Take it from Elmo. You're never too young to start volunteering!

Just what does it mean to volunteer?  In this short video from Sesame Street, Elmo and Usher explain it all.

I love the idea of planting the volunteering seed in young minds. 

The Australian Youth Council produced a report in 2010 entitled Gen Y and Flexible Volunteering which found that there are many benefits for young people who volunteer, including:

• it can be enjoyable, interesting and/or exciting
• there can be a sense of satisfaction in helping others
• volunteering provides professional development opportunities
• it can improve career/job opportunities (often a route to paid employment)
• improved communication skills
• increased resilience
• feeling valued and needed
• feeling a sense of belonging
• learning about the world and its problems
• young people can use their existing skills and attributes, while also learning new skills
• Improved self confidence
• meeting new people and making new friends
• appreciation and acknowledgment for the part that they play
• increased involvement in their communities

In my previous role within a Neighbourhood House, I saw members of our Youth Task Force become involved in organising community fun days, assist our local primary school with their school social - including decoration making workshops with their afterschool care kids, brighten up our local park with a beautiful mural, organise pizza and movie nights, plant trees in the park.  Representatives of the group attended meetings of other groups, lobbying for their beloved play equipment in the park which the local Council was planning to remove and replace.  The young people were respected in our community and really looked forward to their events, always looking for ways they could bring the community together.

There are so many ways for young people to get involved in volunteering - like the ones I've mentioned already in this post, but if this isn't for you, here are a few different ideas:

• Why not use your computer skills and help a community group design a website or put together their newsletter. 
• Offer to help someone learn to use their mobile phone or how to use Facebook - you'd be surprised how many older people really want to learn this new fangled stuff and would love some one on one tuition. 
• Love to cook?  How about breakfast clubs or social eating programs such as Eating With Friends, who are always looking for people to help out with cooking duties for community lunches. 
• Do you have a hobby?  Why not find a way to volunteer within that hobby?  There are lots of hobby clubs and societies who love to have an extra pair of hands involved and you'll be learning more about what you love. 

Why not visit www.volunteeringtas.org.au and find out what's out there.  Another great port of call would be your local LINC, youth centre or Community or Neighbourhood House or Centre.  They will be able to point you in the right direction to get you started.  You can find more information and contact details for some of these groups here.


Boessler, J. and Ding, B. (2010) Gen Y and Flexible Volunteering - a good practice guide. [report] Australian Youth Council, p.7.
SesameStreet (2010) YouTube - Sesame Street: Usher - Volunteer. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5cysG5M1PFA [Accessed: 22 Nov 2012].