Community service is something that can seem overwhelming, especially to younger students, but starting out early can be very beneficial on your high school transcript, look great on a resume, and provide a sense of fulfillment by being a positive contributor to your community. For underclassmen, going out and meeting new people outside of school can seem at times impossible, but it doesn’t have to be. There are a plethora of places local to downtown and scattered throughout Indy that foster a caring and welcoming environment just waiting for people to find. Below is a compiled list of opportunities open to youths:
Indy Hygiene Hub boasts specific areas for people to sign up for that include varying roles from stocking shelves to “team leader”. The non-profit, based in Indianapolis, has organized a convenient drive-through style pantry running from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, provided specifically for those in need of hygiene products. They accept donations of hair care and soap, among other personal products. They have scheduled stocking days for their donations every second Saturday of each month, and have many positions available to help in teams through shifts. The specific jobs available to volunteers include stocking day team lead, shelf stocking, pantry bag packing, and clean up and safety. Indy Hygiene Hub’s pantry day (every third Saturday each month) is also chock full of opportunities, with three leadership positions available. For people wanting to engage in volunteering multiple times a year, this opportunity is worth looking into.
VolunTEEN with Eskenazi Health is a unique opportunity that exposes youths to the world of healthcare through a summer program that includes shadowing real healthcare professionals and volunteer work. Teenagers aged 14-19 can engage in a competitive application process and, if accepted, select from three summer sessions that each span around eleven days. The hours of this program are 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM from Monday through Friday, where you can get personal experience with the healthcare field and learn about what careers Eskenazi provides in the area.
Gleaners Food Bank was started to fight against hunger in downtown Indianapolis. Gleaners is still pushing against food insecurity and is consistently looking for upwards of 500 volunteers per week. The positions they hope to fill are stockers for their shelves and meal makers for those in need. Theirs is the largest food pantry in all of Indiana, as they manage multiple pantries on wheels, a home delivery system, and a free outreach program that assists community members with signing up for federal aid such as SNAP.
Be Selfless Indy, ultimately, is not an organization but rather a collaboration to bring together different public service opportunities and compile them in an easily-accessible place. Through their website, they have solidified relevant volunteer work publicized for people to take advantage of so that they can support non-profits or local communities. If someone is looking for places of interest to volunteer at, this is the resource that will highlight all kinds of opportunities for one to get involved in, not only to provide for others but also for their community and neighborhood.
Pursuing volunteer work or community service benefits not only your resume or applications to colleges but it also impacts real people. Adults, children and everyone in between are impacted for the better by all of these organizations – get out there and give them a shot!
