Summer volunteering: 10 ways you can give back to your community

School’s out for summer! This means students of all ages have some time off from learning and more time to participate in other things. 

Summer is the perfect time to volunteer. With so many unique volunteering opportunities, there is sure to be something that fits your interests. 

In addition to helping better the lives of others, volunteering can also be a great opportunity to explore what you may want to do as a future career. 

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Below, a few volunteer opportunities to look for this summer that will pack your time off with something worth doing.

Cleaning up a beach and mentoring kids are just two of the many ways you can volunteer this summer. (iStock)

Check out this list.

1. Participate in or host a local park, beach or forest cleanup
2. Find a museum volunteer program
3. Volunteer at a local hospital or health-related organization
4. Be a mentor for kids through the Boys & Girls Club
5. Take care of animals in need at a shelter
6. Participate in a walk for a cause
7. Coach a sports team
8. Start your own organization
9. Organize a food drive
10. Be a tutor

1. Participate in or host a local park, beach or forest cleanup

You probably want to spend some time soaking in vitamin D in the summer, so finding outdoor volunteer opportunities is ideal during this time of year. 

Park, beach or forest cleanups are a great opportunity to clean up your community and also spend some time outside. 

With a quick online search, you will more than likely find cleanups that are happening in your area.

Keep your local beaches clean by joining or organizing a cleanup. (iStock)

You can also get your friends together and organize your own cleanup. 

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Word of mouth can go a long way, so you may be able to gather a pretty large number of people to clean your local parks and/or beaches.

2. Find a museum volunteer program

Museums are often looking for volunteers to assist staff and also share knowledge with visitors. 

There are many different types of museums, so you can choose one to volunteer at that aligns with your interests. 

Volunteering at a museum can help you in your future career endeavors if you choose a setting that matches your goals. For example, if you have an aptitude for science, look for different science-based museums to volunteer for.

3. Volunteer at a local hospital or health-related organization

Hospitals often look to volunteers to interact with patients, answer phone calls, run information and provide support to nurses. 

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Giving some of your time to assist in a hospital setting can be very rewarding and fulfilling.

If you see yourself having a career in the medical field someday, this is a great way to get your foot in the door.

4. Be a mentor for kids through the Boys & Girls Club

There are Boys & Girls Club locations throughout the United States looking for volunteers. 

If you enjoy working with children, this could be a great volunteer opportunity for you. You could make a lasting impact on young children that they will remember for a long time.

If you love working with kids, consider volunteering at a summer camp this summer. (iStock)

You could also volunteer at a summer camp or program. 

5. Take care of animals in need at a shelter

If you love animals, look at an animal shelter to volunteer.

Some common responsibilities of volunteers are cleaning cages, filling food and water bowls, walking dogs and simply spending time with the animals.

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Other places you could volunteer if you want to work with animals are a local aquarium or a zoo.

6. Participate in a walk for a cause

There are lots of charity walks/runs that happen throughout the year that raise both money and awareness for certain causes. 

Scour the web for any walks that are happening in your area over the summer.

If there aren’t any walks happening in your area, you could organize your own and raise money for a cause of your choosing.

7. Coach a sports team

Did you play sports during your growing-up years? 

If you did, this experience likely had a lasting impact on you. Maybe you even had a coach that made a big difference in your life. 

You could help provide a positive experience for young athletes by volunteering your time and assisting a sports team.

Whether you head back to your local high school to help the football team get ready for the season, work with a Little League baseball team or volunteer at a sports summer camp, volunteering can help you get involved in sports again and help young athletes reach their full potential.

8. Start your own organization

If you’ve got some extra time on your hands this summer, and you’re extra ambitious, you might want to start your own organization.

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The options here are endless. You could sell a product you make and donate the money to a group you are passionate about. You could organize a 5K run or a golf tournament to raise money for a cause. 

Any small thing you do could turn into a huge impact and potentially be something you continue for years to come.

9. Organize a food drive

Food drives are a great way to help the less fortunate in your community. 

Food drives are fairly easy to organize and can have a big impact. (iStock)

To organize a food drive, you’ll first have to determine where the food will be donated and then decide how the products are going to be collected. 

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Make sure to advertise your food drive around your community leading up to the day(s) it is held so you can get the most donations possible for the organization you are supporting.

10. Be a tutor

Students across the country are given summer work to complete on their time off from school. 

Being that their summer work is generally focused on the next year of learning, they may need a little extra assistance learning the new topics coming their way. 

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Additionally, motivation to get schoolwork done is hard enough for students during the year, but it’s even more challenging during the relaxing summer months.

If you excel in a certain school subject, offer free tutoring services to kids this summer.

You’ll be filled with joy when you see your guidance helping a young student succeed.