Your Volunteer Roadmap: Turn your passions into action

The new era of volunteering is here. DoSomething knows a little something about reimagining impact. We were founded in 1993 with the mission to make volunteering as school as sports. From the beginning, DoSomething dreamt of making volunteering as cool as sports instead of being something young people did out of a sense of obligation or to fill a school requirement. Instead, we want to highlight how volunteering impacts us on a personal level by igniting our passion for making the world a better place for all.

There are endless ways that we can take action on the issues that matter most to us, but sometimes it can be overwhelming to know how to get started. To help you make the leap from “I’m so concerned about this” to “Let’s do this!” here’s your ultimate go-to guide for starting your volunteer journey.

First, what lights your fire? 🔥

The awesome thing about volunteering is that it’s an accessible and fun way to turn passion into action. But what if you don’t know what lights your fire yet? That’s ok! Finding your spark starts with identifying what motivates and activates you. What issues are you most excited to talk to your friends about? What things happening in the world do you find yourself researching or reading about for fun?

One way to do that is to assess which issues hit home the most. That means taking a look at what’s happening in your community or considering what you’ve experienced firsthand. A lot of incredible volunteers are motivated to give back to their communities because of their own personal experiences with hunger, housing insecurity, education, etc.

Another idea is to consider connecting your area of expertise with your volunteer work. For example, if you’re passionate about pursuing a STEM career, perhaps volunteering at an after-school program to help kids with their math homework is a powerful way to inspire the next generation of STEM professionals (like you!).

If you’re passionate about….

Once you have a better idea of what fuels you, check out some of these ideas for how to spring into action in your community.

🌱The Environment

The future of our planet weighs heavily on the minds of many young people, so this is an area that has a ton of possibilities for volunteers. You don’t have to be an environmental scientist (though that’s cool too!) to make a positive impact, either. From cleaning up parks to leading a recycling campaign on your block, the possibilities are endless! In case you need some inspo, here are a couple of ideas on how to transform your passion for climate justice into (volunteer) action:

• Cleanups: Find out if there will be a park or beach cleanup in your city, then grab some friends and help out. You can also help spruce up your community by joining GTFO: Get The Filter Out, where you will pick up the most littered item on the planet: cigarette butts.
• Collect and recycle: Solid waste production has increased in the last couple of years, and you can do something about it. One way is to join our 5 Cans Challenge!
• Plant trees: There are several organizations committed to creating more green spaces, especially in big cities. The Arbor Day Foundation is one of them, and you can join one of their volunteer programs to help plant trees in your community.

Can’t get enough climate-focused volunteer opportunities? Find more ideas on this epic list.

🥫 Food Insecurity

Since the beginning of the pandemic, millions more Americans are facing food insecurity. Food banks, soup kitchens, and more need volunteers to help collect and distribute food to those who need it. Here are some ideas for how you can fight hunger in your community:

• Collect & donate: You’d be surprised at how many people are willing to donate a few cans or boxes of food items, and you can take the lead on collecting them to donate to a local food bank. Start tackling hunger here.
• Serve food at a soup kitchen: Most likely, your city or town has a soup kitchen that needs volunteers to help prepare and serve food. You can use this directory to find one close to you.

🏡 Homelessness

Throughout the country, there are at least 500,000 people experiencing homelessness at any given time. A number that is perhaps even more shocking is that approximately 1 in 10 young adults and 1 in 30 teenagers face homelessness in a given year, according to Voices of Youth Count. Homelessness is a complex issue, but there is plenty we can do to help. Here are some ideas:

• Collect and donate clothes: This is especially helpful in places that get very cold, as many people facing homelessness need warm clothes to get them through the winter. Join Comeback Clothes to collect unused clothing and donate it to a local shelter.
• Volunteer in a shelter: Homeless shelters across the country need extra hands, and you can support them with a number of projects, from helping with laundry, to preparing meals or anything else to keep things running. Find a shelter near you here.
• Bring Power to the Period: Many people who menstruate struggle to access period products while experiencing homelessness. When you join Power to the Period, you can help them by collecting and donating period products to a local shelter.

If you’re especially passionate about supporting youth experiencing homelessness, check out this list of things you can do in your community.

