<p>Hey all! So, I've been volunteering in high school, and I do it because I actually want to help out others. However, in your experience, has volunteering been pretty pointless? At my high school, our National Honor Society can only come up w/ things like a) making a turkey table ornament for a senior citizens home be4 thanksgiving and b) serving food at a senior center that ALREADY HAS A STAFF to do it for us.
I've also volunteered at a hospital. But I end up doing nothing. It's not because I don't ask...I do...but they are well staffed too.
Who else has been through this? And has anyone had some meaningful volunteer experiences through organizations?</p>
<p>Deffinetly, I'm a junior in HS, and I volunteer regularly at the American Red Cross Donor Room. I love it; it's relaxing, makes you feel good, and you get unlimited refills on the orange punch stuff..</p>
<p>Check it out</p>
<p>-David</p>
<p>You can get excellent volunteer experience by thinking about ways in which you can use your skills and interest to make a difference in the world, and then creating ways to do so.</p>
<p>For example: If you don't like the activities that your NHS comes up with (and I agree with you that they sound uninspiring), then suggest some things that are exciting and truly useful.</p>
<p>Here's a link to things that young people have done that have provided excellent services to others. These teens didn't just complain about the lack of interesting volunteer things to do, they created opportunities that provided major services to others: <a href="http://www.barronprize.org/winners/05winners.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.barronprize.org/winners/05winners.htm</a></p>
<p>I like volunteering, but I'm not the kind of person who would come up with like large service projects. I'm just in Key Club now. The volunteering is okay, but not too much meaningful. The most meaningful and recent thing I did was help take care of kids in this like School sponsored day care thing(it's like 1 night every month.) That was pretty fun. Other times I really don't know why we are there. This one time I spent like 5 hours blowing up balloons for this like Cancer Night Walk thing. That wasn't that fun. Then another time I worked in a thrift store. It was okay. Only sometimes is it actually meaningful.</p>
<p>Landmark Volunteers. Enough said.</p>
<p>Sciencenerd, i have an idea. I'm in key club, and i founded our school's chapter of the Read and Lead program this year. You said you enjoyed working with kids, so this could definitely be a wonderful opportunity that i think you would enjoy. </p>
<p>It's a partnership between your hs and a nearby elementary school. You go after school (30-60 minutes) and read to kids, mostly kindergarteners or first graders. The elementary school will provide age level appropriate books. </p>
<p>It is seriously an <em>amazing</em> experience. I love it so much. I understand what you mean about the programs that don't feel meaningful; i've had my fair share of those. But R&L is extremely rewarding- you get to be like a big brother/big sister or a mentor to your buddies.</p>
<p>Also, i'm a key club officer, and i know we definitely have a lot of trouble finding good programs for every coming month. Perhaps your KC faces the same issues? If so, you should look into R&L some more, and bring it up for consideration with your officers. Who knows, maybe you could be a committee chair for the program, which would bring you leadership opportunities in addition to a wonderful volunteer experience.</p>