Lend a Hand! was developed for the Family and Youth 

Services Bureau; Administration on Children, Youth 

and Families; Administration for Children and Families; 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; by JBS 

International, Inc., under contract No. GS10F0285K to 

manage the National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth.

Lend a Hand!

A Guide to Volunteering for Youth

When you volunteer to help young people

you get lots of perks, such as

P Contributing to your community

P Having fun and making new friends

P Investing in the future

P Empowering youth and helping them

avoid risky behavior 

P Counting hours toward a President’s Volunteer

Service Award (the U.S. Government’s way of 

honoring community service)

P Being a role model

P Helping youth feel a sense of competence

and belonging

Find volunteer opportunities by contacting a local organization 

that works with young people or by visiting these Web sites:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families

Administration on Children, Youth and Families

Family and Youth Services Bureau

2—1—1

	 [ www.211.org ]

Big Brothers Big Sisters

	 [ www.bbbsa.org ]

Idealist

	 [ www.idealist.org ]

MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership

	 [ www.mentoring.org ]

Points of Light Foundation and Volunteer Center National Network

	 [ www.pointsoflight.org ]

President’s Volunteer Service Award

	 [ www.presidentialserviceawards.gov ]

SERVENet

	 [ www.servenet.org ]

USA Freedom Corps Volunteer Network

	 [ www.freedomcorps.gov ]

VolunteerMatch

	 [ www.volunteermatch.org ]

National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth

P.O. Box 13505

Silver Spring, MD 20911-3505

voice: (301) 608-8090 fax: (301) 608-8721 e-mail: info@ncfy.com web: www.ncfy.com
Lend a Hand! Whatever your motivation, it doesn’t take much to help youth all year long. (Many of the ideas in this guide can be done any time of the year.)

January

FEBRUARY

MARCH

April

MAY

JUNE

july

august

September

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

Join or start an effort to map youth services in your communityMake a New Year’s resolution to becomea mentorHelp a community center organize a youth diversity workshop for Martin Luther King, Jr., Day

Send valentines and toiletries, like toothpaste and soap, to a shelter for runaway and homeless youthBring a youth towork on Groundhog Job Shadow Day Take young people to visit your mayor’s office, city council, or State legislature in honor of President’s Day

Aid in a spring musical at the local high schoolOrganize a muralpainting project at a youth-serving agencyEncourage your employer to designate your workplace aSafe Place whereyouth in crisis canget emergency help and shelter

Teach youth about financial literacy Take on a project for National Volunteer Week or National Youth Service Day Run a poetry workshop for youth at a residential program

Consider becoming a foster parentCoach a sports team or start an exercise clubDonate young adult books to a school, library, or youth center

Help youth organize a car wash or walkathon to raise money for a drop-in center or a sports teamLead a hiking trip or teach sports skills, such as swimming, gymnastics, or tennisTutor high school students in Math and English

Donate school supplies to an afterschool center Join a youthgroup in building affordable housing Organize a “block party” and get to know the young people in your neighborhood

Help a youth shelter by doing paperwork, writing a newsletter, maintaining a Web site, balancing the organization’s books, or giving legal advice Commit to working for a runaway or youthin-crisis hotlineSponsor a canned food drive for a youth shelter or food bank

Lead or make donations to a gift drive at a residential youth agencyInvite young people to holiday dinners at your homeVolunteer at a youth group’s holiday fundraiser

Encourage employers to recruit and hire summer internsDrive youth to campAsk your employer to donate office or business space for summer youth activities 

Organize a used book drive to benefit a local school or youth agencyTeach nutrition and meal planning to high school students or youth at a transitional living programStart a peer counseling program, in which youth advise other youth, at your school or workplace or in your community

Run for office on a youth-friendly platformJoin your community’s youth advisory boardHelp high school seniors fill out college applications at a school or community center