Get connected and gain an edge – be a volunteer

Becoming a volunteer is a great way to fulfill school requirements and gain community service hours — but there are so many more benefits from getting out there and getting involved!

Volunteering can get you ahead for employment. You will gain knowledge and experience, and gain skills that will make you more desirable to employers. A study from the Corporation for National & Community Service reports that volunteers have a significant “edge” on non-volunteers for finding work on many levels.

But volunteering gives you experiences beyond something you can put on a resume. As an article on How Stuff Works website puts it:

Volunteer work expands your understanding of other people’s lives. It gives you a new view of the world and the problems within it; it also shows you how hard people will work to solve those problems.

Volunteering and services allow you to

• Acquire and fine tune skills necessary for the school and workplace – and life
• Empower yourself!
• Increase your connectedness to others
• Learn about causes and issues in the world and in your community
• Be a positive role model to peers and to younger friends and family members

Straight Up youth volunteer Athena G talks about her experiences with us.

Want to volunteer with Straight Up? Start here on our website, get registered, and we’ll be in touch!

References and Resources

• How Volunteer Work for Teens Works – How Stuff Works
• Why Youth Service? – YSA.org
• Volunteering as a Pathway to Employment Report – Corporation for National & Community Service
• Tips for Youth Who Want to Volunteer [PDF] – Corporation for National & Community Service