Volunteering creates a substantial impact worldwide as it improves the social associations, connects workers, and assembles a firm and secure neighborhood. Volunteering is not just an act of making a difference in the community; it is also an opportunity to develop interpersonal skills, feel fulfilled, and form connections. Nowadays, students rely on social media to relieve stress, however, volunteering is a better avenue to clear your mind as it counteracts the effects of anger, stress, and anxiety. Personal interaction and involvement through formative tasks are the food for good health. Students get numerous volunteering options during their high school days. Most get involved with public institutions and school clubs. Students get a well-deserved break from school studies where they perform constructive activities towards an amiable and cleaner atmosphere. 

Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, most organizations had to close and teenagers had to break their routine of volunteering. Now, those institutions have implemented new tasks to take precautions for safety. For example, the public libraries have started virtual programs for children and teens can volunteer to organize them.

Here at Seminole High School (SHS), there are several clubs that allow students to learn and volunteer. 

Red Cross 

Red Cross is a humanitarian organization that supports victims of disasters by providing shelter and food; collects and supplies platelet and blood donations; advocates disaster preparedness, and certifies the public about necessary medical emergencies like CPR. The Red Cross Club (RCC) is a student-led organization that allows members to participate in a variety of activities such as International Humanitarian Law (IHL) training, hurricane preparedness, and smoke alarm installations. 

The RCC president, Himashi Liyanarachchi, notifies, “This school year we have had to move everything virtual, which unfortunately takes out a lot of the events that we usually do including sound the alarm, and totes of hope. However, we have been working to present students with virtual volunteer opportunities. Some of these include creating digital cards, trainings, guest speakers, and participating in region-wide presentations. For now, the Red Cross has postponed all youth volunteer activities until January 2021. Thus, we have not had any in-person events nor do we plan to, just out of safety and respect of the Red Cross guidelines. We have actually had an increase of club members this year from around 80 to 140 members! Also, all of our volunteering as of now can be completed at home.”

Key Club

Key Club is a student-led organization that builds character and encourages leadership among members by serving the community. Students get opportunities to volunteer and organize a variety of projects. The members can participate virtually or face to face. 

The president of Key Club, Chandana Karumanchi, informs, “We offer Kiwanis off-site events that are socially distant and require masks. We volunteer with the Tools 4 Schools organization as well as the Picnic project among other things. Last year we were able to help out at the Golden Age Games at school. We are actually super happy that we had an increase of membership this year (over 50 members). We are not requiring outside service projects. We have been doing virtual service projects using online platforms like Canva and UNICEF websites.”

Find Places To Volunteer Outside of School!

There are several public institutions that accept high school students as volunteers. You might want to check out religious organizations like churches and temples; the local libraries that offer creative projects; or even health centers. Try to find your area of interest by experimenting in different fields without the need for long term commitments. 

If everyone takes simple, conscious tasks, they will all add up towards a large, positive change that will benefit the whole world.