an article of clothing or small appliance, buy an extra one to donate to your local Goodwill or Salvation Army. Teach Tech - Help a senior citizen learn how to use technology such as a computer or smartphone. You can contact a local senior center for a list of potential candidates. Help Get Kids Get Active - Encourage children to become physically fit by volunteering with groups such as Play60, the National Football League’s youth fitness campaign. Opportunities include helping with physical fitness activities in school, fundraising for after school programs and more. Another great group is Girls on the Run. Create and Maintain a Little Free Library - These small outdoor hutches are full of books that you can take for free. They also make it just as easy to donate your own titles. Stay at the YMCA - Help run a children’s program at your local YMCA or volunteer to help with an annual fundraising initiative. Join a Nonprofit Board - Sites like Volunteer Match allow nonprofits to post openings for board positions, often based on areas of expertise like marketing, real estate development and more, so you can share your specific gift with those who need it. Put on a Show - If you’re musically inclined, cheer up patients in hospitals with a live mini-concert through Musicians on Call. Code for a Cause - Use your technical knowledge to help the government improve its services through Code for America. Host an Exchange Student - It’s a great way for your family to learn about another culture while teaching someone else about yours. Talk to your local school about programs or visit Academic Year in America. Become a Coach - Volunteer to lead a child’s sports team through your local school, church or recreation department. Serve Food - Contact a soup kitchen or other hot meal service in your city. These centers may need extra help on the holidays, and they are likely to need day-to-day volunteers as well. Spread Learning - Read to kids at a local school or daycare. Lend an Ear - Visit a local nursing home or senior center to play cards, eat lunch or just chat with residents. Be a Landscaper - Offer to plant flowers and plants in public areas and right-of-ways. Reach out to your parks and recreation department about their needs and speak to your local nursery about donations. Build a Home - Work with an organization like Habitat for Humanity to build a house for a family in need. Send Care Packages - Think about troops overseas. Someone in your congregation likely has a family member who’s deployed, so you could “adopt” his or her unit. Otherwise, check out organizations like Operation Shoebox for tips on how to get your packages together. Clean Up - Spend a day cleaning up a local park. Your city or county’s parks and recreation department will be glad to help you figure out how. Send Encouragement - Write letters to missionaries. If your church doesn’t currently have anyone in the field, call the main governing body of your denomination to find out who needs to hear from supportive church members. Volunteer Idea Based on Your Interests Volunteer Ideas to Get Your Church Group Involved in the Community Pray - Create a prayer list and update website for congregants who are sick or otherwise going through a tough time. CaringBridge is another great resource to keep people updated on illnesses. Hold a Blood Drive - The American Red Cross and local blood banks are always looking for organizations to host. Not only will you be helping the community, you’ll also bring people to your church’s physical location, perhaps for the first time. Offer to Cook - Bring a meal to a local police/fire station (bonus points if it’s on a holiday or during the third shift). “Adopt a Mile” - Sponsor a section of roadway to clean up. Visit your state’s Department of Transportation website to find out which areas of road are available for “adoption,” then make it a priority for yourself or your group to keep that stretch free of litter and debris. Host a Motivational Speaker - Select someone who has dealt with a personal challenge, such as illness or addiction, that could inspire community members to overcome obstacles in their lives. Throw a Birthday Party - Make a day special — complete with cake and presents — for a child or family affected by homelessness. Go through a local shelter or research nonprofit groups in your area. Visit the Homebound - Bring fellowship home to people who are not able to attend church. Get the whole congregation involved up for dates to visit and bring meals. Host a Free Children’s Event - Include games, music, inflatables and other kid-friendly attractions. It will be an opportunity for families from all walks of life to enjoy a day of fun without worrying about cost. Clean Out Your Closet - Give gently used clothes to an organization like Dress for Success, which provides attire to women as a means of helping them achieve self-sufficiency. Other good options include homeless shelters and mission-based thrift stores that benefit causes such as schools. Give Your Loose Change - Keep a jar next to the washing machine to collect loose change, and then donate it to your charity of choice once it’s full. Give Blood or Platelets - If you can handle needles, contact a local blood bank to sign up to donate. Be a Mentor - Donate your time to Big Brothers, Big Sisters, an organization that provides support and mentoring to youth. Bring a Meal - Cook a meal for a family with a new baby, sick family member or other personal circumstance that may make it tough for them to cook. Donate Used Books - A public or school library is a good place to start, but think about prisons and homeless shelters as well. Become an Organ Donor - This is an easy way to do some good after you’re gone. Simply designate that you’re a donor on your driver’s license and if you were to die in a tragedy, your organs could potentially provide lifesaving help to another person. Donate Your Gently Worn Shoes - Organizations such as Soles for Souls provide footwear to impoverished people around the world. Save Old Eyeglass Frames - Donate them to an organization like Lions Club International that will clean up and pass glasses along to needy people with vision problems. Pass Along Your Ride - Ready to upgrade? Consider donating your old car to a charity like Cars Helping Veterans, which will tow your car for free, sell it and use the money to provide food, shelter and other services to wounded veterans. Provide Stuffed Animals - When it’s time to clean out your kids’ rooms, find out if your local police or fire station takes donations of old stuffed animals, toys and books. First responders can give these items to children affected by fires, accidents, illness, homelessness and more. Organizations like SAFE — Stuffed Animals for Emergencies — also accept these donations. Give the Gift of Movie Night - Give those old DVDs to an organization like Kid Flicks, which creates movie libraries for children’s hospitals and pediatric wards all over the country. Transfer Tech - If you’re buying a new desktop or laptop computer, consider donating your old one to Gift My PC, which will refurbish and donate it to nonprofit organizations and schools. This is also a great option for when your whole office is getting an equipment upgrade. Donate Old Medical Equipment - Items such as wheelchairs, oxygen and nebulizer supplies, IV stands and more can go to an organization like Project C.U.R.E. that will pass them along to resource-limited hospitals. Get a Haircut - Ready to chop off your locks? Donate your hair to an organization such as St. Baldricks, Locks for Love or Wigs For Kids, organizations that create wigs for individuals with cancer and other medical conditions. Above suggestions from Volunteer Opportunities You Can Do from Home https://www.signupgenius.com/nonprofit/volunteer-opportunities-ideas.cfm Donate or raise money for your local Red Cross Organize a community blood drive Send cards to soldiers serving overseas For your next birthday, ask for charitable donations instead of gifts Hold a bake sale for your favorite charity Read books or letters to a person who is visually impaired Organize a wheelchair basketball team Participate in a charity race Organize an event or parade for Memorial Day Volunteer to help at a charity auction Participate in National Youth Service Day in April Contact a tree farm about donating Christmas trees to nursing homes, hospitals, or to families who can't afford to buy their own Collect unused makeup and perfume to donate to a center for abused women Help register people to vote Organize a car wash and donate the profits to charity Help deliver meals and gifts to patients at a local hospital Write articles / give speeches advocating financial literarcy. First you should learn about the topics themselves, like calculating housing costs, or understanding personal loans, and then give presentations on these topics. Tutor children during or after school Donate stuffed animals to children in hospitals Organize games and activities for children in hospitals or who are visiting hospitalized relatives Knit or crochet baby blankets to be donated to hospitals or homeless shelters Collect baby clothes and supplies to donate to new parents Organize a Special Olympics event for children and teenagers Sponsor a bike-a-thon and give away bike safety gear, like helmets and knee pads, as prizes Collect used sports equipment to donate to families and after-school programs Volunteer at a summer camp for children who have lost a parent Sponsor a child living in a foreign country, either on your own or as part of a group Coach a youth sports team Put on performances for children in hospitals Give free music lessons to schoolchildren Become a volunteer teen crisis counselor Organize a summer reading program to encourage kids to read Organize an Easter egg hunt for neighborhood children Create a new game for children to play Organize events to help new students make friends Babysit children during a PTA meeting Organize a reading hour for children at a local school or library Donate used children's books to a school library Work with the local health department to set up an immunization day or clinic to immunize children against childhood diseases Volunteer to help with Vacation Bible School or other religious camps Read to residents at a nursing home Deliver groceries and meals to elderly neighbors Teach computer skills to the elderly Drive seniors to doctor appointments Mow an elderly neighbor's lawn Host a bingo night for nursing home residents Host a holiday meal for senior citizens Make birthday cards for the elderly Donate and decorate a Christmas tree at a nursing home Organize a family day for residents of a retirement home and relatives to play games together Ask residents of a retirement home to tell you about their lives Pick up medicine for an elderly neighbor Perform a concert or play at a senior center Help elderly neighbors clean their homes and organize their belongings Rake leaves, shovel snow, or wash windows for a senior citizen Deliver cookies to a homebound senior citizen Take care of cats and dogs at an animal shelter Clean up a local park Raise money to provide a bulletproof vest for a police dog Plant a tree for Arbor Day Place a bird feeder and bird fountain in your backyard Start a butterfly garden in your community Sponsor a