Community Service Opportunities

Community Service Projects

Community Service Organizations
Community Service Volunteers
Community Service Programs
Student Community Service
Community Service Learning

A woman assisting an elderly person.

Volunteers might be needed for a graffiti cleanup project.

Community service is sometimes offered as an alternative to facing jail time.

A museum docent is a type of community service job.

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 Written By: Mary McMahon

 Edited By: Bronwyn Harris
 Last Modified Date: 20 March 2014
 Copyright Protected:
2003-2014 Conjecture Corporation
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When someone performs an action which benefits his or her community, it is known as
community service. Some people associate community service with punishment, since it is
often offered to small-time offenders as an alternative to fines or jail time. However,
community service can also be altruistic, and it is a vital part of many small communities.
Getting involved in your community makes it healthier and livelier, and numerous
organizations around the world support community service activities.

Things which could be considered community service include tutoring children, building
homes in low income areas with Habitat for Humanity, assisting the elderly, socializing
animals at animal shelters, being a museum docent, performing habitat restoration,
contributing to the operations of volunteer fire departments and emergency services, or
helping with civic beautification. In all cases, community service work is performed by
volunteers who are not paid for their time. In some instances, the work would not be
accomplished without the work of such volunteers, and many small organizations rely on
people with community spirit to survive.

For people who are given community service as a punishment or sentence, it can be an
opportunity to atone for a crime. Others engage in community service out of a spirit of
altruism, or a desire to connect with their communities by helping out. For people who are
new to a community, community service can be a great way to learn more about the place in
which they live and the people they live with. Community service may also be required for
things like high school graduation or membership in an organization, in which case the school
or organization often helps to organize community service opportunities.

For people who are not affiliated with an organization, finding community service
opportunities is easy. In many cases, an organization which needs the assistance of volunteers
has a volunteer coordinator. Contact the organization you are interested in to ask about
volunteers, or check bulletin boards around town for organized community service activities.
You may find anything from a group of birdwatchers performing habitat restoration in a local
wetlands to an association of businesses sponsoring graffiti cleanup.

Many people engage in community service because they believe that it carries rewards
beyond the obvious and tangible. Clearly, engaging in things like environmental restoration
and civic beautification will make your life enjoyable by making the world around you more
pleasant. But community service can also help to ensure that important services like meals for
the elderly and volunteer fire departments continue to run. It also helps to build a rich and
supportive community of people who know each other and lend each other a hand when it is
needed.

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Discuss this Article

 I have a soft spot for animals so volunteer at my local animal shelter. There are
several community service volunteers who 'work' here, and I don't know what
the shelter would do without all their help.
golf07
Post 33
My family also likes to serve meals to a homeless mission during the holiday
season. This can be a real eye-opener for the kids. It only took one time before
they started asking every year if we were going to do this again.
 I work with our youth group at church, and this is one thing we really encourage
our kids to do. We also have community service projects lined up for them to
participate in.

Many times we will take one Saturday a month to help the elderly in our church.
This means doing anything they need done that makes life a little bit easier for
them.

We have done things like raking leaves, mowing the grass, washing the
SarahSon
windows, cleaning their house, putting up and taking down Christmas
Post 32
decorations and even running errands for them.

It is so interesting to see the relationships that form from these projects. The
elderly are so thankful and appreciative and it gives the kids a wonderful
opportunity to learn how to serve without expecting anything in return. What
they discover, like other people have posted on, is that they receive more out of
it than they ever realized they would.

view entire post

When my son was in high school he was required to perform so many hours of
community service. There are so many community service opportunities
available it should not be hard to find something you can be involved in.
John57
Post 31 He volunteered at the local community theater and worked backstage running
the lights and sound. This was something he already had an interest in, but it still
introduced him the the idea of volunteering. He is now in his 20's and is still
involved in community theater.
Community Service Opportunities
Community Service Projects
Related
Community Service Organizations
Topics
Community Service Volunteers
Community Service Programs
I always find it sad that community service programs are sometimes associated
with punishment. When I have been involved in community service in any way,
LisaLou I think I am the one who gets the most benefit from it. There is something very
Post 30 satisfying about helping other people. It doesn't matter if you volunteer your
time or you are required to do it, you realize it truly is better to give than to
receive.
There are many non profit organizations that have some political aim. Is it still
Ivan83 considered community service if you work for an organization that has an
Post 29 explicit political agenda? Wouldn't this more appropriately be thought of as
community transformation?
backdraft These days many colleges and even high schools have a student community
Post 28 service requirement. When I was in college we had to do 20 hours of service in
the community every semester.

It was not especially hard. The school had lists of dozens of institutions that
would take volunteers any time they showed up. I ended up working at an
animal shelter, a breast cancer awareness organization, and a group that
promoted water conservation. Every experience was rewarding, and it was a nice
 antidote to all the time I wasted while I was in college.
I ended up getting sentenced to do community service by the courts for reasons
that I will not get into here.

I chose to do my service at a rescue shelter for cats. I loves cats and when I
gravois heard about this shelter I thought it would present the perfect opportunity to
Post 27 meet my service requirements while also supporting a cause I feel strongly
about.

My service finished up about 6 months ago but I am still volunteering at the

shelter because I find the work so meaningful.
anon244310
Plus, community service is fun.
Post 21
I was given community service to complete over three months. I did not go as i
could not because of depression following courts and sentencing, and I was sent
a letter telling me that it was going back to court for reassessment and I was
anon217867
asked to attend.
Post 20
I moved abroad before, and yes that was foolish. I am still abroad but need to go
back to uk to see my children. What will happen when I return to UK? Thank
you in advance for a reply
Community Service Opportunities
Community Service Projects
Related
Community Service Organizations
Topics
Community Service Volunteers
Community Service Programs
anon183103
what happens if your hours aren't done on a certain day that was given to you?
Post 19
anon162587 many thanks to the author for his numerous contributions. i will suggest that
companies should be educated more on community service so as to give back to
Post 18 the host communities.
anon138765
I did my community service on the computer at community service help. Forget
doing it the hard way! peace
Post 17
Community Service Opportunities
Community Service Projects
Related
Community Service Organizations
Topics
Community Service Volunteers
Community Service Programs
anon112636
i know what it is now!
Post 15
anon86030 This webpage is a real eye opener.It gives ideas for what one can do for the
Post 14 positive benefit of the community.
anon80117
it is good information.
Post 12
Related Community Service Opportunities
 Community Service Projects
Community Service Organizations
Topics
Community Service Volunteers
Community Service Programs
anon72430
a friendly user tool. keep up the good work!
Post 10
anon72407
Just the information I needed.
Post 9
anon70245
great information, really helpful!
Post 8
Community Service Opportunities
Community Service Projects
Related
Community Service Organizations
Topics
Community Service Volunteers
Community Service Programs
anon55595
this site is cool
Post 3
Thanks to the author who wrote this article. I would add that service as a
anon51066
punishment or for atonement should be called community restitution not
Post 1
community service.

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