🧠 Mental Health

We know that mental health is one of the top issues that young people care about. Considering that 1 in 5 teenagers will face mental illness in their lifetime, it’s no surprise that so many people are motivated to lend a hand. Here a couple of ways that you can volunteer in the mental health space:

• Spread Love: Art has the power to heal – 88% of young people say that creative expression helps to destress, or feel less anxious. But art can make an impact in your community too – public art can help fight social isolation and improve public safety. Join The Art of Community to spread some joy in your neighborhood
• Volunteer at your local Mental Health America affiliate: These are located across the country with nearly 200 sites to choose from, and they may take volunteers to help with administrative tasks or outreach. Find one here.
• Spend time at a nursing home: Elderly patients at nursing homes often suffer from mental illness due to loneliness, and many facilities gladly accept volunteers who can organize activities and spend time with them.
• Become a volunteer crisis counselor: Volunteers are vital to organizations like Crisis Text Line. If you feel that empathy and reflective listening are your superpowers, this is a great opportunity to shine. (Disclaimer: taking on a role like this can be heavy, so remember to come emotionally prepared and seek support or step away if it becomes too tough.)

In addition to volunteering, you can also download our Vibe Check Resource Guide to share with anyone who could use some mental health tools and resources. Grab it here.

✏️ Education

If you’re passionate about equitable education or even thinking about becoming a teacher yourself, you can get some valuable experience under your belt by volunteering. Here are some ideas:

• Tutor at an after-school program: Many schools have after-school programs that take volunteers to help students with their homework and/or organize educational activities. Students to visit these programs often come from marginalized communities, so supporting them is super important. This is also such a fun way to help children directly and see if teaching could be for you!
• Make a longer-term commitment: If you’ve already graduated from high school, you might be eligible to become an AmeriCorps education volunteer. This is usually a full-time placement for up to a year and is a great way to gain experience and contribute meaningfully to equitable education.
• Read at your local library: Many libraries have programming for children and need the support of volunteers. It can be as simple as reading books out loud or lending a hand in helping kids find a book.

💕 LGBTQIA+ Rights

If gender equity and human rights are your passion, there are lots of ways to volunteer with organizations that support LGBTQIA+ rights. Here are a couple of ways you can support them:

• Volunteer at an LGBTQIA+ youth shelter: Far too many young people are at risk of experiencing homelessness due to their gender or sexual identity. There are many shelters specifically for LGBTQIA+ youth throughout the country that you can volunteer at. Find one here.
• Become a crisis support counselor: The Trevor Project has a volunteer opportunity as a crisis support counselor. This is a stellar opportunity for those looking for a more long-term volunteer opportunity.

🐾 Animals

There are many organizations that help animals and most of them rely on the generosity of volunteers to keep going. Here are a couple of ways to volunteer if you’re passionate about animals:

• Donation Drive: You can host a “dog wash” where in exchange for grooming services for neighborhood dogs, people can donate much needed pet supplies for your local shelter. Find out how to do this with our Scrub-a-Dub Dog action.
• Volunteer at a shelter: Find one near you with this tool from the ASPCA. Many shelters ask volunteers to help with walking the dogs, cleaning up after the animals, feeding them, and much more.
• Consider conservation efforts: Depending on where you live, conservation organizations or local zoos and aquariums might be looking for volunteers to help with sea turtle, rare bird, and other animal conservation efforts.
• Support a veterinarian: Sometimes, vet clinics need extra hands to support their extra paws. The Humane Society has a great list of volunteer opportunities that can give you some ideas for how you can help, like organizing a pet food drive, taking dogs for walks, and so much more.

How to Start Volunteering

Now that you have plenty of sweet ideas on where to volunteer, you might be wondering how to actually get your foot in the door and start making a difference in your community. Not every opportunity is the same, and it’s important to keep in mind how much time you can commit to. If you’re already super busy, maybe a beach cleanup day here and there is a better fit than a crisis hotline gig.

Once you’ve decided what opportunity you’re into, look for volunteer information on the organization’s website, send a quick email or make a phone call to the organization and ask them if they’re looking for volunteers.

Remember that you don’t have to start your volunteer journey alone. It can be a lot of fun to bring along a friend or family member, so grab a buddy and start making moves to strengthen your community together.

One of the best things about volunteering is being able to get in on the ground floor of what’s happening in any given issue area. It’s also a great way to learn about how big issues like climate change, housing insecurity, and education inequality impact communities, which is immensely valuable. Without these experiences, it’s easy to get lost in a sea of statistics, floating further and further away from the real-life consequences of these issues.