NCFY Recommends: Help Youth Volunteer Beyond MLK, Jr., Day of Service

Are you and your youth taking part in Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service today? We hope so, and we hope you’re able to sustain the momentum you gain today and keep your young people involved in the community throughout the year. Here are some resources you can use to help youth find projects that match their skill sets and interests and fit their schedules:

• Teens who text “DoSomething” to 38383 can receive weekly suggestions from DoSomething.org, a national organization for teens who want to do good, on ways to take action in their communities.

• GenerationOn, a nonprofit that promotes youth volunteerism, has a searchable database of volunteer opportunities for teens.
   
• Young people who worry they can’t do community service because of their busy schedules or lack of transportation might be interested in online volunteering. They can go to the free listing service VolunteerMatch, which has a “virtual opportunities” filter in its online database. You can also point youth to TakingITGlobal's guide to online volunteering (PDF, 1.29MB).

More from NCFY

"NCFY Recommends: Getting Youth Involved in Community Service"
"Primary Sources: Through Community Service, Youth Make Friends and Influence People"
"Lend a Hand: A Guide to Volunteering for Youth"
"Bright Idea: Bring Animals and At-risk Youth Together, and Everyone Wins"

Photograph courtesy of Corporation for National and Community Service.