Sweet summer offers the time to relax on sun-kissed beaches, mojito in hand, gazing off into the horizon. If a beachfront vacation isn’t in the budget, Mom and Dad’s living room may provide the landscape. Summer also lends time for giving back to the community in a meaningful and substantial way. For students looking to spend a little time paying their good fortune forward, opportunities to volunteer this summer are endless.
Perhaps the largest volunteer non-profit covering the Metro Atlanta area is Hands on Atlanta (HOA). The organization links individuals and corporations with volunteer jobs ranging from helping those living in poverty and tutoring and mentoring children. HOA has helped arrange over 6.2 million community service hours since it’s inception in 1989.
There are two different ways for HOA volunteers to go about picking an opportunity that is a good fit. One is by perusing the list that HOA creates for individuals to choose from. The other way is through specialized programs. Two of these programs are youth-based. One of the programs, generationOn is geared towards youths age 15 and up who are just beginning their journey as volunteers. The program even allows participants to create their own volunteering opportunities. Another program, Discovery, focuses on tutoring and mentorships of elementary students in 14 Metro Atlanta schools. The two other programs, TeamWorks and springBoard focus on teamwork-driven events and skill-driven events.
Though it is a major organization in Atlanta’s volunteering community, HOA is not the only way students can get involved. The city has many different organizations for every type of person that needs aid. For an animal lover, a position volunteering at the Atlanta Humane Society may just be the thing to fill lazy summer days. Volunteers who are interested in helping at the AHS must attend a volunteering training class that costs $25 and complete a training course with a more experienced volunteer. The AHS has 9 different types of volunteering opportunities ranging from close interactions with the animals to assisting potential adopters in becoming pet foster parents.
Finally, there is a volunteering organization geared especially towards the artistic soul. WonderRoot is committed to connecting artists with their communities to make a positive impact. WonderRoot works with musicians, photographers, writers and artists from all other mediums. Their objective is to help artists strengthen their own communities through their artistic talent. The company boasts many different work studios including recording studios, ceramic studios, darkrooms and digital media labs. The mission of the organization is for artists to help conduct workshops for other professional artists and young artists-in-training from low-income and at-risk neighborhoods.
These are just a few of the opportunities that are available for students not only during the summer break, but year-round. Unlike a getting a summer job, volunteer work rarely requires past experience and every place offers training. There are many different types of volunteering to fit every type of person.
Get more info:
Hands On Atlanta http://www.handsonatlanta.org/
WonderRoot http://www.wonderroot.org/
