Brand New Program! In October 2011, VCS is introducing our VolunTEEN program that offers easy, fun, and rewarding 3- hour projects on the third Saturday of each month (dates may change due to Holidays). These events are open to teens age 12-18. Email Christine Wallace for more information – cwallace@volunteersac.org.

Upcoming VolunTEEN Opportunities

• January 21 @ Harvest Sacramento
• February 11 @ Sacramento Food Bank
• March 17 @ TBA

It’s never to early to volunteer! In fact, most Junior High Schools, High Schools, and Colleges require community service hours to graduate. To help youth complete these requirements and make finding youth volunteer opportunities easier for everyone, the Volunteer Center of Sacramento has included a special search capability for youth friendly volunteer opportunities.

To find these opportunities, visit the Volunteer page and check the box that reads “Volunteer Opportunities for 18 and under”. Please note: each opportunity has a different minimum age so be sure to pay attention to the age requirement.

The Volunteer Center of Sacramento has also published a Youth Volunteer Directory. The Directory is a comprehensive listing of non profit organizations what welcome youth as volunteers. The Directory highlights a wide range of opportunities open to youth like working with animals and mentoring children to planting trees and sorting donated clothing. This helpful publication is available at no cost (although donations are welcome) to youth, parents, teachers, or administrators in hard copy, email, or a downloadable PDF form. Contact us to request a copy or Download the Youth Volunteer Directory here.

A companion publication to the Youth Volunteer Directory is Get Involved! A How-To Volunteer Guide for Parents, Teachers, and Youth written by Mary Lynn Perry, a local Manager of Volunteer Services. This How-To Guide includes helpful hints and tools that address youth volunteering issues and barriers. The book explores reasons for youth volunteering, benefits, types of volunteering, how to approach volunteering, what to expect, and how to track the experience for use on college and job applications. Download the How-To Guide here.