recycling contest Grow flowers in your backyard then give bouquets to hospital patients or people who are housebound Help create a new walking trail at a nature center or park Update the signs along a nature trail Adopt an acre of rainforest Help train service dogs Participate in the cleanup of a local river, pond, or lake Foster animals that shelters don't have space for Organize a spay and neuter your pet program Care for a neighbor's pet while they are away Sponsor an animal at your local zoo Train your pet to be a therapy animal and bring it to hospitals or nursing homes Build and set up a bird house Organize a carpool to reduce car emissions Campaign for more bike lanes in your town Volunteer at a nature camp and teach kids about the environment Test the water quality of a lake or river near you Plant native flowers or plants along highways Build a house with Habitat for Humanity Donate your old clothes Volunteer at a soup kitchen Donate old eyeglasses to an organization that collects that and distributes them to people in need Donate non-perishable food to a food bank Donate blankets to a homeless shelter Host a Thanksgiving dinner for people who may not be able to afford their own Offer to babysit or nanny for a family in need Make "care kits" with shampoo, toothbrushes, combs, etc. to donate to homeless shelters Prepare a home-cooked meal for the residents of a nearby homeless shelter Collect grocery coupons to give to a local food bank Help repair or paint a local homeless shelter Donate art supplies to kids in a homeless shelter Help organize and sort donations at a homeless shelter Babysit children while their parents look for jobs Become a Big Buddy for children at a homeless shelter Take homeless children on outings Bake a batch of cookies or loaf of bread and deliver it to a soup kitchen Build flower boxes for Habitat for Humanity houses Organize a winter clothes drive to collect coats, hats, scarves, and gloves to be donated Make first aid kits for homeless shelters Volunteer at a police station or firehouse Become a certified lifeguard and volunteer at a local pool or beach Paint over graffiti in your neighborhood Organize a self-defense workshop Organize a drug-free campaign Sponsor a drug-free post-prom event Start or join a neighborhood watch program Create and distribute a list of hotlines for people who might need help Teach a home-alone safety class for children Create a TV or radio public service announcement against drug and alcohol use Become CPR certified Volunteer as a crossing guard for an elementary school General Ideas Helping Children and Schools Helping Senior Citizens Helping Animals and the Environment Helping the Hungry and/or Homeless Reducing Crime and Promoting Safety Promoting Community Enhancement Paint park benches Donate used books to your local library Become a tour guide at your local museum Repaint community fences Plant flowers in bare public areas Organize a campaign to raise money to buy and install new playground equipment for a park Participate in or help organize a community parade Clean up vacant lot Produce a neighborhood newspaper Campaign for more lighting along poorly lit streets Create a newcomers group in your neighborhood to help welcome new families Petition your town leaders to build more drinking fountains and public restrooms Volunteer to clean up trash at a community event Adopt a local highway or road and clean up trash along it Help fix or raise funds to repair a run-down playground Clean up after a natural disaster Have your child read a book to an isolated senior through StoriiTime. Scan or edit books for people with reading disabilities through Bookshare. Conduct research into global human rights violations through Amnesty International. Help raise awareness and support for PPE, ventilators and senior support through Health4the World. If you have a LinkedIn account, you can help answer career questions for students interested in your field. learn more at Career Village. Subtitle and translate TED Talks to bring ideas to others. Provide tutoring and/or advice to low-income high school students to help them succeed through UPchieve. Remotely help veterans and their spouses with career prep through mock interviews or job search advice. See Hire Heroes USA for more information. Send online messages or mail letters of encouragement to nursing home residents and staff through the Adopt a Nursing Home Program. You can adopt a grandparent in London and have virtual video calls and keep their spirits high while in isolation through CHD Living. Volunteer to be an Online Ambassador with Ark of Hope for Children. Volunteer to Translate with Translators without Borders. Give well-deserved Treats for Troops through Soldiers Angels Treats for Troops. Be an online emotional support person at 7 Cups. Make a global difference with the United Nations. Lend your eyes to solve tasks for blind and low vision people. Visit Be My Eyes. Identify New York Wildlife, map our galaxy or assist researchers in many other ways with Zooniverse. Sew emotional support blankets for Binky Patrol. Proofread ebooks for Project Gutenberg. Track bird populations with eBird. Answer texts from people in crisis using active listening and collaborative problem solving with Crisis Text Line. Crochet or knit afghan squares that will help build blankets for both babies and adults. Send them to Warm Up America. Record audiobooks for Librivox. Transcribe historical documents for the Smithsonian. Send a card, letter or note once a week to someone undergoing chemotherapy. Apply at Chemo Angels. Share your voice and help drive innovation in voice technology through VocaliD. Provide learning and encouragement to children around the world via Skype and the Granny Cloud website. Test, evaluate or develop elements of the National Park Service’s online presence. Raise money in a virtual world with The American Cancer Society and Second Life. Develop video games to help App to Succeed teach youth in need how to make good financial decisions. Train others in technology to help overcome poverty with Right Here at Home. Spread the word by sharing social media posts and important announcements from your favorite nonprofit organizations. Help Harvard researchers learn the best ways to break down stereotypes by taking tests with Project Implicit. Look at satellite images of storm and help researchers predict cyclone behavior with Cyclone Center. Help kids in need when you organize an online fundraiser for Operation Warm. Search your closet to find items in good condition that you’ve outgrown or don’t wear anymore. Take them to your local Goodwill, Salvation Army, or shelter. It’s also worth a call to schools and shelters in your area—most plan several clothing drives throughout the year. Pick up some non-perishables to donate to your local food bank. Certain shelters, fire departments, and foster parent organizations, alongside organizations like Delivering Good, welcome new or slightly used toys and stuffed animals. Whether you have a horde of Beanie Babies collecting dust in your closet, or you have some spare time to pick a bundle up, this is a quick and easy way to spread a little joy. Pick up some trash. Head out to a local conservation area, beach, or hiking trail, and spend a few hours beautifying your surroundings. Start small in your own neighborhood or maximize your impact by looking for events hosted by environmental nonprofits. For your next birthday, ask that people give donations to a charity of your choice instead of gifts. When you drop off the donations, ask about volunteer opportunities. Send a package or cards to deployed troops, veterans, wounded soldiers or first-responders through organizations like Project Gratitude. Or donate used cell phones to help deployed troops communicate through Cell Phones for Soldiers. Create or join a campaign through DoSomething.org. You can choose the cause, the amount of time you have available and the type of service in which you want to participate (donations, face-to-face, events, taking a stand, etc.). For example, you can work to stop friends from texting and driving; raise awareness about domestic violence; or create activity books for children in hospitals. DoSomething is a great way to volunteer on your own schedule, at your own pace, and flex your creative muscles while you’re at it. Collect children’s books and other reading materials for shelters, libraries and schools, then ask if they need volunteer readers. You know how everyone always says “write a letter to your senator?” Write a letter to your senator. Find out when your senators or representatives are holding public meetings; attend them. It’s one of the easiest ways to make sure the issues you care about get to the ears of the people who can fix them. If this develops into a passion, consider attending a social justice summer program that shows you how to add power to advocacy. Offer to rake leaves, shovel the driveway, or do housework for someone in need. It sounds a little Norman Rockwell, but it’s a great way to volunteer without even leaving your block. And people, it turns out, are pretty interesting! You might discover something fascinating about your neighbor or unearth a network of connections that was quite literally just around the corner. Sometimes the internet savvy that you were more or less born with can feel pretty useless—especially when you mostly use it to watch videos of otters befriending crocodiles to the tune of “Love Never Felt So Good.” In reality, though, growing up in the information age puts you at a huge advantage, and it’s pretty easy to spread your knowledge by doing something like teaching computer skills at your local senior center. Math whizz? Science geek? So good at literary analysis that you can’t have a family movie night without lecturing your siblings about What It All Meant? Volunteer to tutor! If you excel in a particular subject, share your knowledge with other students in your school who may be struggling, or work with a service group to tutor underserved children. Itching to feel like Indiana Jones but worried you’re not fast enough to outrun massive boulders? Never fear, he was also a history teacher! Local museums and historical sites often need volunteers to be docents or tour guides, which is a great way to make use of your amateur interest in any number of historical periods. Even if you don’t feel qualified to be an academic tutor, you can use the language you already speak as a valuable resource. Check with local literacy, immigrant or school groups to see if they need tutors for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs. Spend most of your free time on the field? Volunteer to coach or referee with a youth team. Your town recreation department, Boys and Girls Club or Y is probably looking for volunteers, and they should be so lucky that someone with your expertise. Wizard with a pair of knitting needles? Many knitting shops, religious organizations, and libraries have charitable knitting groups where you can put your hands to good use and craft blankets, scarves or afghans for people in need. Got a big vocabulary and a little time to kill? Test your skill on freerice.com. The organization will donate 10 grains of rice through the World Food Programme for every answer you get right. Once you’ve made Webster proud, think of ways to collect donations for other food-relief organizations near you. Believe it or not, the hours you spend on Instagram are good for more than just grandparent-complaint-fuel. Many nonprofits don’t have the bandwidth to run their social media accounts, and just by being a teenager, you’re in a great position to help out! Put the knowledge you’ve gleaned from 600 weekly hours of “The Great British Baking Show” to use. Research charities in your area, and reach out to see if you can organize an age-old bake sale for them. Nothing says “outreach” quite like a fragrant pan of lemon bars. Do you sing or play a musical instrument? Most people don’t! Volunteer to give music lessons to people in your community, or perform at local shelters or senior organizations. Many of these organizations have music therapy programs. Volunteer to run/walk/ride for an event, like Race for the Cure or Relay for Life. Sign up to help with registration, water stops, setup, cleanup and other administrative tasks before an event. Participate in a cleanup day at a local beach, trail, waterway or park. Been told you’re “too old” to trick-or-treat because you’re “in high school” and “at this point you’re basically stealing candy from children?" Never fear. Dust off that old Jedi costume and put on your walking shoes, because no one will judge you if you’re collecting for UNICEF this Halloween. Join other people in your community for an event associated with the National Day of Service in honor of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. This annual day happens in January around the MLK holiday, but the website has ideas on how to stay involved with causes year-round. Mark your calendar! Earth Day is April 22, and a whole slew of nonprofits have planting or cleanup events to give the planet a well-deserved pat on the back. You can also check to see if there are any festivals in your area. Passionate about a local, national, or global issue? Spurred by all those letters you wrote to your senators after reading the first part of this list? See if there are marches in your area that align with your beliefs, or—better yet—start your own! Organize or participate in a sleep-out to connect with organizations that fight homelessness. Thanksgiving is another rallying point for service organizations. Invite your whole family to volunteer with you at a local shelter near the holiday to aid in one of their large-scale meal operations. Once you’ve donated your Beanie Babies, help charities in your area distribute them! Local organizations often host holiday parties or gift giveaways. Check with shelters, foster organizations, libraries, and religious organizations to see when they need volunteers or donated goods. Channel the energy you expend sending dog pictures to your group chat and start use it to help the real lives of real animals. Check the volunteer guidelines at your local animal shelter or ASPCA chapter. Become a mentor to a younger student through organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters. They accept students over the age of 16 for their after-school mentoring programs. Ask your library to see if they need volunteers for after-school clubs or children’s book groups. If you’re lucky, you could wind up performing afternoon puppet shows in a hat and a cape or having glitter thrown at you by a pack of third-graders! Work with special-needs kids or adults through an organization like Best Buddies or Special Olympics. Check out the opportunities at your local chapter of Meals on Wheels, which delivers food to homebound residents. You’ll get to see your community, forge new relationships, and maybe even share a meal with a new friend! Volunteer at a crisis line that relies on teen volunteers as peer counselors. Ask if you can drop by one of your local elder-care facilities to chat with residents who don’t have family or frequent visitors. Love the outdoors? Environmental organizations need volunteers to do tasks like water testing, trail maintenance and animal management. If you’re a science kid, this might be a perfect match for your skills. Sometimes, you’ve just got to live like you’re in a teen movie. Offer to babysit! But rather than watch your neighbor’s fearsome 8-year-old twins, contact a local women’s shelter, foster parent group, or social services department to volunteer your care. Tap into your love of the performing arts and volunteer to usher at your local symphony or theater company. Is your schedule maxed out? Having trouble finding organizations that fit your needs? Here are 10 easy ways to volunteer without making any long-term commitments. You’re More Interesting Than You Think Believe it or not, you’re probably harboring a treasure trove of helpful skills that you take for granted on a daily basis. Here are some tips to help you turn your hidden abilities into fulfilling service! Test The Car Before Driving It Off the Lot Not ready to commit to a regular gig? Volunteer for an event. Nonprofits usually recruit a ton of one-off volunteers for big events like festivals or block parties. By working one of these, you’ll get a feel for the way an organization works before you’ve signed away your life, and you can interact with other people who are more involved than you are. Commitment Is Scary, But Do It Anyway Organizations love it when they can find consistent help – and (fine, mom) colleges like it when you commit to an organization rather than flitting through many different volunteer jobs. Here’s a list of organizations most likely to offer long-term opportunities. Take The Reins and Be the Boss Have a unique idea and a knack for organization? Start your own organization! Here's a quick guide to launching your own endeavor, and here are some of our favorite ideas from teens who’ve broken the mold and created their own volunteer opportunities. Jonathan Woods established the Under the Tree foundation at 12, when he realized that holiday toy drives are often aimed at younger children and exclude teens who are also in need. Inspired by family visits to her grandparents in India, Neha Gupta began Empower Orphans at the age of 9 (!!) The organization tends to the needs of orphaned children worldwide, with a particular focus on access to healthcare and education. After reading a story about child slavery in the Toronto Star, 12-year-old Craig Kielburger began Free the Children. The organization aims to fight child labor on a global scale and has now reached well over 2 million children. Zach Certner and his brother started SNAP, an athletic program for children with special needs, when Zach was just 10 years old. Now he’s 22, and the program is still going strong. Shannon McNamara started SHARE, a nonprofit that provides thousands of girls in Africa with books and school supplies, when she was 15. Kalin Konrad started an annual backyard carnival to raise money for Alzheimer’s research when she was in fifth grade after her grandmother was diagnosed with the disease. Claire Fraise wanted to give dogs who would be euthanized a second chance. At 13, she started her own rescue organization. Liana Rosenman and Kristina Saffran, teens inrecovery from anorexia, started Project HEAL to raise money for teens needing treatment for eating disorders. LuLu Cerone founded LemonAID Warriors when she was 10 to help other kids make social activism part of their social lives. Katie Stagliano started planting fruits and vegetables in her garden to start her hand in feeding the hungry. Her organization, Katie’s Krops, has helped feed thousands of people and has trained other teen gardeners to do the same. Virtual volunteers can complete short-term or long-term tasks, in whole or in part, typically off-site from the organization or person being assisted. If you’ve got access to a computer, thousands of different volunteer projects and roles are available to you — from your home, the library, a coffee shop, anywhere with an Internet connection. Below is a robust resource list categorized by activity, impact area or beneficiaries. Please note, not all opportunities listed below are affiliated with nonprofit organizations. Some will be great for individuals and others more conducive to corporate groups. Keep in mind, there may be fees associated with opportunities for corporate groups. Descriptions are summarized from the corresponding organization’s website and do not necessarily reflect an endorsement from Points of Light. Don’t forget to check in with local chapters of national nonprofits such as Meals on Wheels as many have integrated virtual volunteer opportunities during the pandemic. To find up-to-date virtual volunteering opportunities, aggregated from nonprofits around the world, including projects supporting the COVID-19 response, please visit Points of Light’s All for Good volunteer hub. Find Current Virtual Volunteering Opportunities The following is from https://www.pointsoflight.org/virtual-volunteering-opportunities/ ARCHIVES & GENEALOGY Ancestry.com’s World Archives Program (AWAP) provides free software to its volunteers to access already-scanned images and transcribe them into a common, publicly-searchable database. The Ancestry World Archives Project’s online volunteers use their passion for genealogy to help others discover their roots. Carnamah Historical Society virtual volunteering initiative uses online volunteers to help with transcription and indexing projects to make historical records more discoverable and searchable. Smithsonian Archives of American Gardens is an online database of thousands of images in the Smithsonian’s Collections Search Center. By correctly tagging an image regarding the types of plants in the image, the structures, objects, people, or any details you notice, you help make that image more useful to professional catalogers in museums, archives and libraries. The Smithsonian Digital Volunteer program engages the public in making its collections more accessible. Digital volunteers transcribe historic documents and collection records to facilitate research and preserve these valuable assets for future generations. Disaster & Maps The American Red Cross always has needs for volunteers to act as digital advocates. Volunteers can help generate donations to the Red Cross while shopping for themselves online or by setting up online fundraisers. Volunteers can also help spread awareness by re-post their social media content. Humanitarian Data Exchange (HDX). Key data needed by humanitarian workers addressing critical needs during a crisis, such as a natural or man-made disaster, as well as data needed by other development workers and researchers, is often trapped in PDF documents. Volunteers extract this data into a database so that it can be easily found, helping anyone to visualize trend lines across regions or countries and compare this data to other indicators. Humanity Road volunteers use Internet and mobile communications technology to collect, verify and route information online during disasters. They provide public safety information as well as directing the public to governmental and aid agencies that are providing assistance for the disaster. Map Rectifier Project by the New York Public Library. This geo-rectification toolkit creates layered digital maps utilizing all the information available about a certain geography from sources as varied as Google’s satellite imagery and centuries-old fire insurance land maps. Volunteers index information that records how many floors a building once had or what a street was named at different points in time, and the resulting layered digital map shows the aggregate results. Around the world, millions of individuals are affected by disasters, disease, and conflict. First responders working with these communities often have to cover large areas, but lack the data necessary for an efficient, effective response. Through MapSwipe, volunteers pinpoint where critical infrastructure and populations are located, allowing mappers to focus only on areas where they know features need to be mapped. With your mobile phone, you can play a part in helping communities around the world, one swipe at a time. Each year, disasters around the world kill nearly 100,000 and affect or displace 200 million people. Many of the places where these disasters occur are literally ‘missing’ from any map and first responders lack the information to make valuable decisions regarding relief efforts. Missing Maps is an open, collaborative project in which you can help to map areas where humanitarian organizations are trying to meet the needs of vulnerable people. The National Map Corps (TNM Corps), part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, asks citizen volunteers to collect data on structures and use it to add new features, remove obsolete points and correct data for The National Map database. OpenStreetMap is a free editable map of the whole world. It is made by online volunteers. Anyone can contribute to its geographical database. ENTREPRENEURS AROUND THE WORLD Bpeace is a U.S. nonprofit that recruits business professionals to help entrepreneurs in countries emerging from war to create and expand businesses and employment (particularly for women). Volunteers need a particular area of expertise regarding business development or project management and pay a monthly membership fee. Cherie Blair Foundation Online Mentors. Online mentors are successful business women in the U.K., and mentor online women entrepreneurs in developing countries. Grow Movement recruits online volunteer business consultants from around the world to work via Skype, phone and email to empower African entrepreneurs in Uganda, Rwanda and Malawi, helping them with business skills, enabling them to run their organizations more effectively, increase profitability and create jobs in their communities. Want to mentor the next generation of socially-responsible young leaders? The Resolution Project is looking for engaged, responsive, and caring volunteer mentors (Resolution Guides) to work with undergraduate social entrepreneurs around the world. Over 250+ Resolution Guides serve as virtual mentors to undergraduate Fellows, supporting them in their personal and professional leadership development and in the implementation of a social venture, while building their own professional skills. For over 50 years, SCORE has served as America’s premier source of free business mentoring and education. As a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), SCORE has helped more than 11 million entrepreneurs through mentoring, workshops and educational resources since 1964. Volunteers use their business expertise to answer questions online from small business owners, entrepreneurs, and independent contractors. GENERAL SKILLS Doe Network. Devoted to assisting official law enforcement agencies in solving cold cases concerning unexplained disappearances and unidentified Victims from North America, Australia and Europe. Online volunteers also help translate documents into various languages. MovingWorlds works with individuals, organizations, and corporate-sponsors to create scalable skills-based programs that create lasting change for all stakeholders. Mozilla/Firefox. Did you know that this web browser is produced by a nonprofit organization? “We believe in the power and potential of the Internet and want to see it thrive for everyone, everywhere.” Mozilla involves hundreds of online volunteers, and “you don’t have to be a C++ guru (or even know what that means!)” to contribute as an online volunteer. Nabuur is an online volunteering platform that links volunteers with local communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America so they can learn about each other, share ideas and find solutions to local issues. Nepris.com: host a webinar for students across the country about your career journey or expertise area, or review requests from teachers for talks on specific topics. The OpenMRS community is a worldwide network of volunteers from many different backgrounds including technology, health care, and international development. Together, they are working to build the world’s largest and most flexible technology platform to support delivery of health care in some of the most challenging environments on the planet. TED Translators are a global community of volunteers who subtitle TED Talks, and enable the inspiring ideas in them to crisscross languages and borders. Bring TED into your language! Wikipedia, the largest online volunteering initiative in the world. To volunteer, you simply find an article you have some knowledge of and add information to the entry. Note that Wikipedia now strongly encourages all additions to any entry be attributed to a verifiable source. Available in Spanish, French, German, Polish, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese and more! The Zooniverse is the world’s largest and most popular platform for people-powered research. This research is made possible by volunteers. With our wide-ranging and ever-expanding suite of projects, covering many disciplines and topics across the sciences and humanities, there’s a place for anyone and everyone to explore, learn and have fun in the Zooniverse. To volunteer with Zooniverse, just go to the Projects page, choose the one you like the look of, and get started. HEALTH,WELL-BEING & EMPOWERMENT FOR ALL Join with the American Red Cross to begin a SleevesUp campaign. No blood mobile or space is needed. Simply create your campaign online, and send an invitation to your friends and family members from around the country to join you in donating blood and saving lives. Amnesty Decoders is an innovative platform for volunteers around the world to use their computers or phones to help our researchers sift through pictures, information and documents. Join a global network of digital volunteers helping us research and expose human rights violations. Be My Eyes is a free mobile app with one main goal: to make the world more accessible for blind and low-vision people. The app connects blind and low-vision individuals with sighted volunteers from all over the world through a live video call. Crisis Text Line is a free 24/7 national crisis-intervention and counseling service conducted exclusively through SMS text. Volunteers use the nonprofit’s web-based platform to provide emotional support to texters who are dealing with a wide range of issues– bullying, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and more. Prospective volunteers go through screening and a lengthy self-paced training. Once completed, volunteers sign-up to take one four-hour shift each week for a year. Family Eldercare offers Lifetime Connections Without Walls, which is a telephone activities program that provides opportunities for older adults to connect with others in their community and across the country. We offer social and educational sessions, support groups, and friendly conversation, all from the comfort of home. From facilitating sessions to reminding participants about sessions, volunteers are a vital component of Lifetime Connections Without Walls. Best of all, you can volunteer virtually. All you need is a computer, internet connection, and phone. Girls Inc. focuses on the development of the whole girl in partnership with schools and centers. Girls Inc. invites you to spread their message by becoming a social ambassador. Dedicate 5 minutes every week on social media to amplify our story on social media and share why you believe in the mission of Girls Inc. You can also check out your local chapter of Girls Inc. to see if they have virtual volunteer opportunities in your community. IMAlive is a live online crisis network and a project by the Kristin Brooks Hope Center, To Write Love On Her Arms and PostSecret. Online volunteers must be at least 18 years old, complete at least 20 hours training and a series of tests and screenings, and willing to commit to responding four hours a week for one year, or eight hours a week for six months. They also must pay, or fundraise, a fee to cover training and support costs. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1.800.656.HOPE and the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline. Online volunteers who staff the online hotline have to complete a training course facilitated by RAINN, complete a background check, and be on time for shifts. Sidelines, a USA-based non-profit organization providing international support for women and their families experiencing complicated pregnancies and premature births. Much of this support is provided by online volunteers who have experienced complicated pregnancies and premature births themselves. Millions of refugees and people in need of humanitarian assistance struggle with language barriers. Help give them on-demand language access through Tarjimly. Volunteers download the app and are connected to beneficiaries who need translation support through a live chat session. Trevor Project is an online, social networking community for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth ages 13-24, and their friends and allies. Online volunteers monitor the TrevorSpace site in an effort to maintain a safe online space for young LGBTQ people. Trainings for online volunteers are provided quarterly. Help to bring personalized voices to people with speech impediments or who have lost their voice, VocaliD is aimed at designing personalized synthetic voices so that people with severe speech impairments can use a voice that fits their body and personality. Share your voice and help drive innovation in voice technology through VocaliD. LITERACY BookShare.Org offers thousands of books to people with reading disabilities. As an online volunteer you can either scan books to be added to the collection or edit books that have been scanned. Distributed Proofreaders. These online volunteers turn public domain books into online books, mostly for Project Gutenberg. Many volunteers work on a book at the same time and proofread each other’s work. Learning Ally. Many audiobooks are created with text-to-speech software that scans text from computer files and uses synthesized human voices to read the text aloud. However, illustrations or figures used throughout the books are not included. Online volunteers type those figure descriptions into the text, enabling students to receive ALL book material, not just the text. LibriVox is a nonprofit that coordinates online volunteers to record audio versions of public domain books. Through the online platform, ‘StoriiTime,’ parents can set up a video call with their child and an isolated senior. Seniors can read children’s books to little ones, or kids can read to a senior. This virtual interaction can improve a child’s