Community Service Corner
The importance community service plays in the scholarship selection process CANNOT be over-emphasized! An applicant can have the highest grade point average, or “GPA,” but if the scholarship donor(s) does not see evidence that the applicant has learned the value and lesson in “giving back,” they may be substantially less inclined to bestow an award to that particular applicant. It is absolutely imperative that prospective scholarship applicants demonstrate active commitment to their community as illustrated by their participation in community service projects and activities. (For more information on the importance of community service in your scholarship search, see our article “Community Service: Just How Important is it When it Comes to Obtaining Scholarships?”)
Here are just a few of the volunteering opportunities in your state!
ALABAMA
USDA Forest Service
HandsOn Birmingham
University of Alabama Community Service Center
YouthServe Birmingham
ALASKA
Alaska Volunteers to Help Homeless Families
The Alaska Zoo Volunteers
Anchorage Museum
The First Tee of Alaska
MISSION Volunteer Club
Alaska Whale Foundation
NeighborWorks Alaska
Literacy Council of Alaska
Alaska Native Medical Center
ARIZONA
HandsOn Greater Phoenix
The United Way Volunteer Center – Tucson & Southern Arizona
Chandler Public Library
Phoenix Zoo
Catholic Community Services
“Our House”
ARKANSAS
Arkansas Children’s Hospital
Red Cross (Arkansas)
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Fayetteville Public Library
First Tee of Northwest Arkansas
CALIFORNIA
California Volunteers
California State Parks
City of Riverside
City of Roseville, California Volunteer Center
Hearst Castle
OneOC
Orange County,California Volunteer Opportunities
Acacia Adult Day Services
Alzheimer’s Association Orange County
Girls Incorporated of Orange County
Volunteer America of Greater Los Angeles
COLORADO
Hunger Free Colorado
Volunteers of America Colorado
Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado
Pikes Peak Library District
Girls Inc. of Metro Denver
Child & Migrant Services
Food Bank of the Rockies
Mesa County Animal Shelter
Royce Hurst Humane Society
Friends of the Mustangs
CONNECTICUT
Danbury Animal Welfare Society
New Haven Reads
Yale University President’s Public Service Fellowship
Hospital for Special Care
Girls Inc. of Greater Waterbury/Girls Inc. of Fairfield County
Girls Inc. of Meriden
Volunteer Connecticut
DELAWARE
Volunteer Delaware
Delaware Online Getting Involved
Christiana Cares Health System Volunteers
The First Tee of Delaware
Delaware SPCA
Brandywine Zoo
Delaware County District Library
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
D.C. Central Kitchen
Serve D.C.
The Homeless Children’s Playtime Project
Special Olympics D.C.
Youth Service America
One Brick
MedStar Georgetown University
Washington D.C. Jewish Community Center
Martha’s Table
FLORIDA
Volunteer Florida
Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
South Florida Fair
Brevard Zoo
Seminole Education, Restoration & Volunteer (“SERV”) Program
Florida Hospital Tampa
Hands On Orlando
GEORGIA
Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens
Hands On Atlanta
Ronald McDonald House Charities of West Georgia
Northeast Georgia Health System, Inc.
