USPS Publication Number 16300
T h i s C om mu n it y Ne w s p a p e r i s a p u bl i c a t ion of E s c a m b i a-S a nt a Ro s a B a r A s s o c i a t ion
Se r v i ng t he Fi r st Jud icia l Ci rcu it Section A, Page 1
Vol. 22, No. 22
V isit T he S ummation W eekly O nline : SummationWeekly.com
June 1, 2022
1 Section, 8 Pages
LEND A HAND!
SUMMER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH & FAMILIES by Morgan Cole
L
ooking to engage your child in some meaningful activities during their spare time this summer? Have a teen needing to complete volunteer hours for a scholarship program? There is no better time than now to instill a love of service in your children.
While it’s important for young people to view giving back as a civic duty and its own reward, studies show that volunteering has many personal benefits for youth. Volunteering often helps to develop stronger selfesteem, a deeper sense of empathy and a broader understanding and acceptance of those from different cultural and social backgrounds. Throw some leadership skills and expanded friend circles into the mix and it’s clear that volunteering offers an array of benefits for any age. Sign them up for a few local volunteer activities to augment their schedule of work, watching summer movies, texting their friends and playing video games. These activities will help them grow socially, get some fresh air and learn additional responsibility. From conservation to education, we’ve rounded up a list of some local organizations that offer a variety of current and year-round volunteer opportunities for both youth and families. The City of Pensacola
Whether you need to accumulate volunteer hours or you just simply want to help out, there are a number of opportunities available throughout the year with the City of Pensacola. Volunteering for our city is a great way for youth, teens and families to give back to our local community in meaningful ways. The City is always seeking individuals, groups and organizations of all ages to volunteer their time and talents to the Parks and Recreation Department. There are two basic categories of volunteer opportunities available. One category is Community Outreach, where volunteers assist with youth, adult and senior citizen programs, programs for the disabled, athletics, special events and at community centers in Pensacola. The second volunteer category is Community Service, in which volunteers assist with things like park beautification
and community cleanups to help protect Pensacola’s valuable natural resources. Volunteer activities include litter clean ups and recycling drives or events, painting over graffiti in public spaces, parade bead removal, minor repairs or improvements and landscaping. For a complete list of the City’s current volunteer opportunities, visit cityofpensacola.com/570/Volunteer. Keep Pensacola Beautiful
This community-based nonprofit organization aims to improve the quality of life by addressing common environmental challenges throughout Escambia County. Currently, the organization’s efforts are focused on education, litter reduction and recycling initiatives. Youth, teens and families are always welcome to volunteer their time to assist with a wide range of tasks from beach and community-wide cleanups to other large-scale annual fundraisers and events throughout the year. Most volunteer shifts range from 2 to 4 hours and young children are required to have adult supervision. Keep Pensacola Beautiful (KPB) also has a Youth Advisory Council designed for Escambia County high school students to participate in a service-learning and leadership development program. Each year, ten members are given the opportunity to develop and coordinate their own beautification project within their own school or local community. Youth Council members contribute to the organization’s annual programming, participate in training sessions and visit local municipalities or businesses, while acting as ambassadors and leaders for youth service. KPB is currently seeking volunteers to assist with their upcoming Paint Your Heart Out event on May 7 at the Bay Bluffs Park in Pensacola. Organized by KPB’s Youth Advisory Council in an effort to beautify Bay Bluffs Park, volunteers will be painting over the heavily graffitied boardwalk area
to help give the green space a well-deserved face lift. For a complete list of year-round and upcoming volunteer opportunities, visit keeppensacolabeautiful.org. West Florida Public Libraries
West Florida Public Libraries have several volunteer opportunities available for teens. Teens under the age of 18 are welcome to volunteer their time in assisting the library with a variety of tasks at one of their many branch locations throughout the county. Volunteers may serve individually or as part of a group and volunteer hours count toward Bright Futures Scholarship requirements as well as others. There are a number of volunteer activities to assist with from sorting books to assisting with book sales and other summer programming events. If you or your family are interested in volunteering your time with our local library, visit one of the many WFPL locations, or visit mywfpl.com to download an online application form, and simply return it to any library location. Manna Food Pantries
This local grassroots organization is dedicated to fighting hunger in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. Manna provides groceries directly to individuals and families in need and all services are all offered free of charge. The organization relies on volunteers and funds received from individuals, foundations, faith-based organizations, corporations and businesses throughout the community. Manna is always seeking volunteers to assist with their food pantry and food drive events. Other volunteer opportunities include administrative support, warehouse assistance, housekeeping, inventory, pantry assistance, special events and assisting with client services. Youth under the age of 18 should be accompanied by an adult. For complete details on available volunteer opportunities and to
complete the online volunteer application, visit mannahelps. org/participate/volunteer. Pensacola Humane Society
The Pensacola Humane Society (PHS) is another local nonprofit organization that offers a number of volunteer opportunities for its many services and programs provided to benefit communities in Pensacola, Gulf Breeze and Milton. PHS provides opportunities for both individuals and local groups needing to accrue mandatory volunteer hours for things like high school, collegiate or military requirements. The organization’s volunteer program consists of nearly 200 individuals who regularly donate their time for a variety of tasks and activities throughout the year. PHS is always seeking new volunteers to help out with their many programs and services. Some of their regular volunteer opportunities include cutting dog treats, helping with laundry, processing donations, providing administrative support, cleaning litter boxes and kitten play areas, tidying the grounds, walking the dogs, taking dogs to training sessions, working at community events and providing tours to potential adopters. Individuals interested in volunteering their time with PHS will need to complete and submit the required volunteer application, which can be accessed online at pensacolahumane.org/volunteer. Once applications are approved, individuals must then complete a brief orientation session prior to volunteering. Visit pensacolahumane.org for details on current volunteer opportunities. YMCA of Northwest Florida
The YMCA of Nor thwest Florida is always looking for more hands to “hold the rope” for their many locations throughout the Northwest community. With a focus on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, YMCA provides meaningful volunteer opportunities to
give men, women and children of all ages and from all walks of life the resources and support they need to be healthy, confident, connected and secure. The Bear Levin Studer Family YMCA offers a wide range of regular volunteer opportunities like helping out in the aquatic center, greeting and assisting members with check-in, wellness ambassadors, beautification team, individuals to help supervise youth in the KidZone area and providing support for special events and fundraisers throughout the year. For complete details on available volunteer opportunities and to download the required volunteer application, visit ymcanwfl.org. Pensacola Habitat for Humanity
Volunteers play a vital role in the mission of Pensacola Habitat for Humanity. Each year thousands of volunteers contribute their time and talent to help build homes and assist with community projects and events throughout Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. The organization relies on support from volunteers to continue its work both in our local community and abroad. Local volunteers of all ages are needed throughout the year to assist with construction projects, painting homes, minor home repairs, handicap accessibility accommodations, neighborhood cleanups, gardening and more. The organization is also in need of volunteers at the ReStore shop, which sells new and donated items at deeply discounted prices. ReStore volunteer activities include donation processing, merchandising, furniture repair, painting, shopper assistants and more. Individuals are required to be at least 16 years of age to volunteer at the ReStore. For complete details on available volunteer opportunities, visit pensacolahabitat.org. •
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