Introduction | Summer Needs | Great Ideas | Resources for Getting Started
President's Volunteer Service Award
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With most schools closed, many individuals, families, and groups have extra time on their hands. What better way to spend that time than volunteering in your community. For those who already volunteer, summer may be the time to expand your commitment in helping to build a more compassionate America.

Volunteer support is especially important during this time of year because issues like hunger, senior companionship, environmental conservation, at-risk youth and public safety don’t take a summer vacation.

The good news is, finding the right volunteer activity in your area is easy. You can help an existing volunteer organization on your own, as a family, or with a group of schoolmates or colleagues. If you see a need that isn’t listed or isn’t yet being met, you can create your own plan to help make a difference.

Every one of us can do something to make a difference – volunteering as a coach, mentoring a child of a prisoner, helping out at a food bank or homeless shelter, cleaning a park, learning how to respond to a natural or manmade disaster, or building a playground. The opportunities are endless!

• Use the USA Freedom Corps Volunteer Network to search hundreds of thousands of volunteer opportunities from organizations in your community and area of interest.
  
• Learn how you can spend your summer meeting some important Summer Needs.
  
• Borrow some of the Great Ideas we have put together to decide how you can help out this summer.
  
• Once you have a good idea for how you want to volunteer, you can use our Resources for Getting Started to help you on your way.
  
• Keep track of your volunteer hours and earn the President’s Volunteer Service Award.

Summer of Service Initiative

Summer of Service is a national coalition of major youth-serving organizations that are committed to engaging youth in service during the summer months and recognize the potential of youth to identify issues, develop projects, and provide lasting benefits to the communities in which they live through volunteer service. Any organization that deals with youth ages 5 to 21 is encouraged to become part of the initiative. Sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service in collaboration with USA Freedom Corps, Summer of Service is supported by AmeriCorps, SeniorCorps, Learn and Serve America, VISTA, the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), and hundreds of non-profit organizations nationally.

• Learn more