listening, social and vocabulary skills and support seniors by bringing joy and a connection to an experienced older generation. Translators Without Borders recruits volunteers who want to translate texts into different languages for NGOs and nonprofits. MENTORING & TUTORING Career Village. An online platform where students ask career questions that are answered by people working, or that have worked, in that field. All you need is a LinkedIn account to start helping students become better informed about the career decisions they are facing. CricketTogether was developed in response to an increasing demand for youth mentorship as schools work to instill 21st century skills. The program is a safe, innovative turnkey eMentoring solution that offers employee volunteers a meaningful opportunity to deliver a compelling educational experience for children and teachers across the country. The Girls with Impact Boardroom is the follow-on virtual mentoring program for girls who have graduated from their 10-week live, online Business Academy class that teaches entrepreneurship classes to high school students. During the Academy, girls go from ideation to creating a business plan for a business, non-profit or venture. icouldbe.org is meant to connect the energy and expertise of mentors from various professions with the most vulnerable students in the U.S. educational system. Infinite Family, an online mentoring program matching adults and families in the U.S. with at-risk, impoverished children in South Africa. MicroMentor matches small business owners with business mentors. Volunteer mentors should have three years of business ownership experience, or five years of management experience, or several years of professional experience in a specialized skill. The program is part of MercyCorps. MentorNet, a division of Great Minds in STEM (GMiS), strategically matches STEM students and professionals in compatible online mentoring relationships. Pacific Community Venture’s BusinessAdvising.org platform enables companies to offer scalable volunteer opportunities that are 100% remote – you can volunteer on the phone, over Facetime and video chat, or even on email. If you have expertise in finance, HR, marketing, and other areas that are specifically helpful to serve as a thought partner with small business owners suddenly facing a challenging economic environment, your skills are especially needed now. PA eMentoring is seeking working and retired adults, parents, and mature college students, ready to volunteer 15 minutes per week from your computer as online mentors for teens and young adults. Must be willing to write about and share your own “college” and career story. ScholarMatch makes college possible for underserved youth, from application all the way through college graduation. Community members inspire our students and create life-changing opportunities. Volunteer virtually as a college coach or career coach! The School in the Cloud is a platform, driven by a global community, that connects Self-Organised Learning Environments and the Granny Cloud in an organic movement toward a more inclusive, universal education. Anyone can create a SOLE — spark curiosity in children by asking them to explore a Big Question using the Internet and their ability to work together. Learning happens spontaneously in these purposefully chaotic environments. Skills for Change is known for pioneering programs that respond to shifting immigration and workplace trends and lead to employment. Join their e-mentoring program to assist skilled internationally-educated professionals in their settlement process, language skills development, and provide entrepreneurship guidance. Through StudentMentor.org’s innovative national mentoring program based on its pioneering technology platform, college students can conveniently find and collaborate with mentors from diverse industries and professions to achieve their academic and career goals. In an on-demand, digital age, where your next ride is available via the tap of your finger, why should volunteerism be restricted by city lines? Virtual volunteering can solve distance dilemmas. With online sessions through TeensGive.org, high school volunteers can connect with children attending Title 1 schools across the country. Teen volunteers can host free one-on-one virtual tutoring sessions to help kids with homework or improve their reading, writing, and math skills. UPchieve is a free, online platform that connects low-income high school students in the U.S. with live, volunteer coaches (that’s you!) any time they need it. Coaches provide either math tutoring or college counseling, to help students improve their grades, academic motivation, and chances of going to college. Year Up creates a supportive community for students and they are always looking for new faces to help. A mentorship is an especially personal way to impact a young adult’s life. As a mentor to a Year Up student, you’ll have a unique opportunity to help young adults navigate new experiences and shape their careers. It’s your chance to inspire—and be inspired by—motivated, up and-coming talent in the workforce. You’ll also have opportunities to network with like-minded professionals. SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING CodePath.org is building the largest pipeline of high-performing underrepresented engineers in the tech industry. As a result, many of our students are enrolled in Computer Science (or related) degree programs and come from underrepresented backgrounds. Students are seeking assistance with a variety of goals including technical interview practice, determining their career path, turning an idea into a business plan, and more. Check out how you can become a virtual mentor! Crisis Commons / CrisisCamp mobilizes technology volunteers to work together to create disaster response and learning events with volunteers, who collaborate to aggregate crisis data, develop prototype tools and train people on how to use technology tools to aid in disaster response. Online volunteers need to be experienced, credible IT experts and need to sign up before a crisis. FLOSS Manuals’ online volunteers produce free manuals about Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) in their own language. To date, they have completed 120+ manuals in more than 30 languages, such as French, English, Farsi, Dutch, and Finnish. Geeks Without Bounds is an international coalition of passionate problem solvers working together through the use of technology to assist people whose survival is threatened due to violence, neglect, or catastrophe. Online volunteers need to be experienced, credible IT experts and need to establish a relationship with this organization before a crisis. Volunteers are a key element of NPower’s program success. As part of preparing our students for a career in technology, we engage tech professionals throughout our program to share their knowledge, experience, insight, and advice. Interacting and learning from professionals in the industry is a crucial part to our students becoming well rounded professionals. Connect with NPower students in-person or virtually, in small or large group settings, and for short or long-term projects. NPower can create a customized volunteer experience suited to your team’s needs that readies each student for career success. Pursuit is looking for the best developers and technologists to help train the next generation of tech leaders in NYC. Volunteers can get involved by helping us identify talented candidates in the student selection process, by working one-on-one with Developers as TA’s or mentors, by sharing their expertise as guest speakers and workshop leaders, and helping to shape curriculum. Sciene Buddies Ask an Expert Program is a free online forum where students and parents can ask questions about K-12 science projects. Volunteer experts work together to provide personalized assistance with students who have questions about any phase of their project, from coming up with an idea to analyzing data to displaying results at a science fair. Technovation is a global tech education nonprofit that empowers girls and families to become leaders, creators and problem-solvers. They offer two programs – Technovation Girls and Technovation Families – which bring kids and adults together to solve big problems in their communities. Their Technovation Challenge needs people to judge middle and high school students’ apps and business plans in the April–June timeframe. It is a two hour minimum time commitment, and you don’t need to be technical. Training is provided! TechSoup has a series of discussion groups where nonprofits ask questions about technology. You can log into the community at any time and try to help nonprofits and volunteers with questions about software, databases and more. TechSoup also needs volunteers to transcribe its most popular archived webinars. VETERANS American Corporate Partners provides veterans with mentoring through ACP AdvisorNet – an online network of volunteer advisors from corporate partners who commit to sharing their business expertise and advice with military veterans and their immediate family. Veterans can post questions related to employment, career development and small business. Your company must be a partner in order to take advantage of this opportunity. ACP welcomes applications from spouses of active duty service members as well as surviving spouses and spouses of severely wounded post-9/11 veterans to mentor spouses of active duty service members. Hire Heroes USA works to create job opportunities for U.S. military veterans and their spouses. The majority of its volunteers participate remotely helping with mock interviews, career counseling, or providing guidance on job searches, preparing resumes and filling out applications. SEARCH ENGINES FOR VIRTUAL VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES All for Good is Points of Light’s database of thousands of volunteer opportunities, many of which can be completed remotely. To find virtual opportunities, make sure to put “virtual” in your keyword search under “More options” when searching. Catchafire uses their website to match professionals with nonprofits based on their skills, cause interest and time availability. You’ll find tons of skills-based volunteering opportunities, many of which can be completed virtually. Create the Good is an initiative by AARP to help its members get connected with nonprofits and causes. Anyone can use the site to find virtual volunteering activities in support of a variety of organizations. Enter either “virtual” or “online” in the keyword search, chose any for distance and date, and leave your postal code blank. Crowd4U is a microvolunteering and crowdsourcing platform, an all-academic open and generic platform for “Crowdsourcing for Good,” providing a task pool for microtasks for academic and public purposes. Crowd4U also serves as a testbed for developing advanced crowdsourcing technologies. DoSomething.org empowers young people to enact social change both online or off. Volunteer online through one of their campaigns to help solve real-world problems. Help From Home has a mix of volunteering activities you can do from home, both online and without a computer. Most are microvolunteering – tasks that require just a few minutes or a few hours. Idealist has many volunteer tasks listed on its site that can be completed online. Taproot+ is a marketplace for short-term, individual pro bono consulting projects, curated by the Taproot Foundation. Many of these volunteer projects can be completed remotely. United Nations Volunteers’ online platform connects volunteers with organizations working for sustainable human development. Volunteers contribute their skills online to help organizations address development challenges. VolunteerMatch uses their website to bring good people and causes together. Search through their database of thousands of volunteer opportunities, and be sure to look for those opportunities that are virtual. The following is from https://blog.collegevine.com/32-community-service-ideas-for-teen-volunteers/ Looking for some community service ideas for people your age? Read on for 32 of our favorites. How Do I Find Community Service Opportunities? There are plenty of opportunities for teenagers to volunteer in their communities. The important part is that you find an activity that correlates to your interests and skills and stick with it, rather than going from charity to charity, because colleges want to see that you really care about the cause and aren’t just padding your resume. Make sure you check the age restrictions before you sign up, because some organizations require volunteers to be 18+. Community Service Clubs at Your School There are several benefits to joining a community service-oriented club at your school. For starters, it allows you to be around like-minded peers and recruit others at your school to get involved. Plus, if you start a new club, you’re showing leadership. 