How I Spent My Summer Vacation

We seriously love summer. From outdoor concerts and trips to the beach to bike rides and backyard barbecues, summer is full of our favorite activities. It’s three months of no school, warm weather, and lots of sunshine. Sometimes we have almost too much time on our hands. Our solution for other ways to spend your summer vacation–Giving back and serving your community!

Civic engagement, community service and volunteering can take many forms–from collecting and donating items to under-resourced communities to building inclusive relationships–there are a myriad of activities to make a difference and change the world. It’s why we always offer volunteer and community-building opportunities and give you access to campaigns and programs to take action on the most pressing issues to you! Did you know that DoSomething members have volunteered nearly 75,000 hours of service since 2020?!

As we close out summer, we thought you’d find inspiration in hearing from 11 DoSomething members who took action to change the world these past few months. When they were not soaking up the sun, they were out making a difference. To that we say, bravo!

Kiran M., 17

Tackle Hunger: Collect and donate food items to your local food bank

🥳 Food items donated: 250

“From start to finish, this food drive was inspirational and helped me understand that food insecurities exist in every community. The impact of each donation was powerful. People in my community were ready and willing to give to those in need. To be able to give those products to a community food bank and help serve the less fortunate was motivating. To know that people in need were able to receive these items and that people gave unconditionally restored my faith in humanity. I was very happy to have participated in this drive and learned valuable life lessons from it.”

Kailynn F., 20

Free-ish: Why We Celebrate Juneteenth: Share how you’re making your community more inclusive to people who identify as Black or African American

🎉 First Black Beta president of their school

“As a young Black woman, I am usually the only one from my community representing those who chose not to or can’t. I make my community inclusive to Blacks and African Americans by being the one to take a stand and make my voice heard wherever I go. I choose to do things people think I can’t so that others can know. Someone sees them. In high school I was the first Black Beta president of the school. It might not sound like much; however, I was able to represent my school and the Black community at many networking events. I’ve made my voice heard and expect to make a difference.”

Jenna T., 17

Tackle Hunger: Collect and donate food items to your local food bank

🥳 Food items donated: 2260

“Two summers ago, I began volunteering at my local homeless shelter. After seeing how much they do for my community and how much need they had, I organized a canned food drive at my school, and the response was better than I could have ever expected. Over the span of a week, we collected over 2,000 cans and other nonperishable food items. After collecting, organizing, and boxing up the items, I and a group of students from my school delivered them to our local shelter. In the picture, you can see one of their volunteers and me unloading cans from the bus we brought after discovering we had so many donations they would not fit in my car! We were met with such gratitude, and the executive director of the shelter shared that the donation was one of the largest they had ever received and estimated that they could serve up to 20,000 local individuals. It was amazing to see how my own actions could make such an impact, especially as they benefited an organization I was already passionate about.”

Peyton L., 17

#ProudAndLoud: A Movement: Share how you're creating a more inclusive community, especially for people who identify as LGBTQIA+

🎉 Raised over $600 for their school's Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA)

“I belong to the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) at my school. I helped organize a charity dodgeball game that raised over $600. We got everyone involved (including teachers), and our student body showed tons of support. The money will help open GSA programs at our local libraries, so the LGBTQIA+ youth have more safe spaces in our community.”

Janny L., 17

GTFO (Get The Filter Out): Clean up cigarette butt litter to help protect humans, animals, and the planet

🥳 Cigarette butts collected: 5730

“This campaign is important to me because, through the most simple task, such as hanging out with friends and spending a couple of hours each day walking outside, we can create a significant impact on the community around us. My partner and I were passionate about helping the community we lived in for our whole childhood by collecting these cigarette butts to create not only an aesthetically clean environment but also a physically clean environment. By spending 2-3 hours for seven days, we successfully collected 19 full bags of cigarettes while also having fun doing so together. Helping the environment can be fun!”

Tracy C., 17

GTFO (Get The Filter Out): Clean up cigarette butt litter to help protect humans, animals, and the planet

🎉 Cigarette butts collected: 5730

“My best friend and I each dedicated about 19 hours of our week to collecting cigarette buds around our town. We found this was crucial towards maintaining a clean and safe environment for others to enjoy and for wildlife as well! It also encourages people to be more aware of the harm cigarettes are to the environment, the animals living in it, and themselves. That is why this campaign is great to do.”

P.S. Jenny and Tracy are best friends! How cool that you can give back to your community AND do it in collaboration with others?! We love to see it.

Arina Z., 18

5 Cans Challenge: Collect and recycle 5 aluminum cans

🥳 Cans Recycled: 10

“This campaign is important to me because I believe that we must do our best to protect our earth. I founded Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup with the efforts to organize beach cleanups, make fun, social, and educational events, and help our world. When I first started cleaning up the beach with my organization in August 2020, I saw lots of trash like aluminum cans. You would be able to notice them in bushes, trees, sand, and the ground. People think someone else will pick up their trash for them, but in reality, change starts with them. I was also featured on Local 10 news to showcase my efforts and talk about the pollution issue. Now, I can see that the efforts of the volunteers and myself have paid off. I picked up so many other cans before and this is an ongoing issue that is affecting our environment, marine life, animals, and ourselves. I believe that with every piece picked up, a difference can be made.”

Local celebrity! Because of her commitment to making a difference, Arina was featured on her local news. Learn more about Sunny Isle Beach Clean Up here!

Niyla D., 20

Comeback Clothes: Donate or recycle unwanted clothes and textiles to protect the planet

🎉 Clothes Donated: 30

“My roommate and I collected clothing items from our friends on Instagram, they dropped off clothes at the designated drop-off area, and my roommate and I took our clothes and the donations we received to the local foster care facility. This campaign is important to me because I can help those who may not have the opportunity to just go out and buy whatever they want. You never know what something as small as a new outfit may mean to those in need.”

Khaliah R., 17

Power to the Period: Collect unopened packages of period products and donate to a local homeless shelter

🥳 Period Products Donated: 256

“As an elected leader in my high school, it is my duty to serve my community and school. So students in low-income communities will have access to feminine hygiene products in case of an emergency. I will make a care package to place in the school nurse's office for others to use while at school.”

Aleksander M., 15

5 Cans Challenge: Collect and recycle 5 aluminum cans

🎉 Cans Recycled: 326

“I spent three days collecting cans from the park near my house, along with separating cans from the trash at our sports complex. Afterward, I took them to the town recycling center. Between looking for and sorting and delivering, I spent 4 hours. It felt good to clean up where I live and to help my community and environment.”

Maximiliano P., 19

#ZeroCrashFuture: Driving Safety Tips: Print, create, and share a phone cover with driving safety tips for your friends and family

🥳 Designed Driving Safety Tips phone covers for his brother and several of his brother's peers

“My little brother is the most important person in my life. He is my best friend and has always supported me. This summer, he started driving, and it has been difficult. Like all teenagers, he uses his phone all the time and loses track of reality. I know the dangers of using the phone while driving, and I try my best to educate him. I would hate for him to get hurt because of a dumb mistake that could have easily been prevented. This campaign was perfect for us. I was able to have fun while designing my phone covers and my brother now has a constant reminder to put his phone down while driving. I felt so proud of my design that I shared it at my brother's high school and gave copies to several kids. I hope to continue making a positive impact on young drivers and help them understand that no text is worth risking their life.”

We don’t know about you, but we’re feeling inspired! These DoSomething members are making a real difference in their communities. The fun doesn't have to stop just because summer is over. We’ve got you covered with 73 Community Service Projects you can complete right now. What are you waiting for? Let’s do this!