Organization JrHi SrHi Pre-arrange Adult supervision req'd
Explorer Search & Rescue X X
Hospice of the Palouse 16-18 X
Humane Society X X X
Latah Co Historical Soc X X
Moscow Food Co-op X X
Nursing homes, hospitals X X
PCEI X X X X
Sojourner's Alliance X X
Special Olympics X X X
4-H X X
Christmas for Kids X X X X
Moscow Food Bank X X X X
Observations:
It all takes pre-arrangements, which do not fit into the usual teen outlook.
A commitment of time, usually for a semester or a school year, is asked by
most. Therefore, there is little opportunity to try it out to see if you
like it.
Very limited opportunities for junior-high age, without adult supervision.
The opportunities for teens to volunteer in Moscow are limited. Only ten
organizations were identified that were receptive to teen volunteers, other
than for special occasions. They all require rearrangements and a
commitment to serve for some minimum time. This minimum time is seldom
less than a month, and in most cases is for the entire school year.
Several of these opportunities require special training or equipment (e.g.,
Explorers Search and Rescue, Hospice of the Palouse, 4-H leadership).
If a teen-ager can overcome these limitations on spontaneity, there are
chances to do a variety of things that range from physically active (e.g.,
outdoor planting with PCEI, bowling or swimming with Special Olympics,
walking dogs for the Humane Society, search and rescue with the Explorers)
to more personal contact (e.g., nursing home and hospital activities,
Hospice of the Palouse, 4-H leadership, to more industrious (but anonymous)
activities (e.g., office work and docent at the Latah County Historical
Society; stock shelves and repackage bulk foods at the Moscow Food Co-op;
collect, wrap and distribute toys for Christmas for Kids; sort clothing,
arrange shelves, and price items for Sojourner's Alliance; make and
distribute holiday baskets for the Moscow Food Bank).
Almost all of the organizations that would welcome more teen volunteers,
however, claim that there are few teen volunteers currently, because the
opportunities are not well publicized.
Moscow citizens, in general, and Moscow teens could benefit enormously from
greater teen volunteer service. There is a lot of enthusiasm, idealism,
and energy that could be unleashed to help Moscow in a variety of ways.
Teens who are involved in service activities become adults who continue to
serve their community. These teens have a greater connection to the
community, and "civic investment".
To conclude, there are limited opportunities for teens to volunteer in
Moscow. The requirements to pre-arrange involvement, attend training, and
commit time for up to an entire school year act to discourage teens from
trying volunteer service as a recreational activity. Furthermore, the
opportunities to volunteer are poorly publicized. A "clearing house" for
teens who wish to try out community service, similar to the Retired Senior
Volunteer Program (RSVP), would encourage more teens to volunteer. It
would provide both teens and the Moscow community with a clear point of
contact and coordination for matching teen interests with community needs.
Gee, I thought no one would ever ask...!
Gens