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Community Service

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Service hours should be submitted to your school counselor on letterhead from the place where you performed your service, along with a reflection log.  Letters must include your name and number of hours you completed.  Remember to make a copy for yourself and turn the letters into your grade specific counselor.  Florida Academic Scholar/Bright Futures (the 100% award) requires 100 hours of non-paid service to the community.  For 75% of the scholarship, 75 hours are required.   All service hours are due to your grade specific counselor no later than January of your graduation year.  There is not a service hour requirement for graduation.

SB1060 states that paid work hours can now count for Bright Future Service Hours.  Students choosing to use paid work hours must submit their official pay stub with the number of hours indicated, along with a reflection log so they can be logged by their grade specific counselor.  All hours are due no later than January of your graduation year.

Download the Community Service Hours Reflection Log here.  SJCSD Community Service Guidelines can be found here.

Don’t wait until your senior year to do this…..get your 100 hours in early and be able to relax!! Don’t forget to make a copy of them and then turn them into your grade appropriate counselor.

Here are some ideas for finding volunteer opportunities:  Good Luck and remember, colleges like you to be community minded and involved!

Homeless Shelters
If you live in a city of any size, then there is at least one homeless shelter that helps homeless people with meals, beds and other services. Most homeless shelters welcome volunteers and have a variety of programs through which you can get involved. You might help prepare or distribute meals, work behind the scenes in the business office, help organize a food drive to stock the pantry, etc. You can learn more about the problem of homelessness and ways you can help by looking k in the phone book for a local homeless shelter if you are interested.

Food Banks
Food banks often work with homeless shelters, but they also serve poor people living in the community (especially around the holidays). Food banks collect food, manage their inventory and distribute food to those in need. Look in the phone book for a local food bank if you are interested.

Ronald McDonald House
There are Ronald McDonald Houses around the country – almost every major city has one. The idea behind all Ronald McDonald Houses is very important. When a child is seriously ill, the child is frequently treated for long periods of time at a hospital or university medical center. Many families have to travel long distances to get to the hospital, and “where to stay” becomes a problem. Staying at a hotel becomes extremely expensive, and a hotel can be a lonely and sterile place. Ronald McDonald Houses provide a low-cost “home-away-from-home” for parents and children to stay during treatment. Volunteers help prepare meals, talk to families, take care of the house and so Call the Ronald McDonald House in your area to find out more.

Special Olympics
Special Olympics is an international program of year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with mental retardation. The site also describes a wide variety of volunteer activities, including sports training, fund raising, administrative help, competition planning and staffing, etc. Look in the phone book for a local office or search the Special Olympics web site for more information.

Habitat for Humanities
Habitat for Humanities builds and gives houses to poor people in local communities. Volunteers not only help others, but can learn a great deal about building houses by getting involved. See the Habitat for Humanities web site for more information. Call the national office or your local office for information about volunteer programs in your area.

State Parks
Many state parks offer volunteer programs, and in these programs you can try anything from educational programs to trail construction and maintenance. Contact a state park near you and see what options are available if you are interested.

City Programs
Most large cities offer a wide range of volunteer opportunities. Look in the phone book and call around to see what might be available where you live. [Do not be discouraged if your first few calls seem to hit a brick wall. Many city governments are large and fairly disorganized. Keep calling around until you find someone who understands what you are talking about and who is willing to help.]

Helping Others Learn to Read
When you think about it, reading is one of the most important skills an adult can have. Many adults, however, have never learned how to read. Literacy volunteers act as tutors who help illiterate children and adults learn this important skill. There is probably a literacy program in your area.

Hospitals
Many hospitals have volunteer programs to help patients both inside and outside the hospital.. The volunteers programs allow participants to explore medical careers and gain work experience. Contact local hospitals to learn more about opportunities in your area.

Libraries
Many libraries need help shelving books, running children’s programs, making books available to the community, and so on. Contact a local library for volunteer opportunities in your area.

Senior Citizens Centers
Many senior citizen centers offer volunteer programs to provide friendship and community activities to senior citizens. If you would like working with senior citizens, call a senior citizen center in your neighborhood and see what kinds of volunteer programs they have available.

Animal Shelters
Many animal shelters are non-profit or government organizations, and therefore they welcome volunteers to help take care of animals, keep facilities clean and work with the public. Call a local animal shelter for more information.

United Way
The United Way is a nationwide umbrella organization for thousands of charitable organizations. The United Way raises billions of dollars and distributes it to these charities. There are local United way affiliates across the country and they need volunteers. Contact your local affiliate for more information.

Red Cross
The American Red Cross helps people in emergencies – whether it’s half a million disaster victims or one sick child who needs blood. Volunteer opportunities exist across the country. Contact your local Red Cross for more information.

Salvation Army
The Salvation Army provides social services, rehabilitation centers, disaster services, worship opportunities, character building activities for all ages and character building groups and activities for all ages. Volunteer opportunities exist across the country.

Environmental Organizations
The Sierra Club (and numerous other environmental groups) encourages volunteer support to help with environmental activities. You can help in many ways: by helping lobby on conservation issues, by leading hikes and other activities, or by lending a hand at the Chapter Office. Contact the local office of an environmental organization near you.

Political Campaigns
If it’s an election year, there are thousands of opportunities to volunteer in political campaigns around the country. You can learn more than you imagine by helping a candidate win election. Pick a candidate whose ideas you believe in (either on the local, state or national level) and volunteer to be a part of his or her campaign.

Number Volunteer
Many 800 help-lines rely on volunteers to staff the phones and handle other tasks. If there is an 800 phone bank in your area, you may be able to volunteer to help out.

The St Augustine Alligator Farm

Will offer a volunteer Counselor-in-Training program for this summer. It will give students entering seventh through twelfth grade the opportunity to work with elementary aged children during our summer camp program and gain valuable volunteer hours. It will also be available on their website at www.alligatorfarm.com

Lighthouse Summer Camp
It’s time to start thinking about the variety of summer volunteer opportunities for high school students here at the lighthouse Our Lighthouse Summer Camp is a great way to earn community service hours.  If you’d like more information about the camps, check out www.staugustinelighthouse.com and click on Summer Camp under Education on the left side of the home page.
You may also volunteer for lighthouse tower and base duty. Students must be in high school for these positions. Students in these positions have the opportunity to interact directly with our visitors and share the history of St. Augustine Light Station and the nation’s oldest port city, as well as enjoy the view from 165 feet in the air!
Your volunteer hours may be applied toward graduation requirements and the Sunshine State Scholarship. I will be responsible for logging and reporting volunteer hours to you and to your Guidance Counselor.
Finally, students in Middle School and High School may also volunteer for our historical garden program, admissions and gift shop, Keeper’s Café, or as an office assistant. (904-829-0745)

Other websites for volunteer ideas: