<p>I don't know where to get my service hours from.</p>
<p>Sure, I can join the city marching band and earn 20-ish per parade; but that's hardly exceptional, and I'm afraid I won't have enough time. </p>
<p>I did do 100 service hours through a city program for summer camp counselors the summer before ninth grade, but that doesn't count for my high school and I didn't get any documentation for it as I was being stupid.</p>
<p>I suppose I'll get service hours for a club I'm doing at the middle school, but I haven't been marking down how many meetings we have (I only get one hour per meeting).</p>
<p>But because of my extracurriculars, I'm not sure if I'll have time for volunteering anymore. I'd tutor kids in math at our library, but I believe you have to be either a junior or a senior to do that (and you have to have much more time on your hands than I do). </p>
<p>Any ideas for volunteering that isn't too time-consuming and is more of a long-term thing (I don't want to make up my volunteer hours of a thousand tiny, one-hour arrangements)?</p>
<p>There are probably a lot of small non-profits around your area that you could volunteer at. For instance, I volunteer at a community thrift shop/food pantry that’s about ten minutes away. Some people also volunteer at animal adoption centers, libraries, and other places. </p>
<p>Google charities in your area. Animal shelters always need volunteers and it’s fun too. Check your local library. Homeless shelters and food banks are common. Hospitals and the red cross usually allow you to volunteer (although red cross is all old people in a lot of areas so check to see if yours has a good youth program because it might feel awkward). Volunteermatch.com usually has a lot of opportunities. </p>
<p>There’s a Red Cross club at my school (I swear, my school has a club for almost everything), but it’s not very active. Our library does have tutoring options and shelving stuff, but it’s generally a very large time commitment and you have to be free on days when I’m not. I’m afraid of a lot of animals (whoops), but I may be able to volunteer at the homeless shelter.</p>
<p>If you are thinking for National Honor Society, then our school says the summer before 9th grade counts. </p>
<ol>
<li>Community service activities, volunteer and charitable work. </li>
</ol>
<p>A minimum of 100 hours, from the start of 9th grade through the time the
application is submitted, must be completed in order to be eligible for membership (this includes the summer following 8th grade)</p>
<p>You can go back and get someone from the program as a reference for you. </p>
<p>Are you involved in any religion? You can do stuff at your church/temple. My daughter joined the church praise band and that counts as community service. She got a bunch helping at Vacation Bible School.</p>
<p>My daughter also volunteers at the hospital 3 hours a week.</p>
<p>What are your extracurriculars? What are your interests?</p>
<p>I honestly have no idea how my school’s NHS even works; I think that only seniors can join. I need 40 hours for graduation requirements; at my school, the summer before ninth grade doesn’t count.</p>
<p>My school doesn’t allow any religiously affiliated activities, so I can’t volunteer at my temple. </p>
<p>My ECs are large and varied–Model United Nations, a literary magazine, robotics… I enjoy doing a lot of things (the only things I don’t like are economics, business, and biology). </p>
<p>Are there any local animal shelters in your area? I know many are in great need of volunteers, and I know lots of kids that get service hours from that.</p>