1. Amnesty International: Start or join an existing chapter of this human rights organization at your school and fight against human rights abuses around the world. 2. Key Club: Develop leadership skills through this service-oriented club. 3. Students Against Destructive Decisions: Promote youth health and safety in your community and around the country. 4. Operation Smile: Raise money and build awareness for children with cleft palates and cleft lips around the world. 5. Special Olympics: Help people with disabilities participate in sporting events. 6. Habitat for Humanity: Organize a group to help build homes for people in need. (NB: Participants must be 16+ and have parental permission if they are under 18.) 7. Sustainability or environmental awareness club: Educate others at your school and in your community about the importance of sustainability, and host green-conscious events. 8. Tutoring club: Organize a group of students to tutor peers or other children in your community. 9. General volunteering club: Mobilize classmates to get involved with different organizations and causes. You might volunteer at soup kitchens and hospitals, for instance. Projects Through Organizations in Your Community You can use your knowledge and skills to help others in your community as an independent or group activity. 10. Teach computer skills at your local library or senior center. 11. Tutor at a community center, your high school, or another school in your area. 12. Volunteer at an animal shelter. (NB: Age restrictions may apply.) 13. Volunteer at a local daycare. 14. Help out at a children’s reading group at your library. 15. Run social media for a nonprofit. 16. Help out at an afterschool program. 17. Volunteer at a hospital. 18. Donate your time to a senior center. 19. Start a community garden. DIY Community Service Opportunities 20. Send care packages to deployed troops. 21. Collect gifts for children’s hospitals. 22. Start a book drive and donate books to a local library or literacy center. 23. Prepare meals for soup kitchens and homeless centers. 24. Have a bake sale to raise money for a charity of your choosing. 25. Organize a letter-writing campaign to write letters to your state representatives about an important cause. 26. Knit blankets for people in need. Check out Project Linus for tips. 27. Check out DoSomething.org to find projects that our important to you. Through this site, you can specify the type of project, time commitment, and cause you’d prefer. Event Volunteer Opportunities Sponsor or initiate an event to benefit an important cause. You could participate in an existing event or start one of your own. Demonstrate leadership by organizing a group of a participants from your school or community. 28. Race for the Cure: Organize a group to run or walk and raise money for breast cancer research. 29. Earth Day cleanup: Collect trash or clean up a park to promote environmental awareness. 30. Blood Drive: Connect with the Red Cross to organize a drive at your school. (NB: Donors must be 18+ to participate, or 17 with parental permission.) 31. Be the Match Registry: Recruit others to join the bone marrow registry. You could also volunteer and join events to fundraise for the organization. (NB: You must be 18+ to donate.) 32. National disaster relief fundraiser: Host an event to raise funds to help people and communities affected by a disaster. The Takeaway There are plenty of volunteering opportunities for teenagers. Find one for your specific niche, and be sure to commit to your project and follow through. While you can definitely take on multiple projects, make sure you’re not spreading yourself too thin, since you want to show colleges that you’re truly committed to your cause. Interested in making service part of your education? Check out our list of community service-oriented colleges. The following is from https://www.vanderbloemen.com/blog/church-volunteer-opportunities Church volunteer opportunities 1. Holiday Or Special Event Opportunities One-time events are ideal volunteer opportunities for those whose busy schedules don’t allow them to commit weekly. Christmas and Easter services tend to take more hands to pull together all the details, and numerous volunteers are needed. Normal Sunday volunteer roles are multiplied; more greeters, more children’s ministry volunteers, and more parking attendants. Here are a few roles you could implement for holidays or special events: · Fellowship volunteer: have this person pick up donuts, snacks, or bake cookies, and prepare coffee for a table at the front of the event. Great opportunities for this are at Christmas services, Easter services, special events, or group meetings. · Carnival volunteer: have someone volunteer to set up or tear down games, run a face painting booth, or host a table of crafts. · Handyman: know a dad or granddad (or lady!) who is great with a hammer? Put them to work building things, helping with set designs for special holiday programs. · Set up and tear down: this person is particularly vital if you are a portable church, but you will always need someone to fold up chairs and direct others where they go or reorganizing rows of chairs into the right order. This person could also make sure all the technical parts are put away and secured. · Children’s ministry holiday volunteer: this person could help organize holiday parties, make valentines or halloween treats, find creative holiday themed programming for Sunday school or church preschool classes, help make laminated or cutout projects, organize supplies and colored paper, and so much more. · Organizer for Christmas child boxes: Operation Christmas Child is a fantastic way to get little kids excited about being generous during the holidays. This person could set up a way for people to get assigned to a box, turn it in, make sure all the pieces are correctly submitted and coordinate mailing them off. This person could also do similar volunteering roles with an Angel Tree or caring for a specific family or coordinating with a homeless shelter to bless a family during the holidays. Another great way to do this is to organize a “Christmas in a box” - including presents, dry goods/ingredients for a Christmas dinner, ornaments, lights, and a small faux tree to deliver to someone who otherwise wouldn’t have a Christmas. · Organizer for holiday military care packages: deployed servicemen and women are appreciative of care packages, especially at the holidays. Have someone coordinate and organize supplies, packing, shipping, and all the details to keep track of who and where to send it, and what you can and can’t send. This could be several volunteer roles, too. · Christmas decorating volunteer: include someone who has a great taste for design and decor in decorating and trimming the entire church with Christmas cheer! · Easter egg hunt egg stuffer volunteer: this person is vital to a successful egg hunt. Several volunteers could make a great assembly line of stuffing candy and treats into plastic eggs. · Children’s Christmas program/play director volunteer: designate your theater teacher/play director/actor/actress at your church to pull off the best Christmas Pageant ever. Other special events that your church puts on will all take many hands to pull off. You might be surprised who will step up to volunteer when they can commit just a few hours. 2. Family-Oriented Volunteer Opportunities Opportunities that invite the whole family to join in will allow those with young children to serve alongside teens and their parents. Whether it’s inviting whole families to greet on Sunday mornings, or intentionally creating outreach projects for families of all ages, these opportunities will help to include those who might not be able to commit to other volunteer projects. This might involve entire family-friendly mission trips: everyone can do something, whether that’s building walls, pulling weeds, or serving dinner at the end of the day. Regardless of capability, age, or experience, there’s always a job for everyone. Family oriented volunteer opportunities - or really any volunteer opportunity - don't have to be limited to only Sundays and Wednesdays. Try incorporating weekday or weeknight opportunities to serve and you may just find a whole new set of ready and willing volunteers. · Shut in communion ministry: this is a really cool opportunity to bring a little of the church service to someone who can’t physically make it to church. As a family, you could talk to your communion team at church who will equip you with juice, bread, and maybe even a short liturgy to go. · Volunteer to take cards to a nursing home: Kids can make cards and pictures/drawings to share with folks at a nursing home. Your visit and something to hang on their wall will stay with them a long time after you leave. · Pet therapy volunteer: if you have a qualified pet, get involved in visiting those in your congregation that are in a nursing home or assisted living. Kids and cute pets will always brighten someone’s day and share Jesus' love. · Volunteering at a food bank or clothes closet: kids and parents alike can help sort clothes and pack or assemble food kits. · Have a one-day mission trip in your community and do some yard work: raking leaves, picking up sticks, mowing grass, planting flowers or plants, repainting buildings, etc. · Volunteering during church wide “mission week”: Lots of churches have a church-wide mission driven initiative to get everyone involved in short term mission projects around their community. There are tons of roles under this umbrella: o Volunteer as a family to read a scripture passage and light an Advent candle o Collect unused make-up, perfume and other cosmetics, as well as clothes and shoes, for a center for abused women – this small gesture can mean the world them. They can dress up with the clothes and makeup which will help them feel better for the holidays. o Distribute leaf bags during the fall – this will encourage residents to clean leaves from their streets and yards. If it’s snowing where you are, offer to clean an elderly or sick neighbor’s driveway after the snowfall. o Read a book to someone who is not able to – this one is also for older kids. Are there people in the local seniors’ home who are blind or have other disabilities so that they are not able to read? You can bring some joy into their lives, by reading a book to them. o Put together hygiene kits to pass out to the local homeless shelters – you can request donation in your community of mini soaps and shampoos and other things like hand sanitizer and tissue. Get your friends and family involved to make an assembly line to get them done faster. 