VolunteerMatch Helps Kids Find Opportunities
Resource Links Teens who Want to Serve With Non Profits
Aug 6, 2009
Many teens know the benefit of helping others, and would willingly become involved, except for one small problem. They often don’t know how to go about finding volunteer opportunities that fit their own abilities and interests. Asking teachers and parents may yield the typical responses, but what about teens that are looking for something beyond cleaning up the local park or doing yard work for a neighbor?
Helping Kids Find Volunteer Opportunities
VolunteerMatch is an online database and resource center that brings together potential volunteers with those who offer volunteer opportunities. According to their site, “VolunteerMatch strengthens communities by making it easier for good people and good causes to connect. The organization offers a variety of online services to support a community of nonprofit, volunteer, and business leaders committed to civic engagement.” Some of the organizations affiliated with VolunteerMatch include the Girl Scouts, Habitat for Humanity, and The Red Cross. With 60,000 non-profits and 100 corporate clients, participating, teens are sure to find something that piques their interest here.
How to Use Volunteer Match
Using Volunteer Match is quite simple. Teens access the home page, enter their location and some keywords about their areas of interest, and hit search. Using the Advanced Search tab allows kids to specify that they are looking for opportunities that are “great for kids” or “great for teens,” and also shows teen volunteers a listing of potential interest areas, to help spark their interests. The search engine returns a list of possible opportunities the user may want to explore further. There is even a check box teens can use to search for virtual volunteer opportunities. In addition to searching for specific opportunities, teens can search by organization, or even key in on disaster-relief assistance opportunities in their area.
VolunteerMatch Resources
In addition to helping make connections, VolunteerMatch provides an array of additional features to assist in the process. The site allows teen volunteers to upload a volunteer resume so they can highlight their skills and passions to nonprofits. There is a volunteer newsletter that provides tips and inspiration. Teens can even sign up for a webinar, conducted by veteran volunteers, which will help guide them through the process. Teens can read other volunteers’ stories for ideas or inspiration, or submit their own once they are deep into their own volunteer project. They can even sign up to receive email alerts when new volunteer opportunities become available in their area.
Benefits of Volunteering
Volunteering can provide a host of benefits for teens. They learn crucial decision making and organizational skills. They also develop the ability to work as a part of a team, particularly with people who may be different from them. Most importantly, they learn to focus on someone other than themselves, develop empathy, and gain a better understanding of the world around them. Teen volunteers also benefit from the boost in self-esteem they get from providing help; it gives them a sense of purpose and value.
VolunteerMatch is a great resource for teens who want to volunteer, from those who are new to the experience to those who have volunteered many times before. It can provide the bridges needed for teens to connect with the opportunities in the world around them, and help them make the most of their volunteer experience.
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