Georgia Aquarium
Special Olympics Georgia
Nicholas House
Project Linus
Fur Kids
Meals By Grace
HAWAII
Get Connected Hawai’i
Volunteer Legal Services Hawai’i
Honolulu Habitat for Humanity
Queen’s Medical Center
Aloha Harvest
Hawaii Foodbank
Institute for Human Services
IDAHO
Idaho Medical Reserve Corps
Idaho Department of Fish and Game
Boise Zoo
Idaho Wildlife Federation
Boise Art Museum
Idaho Food Bank
Idaho Botanical Garden
Idaho Humane Society
Idaho Museum of Mining and Geology
ILLINOIS
HandsOn Suburban Chicago
Chicago Cares
Greater Chicago Food Depository
The Field of Museum
Northern Illinois Food Bank
Peoria Zoo “Zoo Teens”
INDIANA
Serve Indiana
United Way of Central Indiana
Zionsville Presbyterian Church Food Pantry
Indianapolis Public Library
IOWA
Volunteer Iowa
Corridor Recovery
KANSAS
Volunteer Kansas
Kansas Special Olympics
KENTUCKY
Kentucky Commission on Community Volunteerism and Service
City of Bowling Green, Kentucky Official Municipal Website of Bowling Green, Kentucky
LOUISIANA
Volunteer Louisiana
United Way of Greater Lafayette
Volunteers of America Greater Baton Rouge
Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Baton Rouge
Nature Conservancy of Louisiana
MAINE
Volunteer Maine
Jobs For Maine’s Graduates
MARYLAND
Volunteer Maryland
Allegany College of Maryland Volunteer Center
Anne Arundel County Volunteer Center
Maryland Volunteer Center
Volunteer Center
Baltimore County Government
Volunteer Southern Maryland
Chesapeake College – Chesapeake Volunteer Center
Department of Community Services
Volunteer Harford
The Volunteer Center Serving Howard County
Montgomery County Volunteer Center
ShoreCAN Volunteer Center
Chesapeake Helps
Special Olympics Maryland
United Way of Washington County, Maryland
MASSACHUSETTS
Literacy Volunteers of Massachusetts
Boston Cares
Save A Dog
Northern Berkshire Community Council
MICHIGAN
Volunteer Centers of Michigan
American Red Cross – Michigan Region
Kalamazoo County Association of Retired School Personnel
MINNESOTA
Science Museum of Minnesota
Youth Link Minnesota
Volunteers of America Minnesota and Wisconsin
MISSISSIPPI
Volunteer Mississippi
Mississippi State University Maroon Volunteer Center
MISSOURI
United Way of Wyandotte County
Volunteer KC
MONTANA
Montana State Parks
Montana 4-H
United Way of Yellowstone County
NEBRASKA
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center
Serve Nebraska
NEVADA
United Way of Southern Nevada
City of Henderson Cultural Arts and Tourism
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Volunteer New Hampshire
New Hampshire Audubon
Pope Memorial Humane Society
Seacoast Science Center
NEW JERSEY
Jersey Cares
Governor’s Office on Volunteerism
The Volunteer Center of Bergen County
NEW MEXICO
New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors
Museum of Indian Arts and Culture
NEW YORK
New York Cares
Food Bank for New York City
Long Island Volunteer Center
Volunteer CNY
Volunteer New York
NORTH CAROLINA
North Carolina Association of Volunteer Administration
Hands On Charlotte
Special Olympics North Carolina
NORTH DAKOTA
City of Fargo- Fargo Public Library
Sanford Health
Valley Senior Services
OHIO
Serve Ohio
Hands On Central Ohio
Furniture Bank of Central Ohio
Girl Scouts of Ohio’s Heartland
OKLAHOMA
Central Oklahoma Humane Society
United Way of Central Oklahoma
Red Cross Oklahoma
OREGON
Oregon Volunteers
Hands On Greater Portland
PENNSYLVANIA
RSVP
Pittsburgh Cares
United Way of Adams County
RHODE ISLAND
Serve Rhode Island
Women’s Center Rhode Island
SOUTH CAROLINA
Hands On Greenville
South Carolina Aquarium
SOUTH DAKOTA
Volunteers of America – Dakotas
Habitat for Humanity – Greater Sioux Falls
TENNESSEE
Hands On Nashville
Volunteer Knoxville
Youth Villages
United Way of Greater Chattanooga
TEXAS
VolunteerNow
North Texas Food Bank
University of Texas-Arlington Center for Community Service
Hope Supply Company
Perot Museum
Community Partners of Dallas
UTAH
UServe Utah
Volunteer Salt Lake County
Humane Society of Utah
VERMONT
Vermont State Parks
United Way of Northwest Vermont
VIRGINIA
Office on Volunteerism and Community Service
Arlington Teens
Capital Area Food Bank
Volunteer Alexandria
Arlington County Department of Human Services
Volunteer Fairfax
Volunteer Prince William
Rappahannock United Way
YMCA at Virginia Tech
WASHINGTON
Volunteer Centers of Washington
Seattle Community Network
WEST VIRGINIA
Volunteer West Virginia
American Red Cross – Central Appalachia Region
WISCONSIN
Volunteer Wisconsin
Friedens Food Pantry
United Way Wisconsin
WYOMING
The Nature Conservancy
Serve Wyoming
Geisinger Health System
*Interested students should thoroughly research any volunteer projects (with a responsible adult, as necessary and appropriate) prior to signing up for any volunteer opportunity.*