3. Short-Term Commitment Many opportunities to serve require a long-term commitment. Serving communion, reading scripture, and having an “extras” list for Children’s classes are all great opportunities to invite new volunteers to join. However, it can often feel intimidating to commit to a team setting with no limit on how long someone might serve. Brainstorm ways to invite volunteers into large and small spaces or activities, places that they can use their gifts to glorify God but in a way that is sustainable for them. · Usher: Especially great for more traditional churches, this person could help people find their seats, especially if they came in late and are nervous about finding a place to sit without disrupting the service. This person could also be in charge of bulletins, devices for hearing assistance, collection plates, and giving a cue to an acolyte to head down the aisle. · Greeter: Post someone at the front door with a smile and a name badge that says “here to help!” It’s the ultimate welcome and good morning to have someone open the door for you and ask you how you are. · Connection table: this person is ready to answer questions about small groups, community groups, service times, where and how to give, how to serve, and more. This volunteer is crucial to helping visitors and members take the next step on their journey toward discipleship. · Kid’s check-in volunteer: Designate someone to run an iPad or table to check kids in to Sunday school or childcare services to make sure they children's area is safe and secure. · Coffee ministry: this is often the first table people stop at on their way into church. Have someone ready to make coffee, refill coffee, and make sure the coffee is full and hot before every service. · Roaming greeter: this person plays a key role. They are roaming around the sanctuary intentionally looking for newcomers, first-time visitors, or people sitting by themselves. If it’s your first day at a new church, there’s nothing more intimidating than sitting by yourself as people mill around and chat before the service starts. A friendly face is a new friend and an immediate point of connection and inclusion, especially if you have discipleship or new member structures to introduce people to community groups or membership at the church. · Parking volunteer: Park (pun intended) someone in the parking lot to direct cars to park in the most efficient manner, and designate another member to have an umbrella on the sidewalk to accompany people if the weather is bad. Another idea is to create a “parking ministry” to facilitate the opportunity for members to either pick up, drop off, or carpool with other church members. They can even drive a golf cart from the parking lot to the front door in bad weather or if someone needs assistance walking. · Security volunteer: this person has a simple but important job. If you have a lot of entrances and lots of kids running around, this person stands guard at the door (or doors) and makes sure no kids escape, and that anyone coming in is supposed to be there. This is especially relevant if you live in a big city or in a neighborhood where you might have lots of people who aren’t regular members. They also act as first person to call if there is an emergency. · Communion volunteer: Perhaps you could wait until Sunday morning to ask someone to help serve communion. They may not be able to commit to a particular schedule, but if they are already there, they will most likely be willing. This person could also make sure the bread is broken into pieces and juice is restocked for each service, and the cups and trays are collected and cleaned. · Breakfast team: You may ask this person the night before Sunday to pick up or organize breakfast for the worship band or any volunteers or staff that have to get there early on Sundays and stay for most of the day. If your church has the budget for it, you could even arm this person with a gift card and tell them to pick up breakfast tacos or donuts specifically for the early morning teams. 4. Create specific volunteer positions for key needs There are likely some volunteer opportunities that you don’t have yet because you may not have needed or thought of them yet. Thinking through ways to find volunteer positions for unique positions can help you expand your volunteer base and give people with unique skill sets a chance to jump in. · Disaster Response Coordinator: This person would oversee all volunteer efforts that pertain to the crisis, like home repairs and temporary shelters, as well as overseeing supply and donation coordination. If a tragedy strikes your community, the Body of Christ should be on the front lines of offering hope and healing to those impacted. In a time of crisis, the church needs to be proactive, not reactive. Good fits would be former or current first responders, military professionals, event planners, or public safety officials. · Stewardship Director: This could easily transition into a full-time role if needed. Stewardship of your church’s resources is vital, and so is the stewardship of its personal finances. The Stewardship Director would be a trusted advisor to the church and the congregants, with experience and expertise to lead the “business side” of the church with major financial decisions and debt management. Good fits would be financial planners, investment professionals, banking executives, and retirement planning experts. · Community Liaison: This role would be the eyes and ears of the church in the community. We often hear stories of churches that are full of people ready and willing to serve their community, but simply lack the knowledge of where to start. This person would network with public officials to stay in touch with current needs in the community, or connect with local clubs, scouting organizations, and nonprofits to create partnerships in supporting the community. When a need arises, this person should coordinate and provide volunteers with opportunities to serve the community. He/she should also find and organize resources that are needed within the community. Who would be a good fit? Retirees, local entrepreneurs, retired city officials, and community organizers. 5. Think outside the box Don’t be afraid to get creative with these types of opportunities. These opportunities may require some of out the box thinking, but they’re likely to end up as special volunteer roles that emphasize the unique strengths of your congregation. · Know someone who is a great baker? Have them bake the communion bread. This is a low-key way to get someone involved creatively using their unique gifts, and it is also low-key commitment that may get them thinking of more ways they’d like to be involved. · Is your church located in a ESL community? Find someone who is gifted in linguistics and have them teach an English bible study or class to help reach non-native English speakers in the church. · Are there other kinds of artists in your church body? Technical/AV gifted members in your congregation could help with lights and videos during worship. · Photographers, painters, sculptors, and other visual artists could display their work in the halls of the church · Photographers could also lend their creative eye to taking pictures for baptisms or events. Think beyond the worship band and see how you can utilize other creative skills that are represented in your church community. · You may find a need for a new fitness class taught by a qualified fitness instructor to create fellowship and friendship through working out. · Pastoral care roles with counseling, phone calls, home visits and more are another great way to get those who love to sit and visit or pray with people involved. It is also a great way to take a burden off the pastoral clergy staff at the same time. · Start a Military Ministry and have a volunteer organize events, specially focused small groups or support groups, and parent’s night outs for single parents of military spouses. A great fit for this would be a retired military couple or even a younger couple who has already experienced these unique seasons of life. · Similar to the Military Ministry, you could also start a single parent ministry and have volunteers organize a babysitting directory, fun kid-friendly events, support groups, and more. · Church office volunteers: sometimes the most cheerful part of a visit to a church during the middle of the week is the smiling volunteer answering the phones and helping coordinate all the day-to-day office activities of the church office. · Bulletin folding volunteer: if you don’t already get your bulletins folded, this is a great job for a team of volunteers. They could stock the sanctuary with Sunday bulletins and make sure all the pew cards are restocked. · Marriage mentoring: this is a great volunteer opportunity for a married couple, maybe a retired couple, to share some wisdom with newly married or engaged couples. This will create friendships and mentorships to last a lifetime. They could also organize a list of books and resources your church recommends for marriage and relationship enrichment and growth. · Meal ministry: have someone coordinate an ongoing calendar of people in the hospital, having surgery or babies, and delegate to others to make meals, deliver food, and make sure they are cared for well while they’re focused on other things. · Church van and bus ministry: You could have these volunteers take the buses and vans for regular maintenance, make sure they have gas, etc. This could also include golf carts if applicable. · ASL interpreter for services: if you have someone in your church who speaks sign language, this is a great way to bless those in your congregation who are deaf or handicapped. · Mercy Ministry Team: This person could walk alongside individuals from the community who approach the church for benevolence. · Special Needs Buddy: This person could provide one-on-one or small group assistance, support and friendship to a child with a special need in an inclusive class setting. Utilizing volunteers in a variety of roles is vital not only for a church and its growth, but also an important way to connect with your congregation. By having a wide range of opportunities, your church will have a better chance of connecting with people who cannot make a consistent commitment or may be struggling to find the best way to utilize their gifts.

