Volunteering in your community is a great way to fulfill your community service requirement for high school, enhance your resume, and make a difference in your community. 

Being a volunteer can provide:

  • a sense of community involvement 
  • a feeling of satisfaction in helping others
  • the opportunity to work for an organization that you believe in
  • a standout feature on your resume
  • a relevant talking point for interviews

When volunteer experience is listed on your resume, it shows demonstrated work ethic, even in an unpaid setting. In some cases, the position can be even more highly regarded than paid work if it has provided you with a set of skills or knowledge that is useful in the position you are applying for.

Volunteer experience can demonstrate desirable characteristics when applying for employment, such as:

  • Willingness to Work – letting employers know that you take initiative, and that the benefits you seek from your work can be even more meaningful to you than simply financial compensation. 
  • Desire to Help Others - showing that you are a team player and work well with others, always eager to lend a helping hand.
  • Transferable Skills and Knowledge – your learned experience is a key asset in any field, as many of the skills that you’d acquire while volunteering are essential in any workplace.
  • Time Management – proof that you can multitask and manage your work schedule around everyday activities like school and hobbies.

Volunteer Opportunities

Consider volunteering for a one-day event. Volunteer organizations are generally small-staffed, so they need to recruit lots of volunteers for a huge event. This short-term community service idea is ideal for teens who can’t make a weekly commitment but still want to help out. Offer your help taking registrations, handing out water bottles, cleaning up after, or other administrative tasks for an event.               

Help pets in need at your local Humane Society with duties that can include feeding, cleaning, and walking animals, as well as sorting donated goods at the shelter.           

Organize or participate in a sleep out. Experience the difficulties that homeless people face every day while raising money and awareness for homeless or at-risk youth.

Visit a retirement home and spend time doing fun activities with the elderly who lack immediate family.

Volunteer at a homeless shelter. There are multiple different volunteer options, such as preparing and serving food to people in need.

Deliver food to those who are unable to leave their home.

Find local opportunities through United Way HPE and lend a hand to one of their various partner organizations.

If you’re having trouble finding a volunteer position, you can register with Volunteer + Information Centre of Hastings and Prince Edward Counties and be matched with opportunities that align with your interests, skills, and goals.  

You can even use their online Volunteer Database to browse all open roles at a given time.