Flock Basics: A Flock is similar to a group. You can join any Flock that’s marked as “Public.” If you'd prefer to create your own Flock, simply go to My Flocks and click Create a New Flock to get started.

Yes! Follow these simple steps to add a new Flock: From the app menu, click on My Flocks. Select the Create New Flock button. To add an image, click the image icon and either upload one from your library or take a new photo or video with your mobile device. Decide whether your Flock will be Public (anyone can join) or Private (only people you invite can join) by using the toggle button. Once you’ve set everything up, click Create a New Flock to save it—and you've created your first Flock ready for a Challenge!

If you know the "Flock #" You can enter it into the search field on the Home page. You can enter it in the search field on the Home page. Or find a Flock you might be interested in joining through the Challege it's joined following steps: 1. Find a Challenge Browse and select a Challenge that interests you. 2. Choose a Flock On the Challenge page, you’ll see a list of public Flocks available to join. Pick a Flock that appeals to you and click on it's link. 3. Join the Flock Click the "Join Flock" button to officially become a member. 4. Start Volunteering If your Flock is currently participating in an active Challenge, you can begin volunteering immediately. Don’t forget to post your "Proof" in the Challenge window once you complete your volunteering efforts!

Public Flock: Anyone can join a public Flock. It’s a great way to see if you can attract others to join and participate. Private Flock: Only the creator of the Flock can invite others to join. This is best if you want to keep the group limited to certain people. When creating a Private Flock, you can choose from the following who can see the names and profile images of its members: Anyone Only members of this flock Only you Note: If you join a Public Challenge with your Private Flock, you must select "Anyone," as Public Challenges require fairness, so all members, Flocks, and Proofs are to be visible to everyone.

A Challenge is a task or goal you're asking others to complete. For example, you might create a Challenge like "Collect blankets for the local shelter." Participants (Flocks) submit proof of their accomplishments by entering numbers, such as the number of cans donated, hours spent volunteering, blankets collected, or money raised. Essentially, a Challenge involves something measurable. Time-limited: Each Challenge has a set start and end date. Flocks can only join before the Challenge starts, unless the creator chooses to allow joining after the start, which is a common option. Be sure to set a start date far enough in the future to give Flocks time to join. Prizes: A prize motivates participants to achieve the Challenge goal. For example, a Flock might win by collecting the most blankets. You can celebrate the victory by hosting a Zoom party, meeting up in person if possible, or even having Flockittome generate beautiful certificates of accomplishment for just 95 cents each. Get creative and inspire others to make a difference. Flock On!

You can find upcoming Challenges in a couple of ways: Use the search field on the app's Home page to find Challenges that haven't started yet, marked as "Upcoming." You can also explore the latest Challenges by selecting New Challenges or view the most popular ones (with the most members who have submitted proofs) by selecting Popular Challenges from the Home page.

How do I create a new Challenge? Follow these easy steps to create your own Challenge: Click on My Challenges in the app menu. Select the Create New Challenge button. When creating your Challenge, click on the image icon and add an image from your library. Make sure your photo is in landscape mode for the best display, especially if it's taken on your phone. Write a description for your Challenge, specifying what the Flock with the most of something will win (e.g., "The Flock with the most hours of cleaning the park wins the prize!"). Choose whether your Challenge will be Public (allowing other Flocks to join) or Private (only allowing you to invite Flocks). Set the start date and end date for your Challenge. Choose whether to allow joins after the start date (this is the most common option) or only allow Flocks to join before the Challenge begins. Upload an image for the prize by clicking the "Upload an Image For The Prize" icon. Optionally, select "Send digital certificate prizes?" to award certificates to participants or winners. Each certificate costs $0.95. Enter a description for the prize awarded to the winner. Once everything looks good, click Create a New Challenge to save your Challenge. And just like that, you’ve created your first Flockittome Challenge!

A public Challenge allows anyone's Flock to join it. It is a lot of fun to see if you can attract other Flocks to join your Challenge. A private Challenge - notice the padlock. only allows the creator of the Challenge to join Flocks to it. You might want to do this if you don't want other Flocks to compete on your Challenge.

Here are some great prize ideas for volunteers that can help motivate and reward participants: Gift Cards – Choose from popular retailers, restaurants, or online platforms. Event Tickets – Concerts, movies, or local events to offer a fun experience. Recognition Certificates – Certified Flockittome Certificates of achievement (select when creating a Challenge either 1st place or all those with proofs) acknowledging their effort and participation at 95 cents each. Exclusive Experiences – Private tours, workshops, or meet-and-greets with a local figure or expert. Volunteer Merchandise – T-shirts, hats, or bags branded with the volunteer organization's logo. Donations in Their Name – Donate to a charity or cause they care about. Social Media Shoutouts – Feature top volunteers on your organization's social media pages. Volunteer Appreciation Party – Host a gathering or picnic as a fun celebration. Professional Development – Access to online courses, conferences, or skill-building workshops. Recognition Certificates – Custom certificates acknowledging their effort and participation. These types of prizes can help keep volunteers engaged while also showing appreciation for their time and hard work!

What should I consider before creating a Challenge? Here are some key questions to ask yourself: What do I want the Challenge to accomplish? – Define the goal or outcome you want participants to achieve. Should the Challenge be public or private? – Decide if you want anyone to join (public) or only people you invite (private). What’s the timeframe for the Challenge? – Set a start and end date, and decide how many days you want to allow Flocks to join before it begins. Allow joins after the start or not? – Do you want to allow Flocks to join after the start date, or limit it to only those who join before the Challenge begins? What’s the prize? – Think of a prize that will motivate Flocks. You can either create your own reward or choose a digital certificate prize, which costs 95 cents per participant. You can also choose to send certificates only to first-place winners or to all those who submitted proof of participation.

What is a Portfolio on Flockittome, and how can it be used? A Portfolio is a multimedia presentation that highlights your volunteering and leadership skills. It’s a great way to showcase your achievements for college and job applications, along with documenting your volunteering efforts at your company. For Colleges and Universities: The University of California system, for example, has nine campuses and provides a 350-character space on its application form for you to describe your volunteer or community service. Colleges often ask about leadership skills, and Flockittome gives you a visually engaging way to display your leadership and volunteer work in a multimedia Portfolio. You can get a Portfolio URL link to paste into your application. For Corporate Volunteering: You can also create a Portfolio to meet your company’s volunteering requirements. Simply toggle the "Is this Portfolio for a College/University?" option to "Company," then enter your company’s name. To see an example of a completed Portfolio, visit www.flockittome.com. Compare it to other portfolios and see the difference for yourself! Who would make the best impression if you were the Director of Admissions? It’s up to you!

Restarting a Completed Challenge To restart a completed Challenge, update the start and end date/time to a future point. This reactivates the Challenge, keeping all previous Flocks and proofs. Flocks can continue submitting proofs, and new ones can join. Example: Flock A (1st) had 10 proofs, and Flock B (2nd) had 8. After the restart, Flock A adds 6 more proofs (total: 16), and Flock B adds 10 (total: 18). Flock B now takes 1st place, and Flock A moves to 2nd.

To quickly access the Flockittome App on your mobile device, simply use the "Phone Tool" from your main menu. Follow the directions to create a mobile icon on your device's home screen, allowing you to easily open the app with just a tap.

New Challenges: These are the most recent challenges added to Flockittome. Popular Challenges: These are the challenges that have the most users who have posted a "proof".