Teen Community Service Hour Opportunities
The Florida Bright Futures grant requires 75 to 100 hours of community service to be qualified. So you might be asking what service opportunities are eligible?
Service hours must NOT be something a student gets paid to do or receives academic credit. According to the floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org “service hours may include, but are not limited to, a business or governmental internship, work for a nonprofit community service organization, or activities on behalf of a candidate for public office.”
Each school and school district set up its own process for documentation of service hours. The hours must be documented in writing and signed by the student, the student’s parent or guardian, and a representative of the organization. Be careful, the hours must not have been service to family members.
If your teen is looking for worthwhile volunteer opportunities within Tampa Bay, we have a great selection of fun and worthwhile ways to earn service hours for Florida Bright Futures.
Here are some organizations that are always looking for volunteers, simply reach out and ask and you’ll find that they have many service opportunities that may not be listed online.
Check out these Volunteer Opportunity Ideas:
- Any local church
- Non-profit organization
- Animal Shelters
- Community Libraries
- Community Events
- Visit Justserve.org
- Visit VolunteerMatch.org
- Virtual Community Service Opportunities for Teens
Animal-Related Volunteer Opportunities
SPCA Tampa Bay
What they do: Provide care and shelter, as well as find permanent homes for all types of homeless or injured animals.
How teens can volunteer: Various animal care duties, including adoption counselors, cleaning, dog walker, cat cuddler, pocket pet photographer, and food bank volunteer.
Location: Pinellas County
Hours required: 3 hours, twice a week (for minor volunteers, contact the Volunteer Program Manager, Colleen Cherry, at 727-586-3591×162 or [email protected])
Humane Society Tampa Bay
What they do: Provide care and shelter for homeless and at-risk animals.
How teens can volunteer: Volunteers help take care of animals through grooming and bathing, housing care, animal enrichment activities, and engaging with the community.
Location: Tampa, Florida
Hours required: Teen program (for ages 12 to 15) is 20 hours; teens 16 and older may volunteer once or for less than 6 months
Apply to the Teen Volunteer Program here
Apply to the Short-term Volunteer Team here
Alligator & Wildlife Discovery Center
What they do: Provides humane, professional care for alligators and other animals surrendered by owners or orphaned in the wilds.
How teens can volunteer: Volunteer as a Guest Engagement Ambassador, who is in-charge of educating visitors, as well as help with facility clean-up and assist with special events.
Location: Madeira Beach, FL (Pinellas County)
Hours required: 5 hours per month for 6 months
Animalluvrs
What they do: Rescue and take care of critically ill cats and dogs and help find permanent homes for them, instead of putting them down.
How teens can volunteer: Take care of animals and help them find a home. Tasks include facilitating donations and supplies to foster homes, transporting animals to their appointments, and attending local events.
Location: Hillsborough County
Rescue Cats Florida
What they do: Rescue and find homes for stray, abandoned, and neglected cats and dogs. They also raise awareness of companion animal overpopulation
How teens can volunteer: Be a matchmaker for pets and adoptive families or help clean kennels, refill food and water, and play with cats and dogs.
Location: Pasco County
Pinellas County Animal Services
What they do: Offers shelter, adoption, and animal care services to keep pets healthy. They also promote responsible pet ownership.
How teens can volunteer: Assist in animal services, such as dog walking, cat socializing, photography, as well as some clerical tasks.
Location: Pinellas County
Hours required: 3 hours, 3 days a week, for a season or school year.
ZooTampa at Lowry Park
What they do: Rescue and rehabilitate wildlife while promoting education for park guests.
How teens can volunteer: Must be 18 yrs or older to volunteer. Engage and educate guests in the park with facts about the animals.
Location: Tampa, FL
Hours required: 5 hours a month for 6 months
Homelessness And Food Insecurity
Metropolitan Ministries
What they do: Provides assistance to homeless and at-risk individuals and families by providing food, housing, education, and job search assistance.
How teens can volunteer: Teens can volunteer throughout the year or participate in their Teen Summer Internship program. Volunteers can help sort donations, distribute food, and assist with community events.
Location: Hillsborough County, Pasco County, Pinellas County
Hours required: Summer teen internships require 16-20 hours per week for 1 month
Apply to Volunteer as an Individual Throughout the Year
Apply to Volunteer for Summer Internship Program Here
Feeding Tampa Bay
What they do: Provides food to families all over Tampa Bay
How teens can volunteer: Volunteer to sort donations, distribute groceries to neighborhoods, or serve warm food to those in need.
Location: Tampa Bay Area
Hours required: Teens can participate throughout the year by visiting the Feeding Tampa Bay Calendar or teens can sign up to become a Student Ambassador and they are required to attend a minimum of 3 volunteer events (and post about Feeding Tampa Bay 10 times on social media)
Visit Here for Volunteer Opportunities
Apply Here for Student Ambassador Program
Sweetwater Organic Community Farm
What they do: Promotes community-supported urban organic agriculture and education.
How teens can volunteer: Assist in a variety of basic farm tasks in the community farm—planting, harvesting, and weeding.
Location: Tampa, FL
Volunteer Hours: Sundays, 9 AM-12PM
Learn More on How to Volunteer Here
Habitat for Humanity
What they do: Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that helps families build and improve places to call home. They believe affordable housing plays a critical role in strong and stable communities.
How teens can volunteer: Assist in one of the Habitat for Humanity stores or on-site at a home. Please contact your nearest Habitat for Humanity for local opportunities.
Location: Tampa Bay Area
Learn More on How to Volunteer Here
Health-related Volunteer Opportunities
Moffitt Cancer Center
What they do: Provides care for cancer patients and advocates and leads the research for prevention and cure of cancer.
How teens can volunteer: Provide care and support for cancer patients.
Location: Tampa, FL
Additional information:
Teens can participate in the Summer Teen Program – To be eligible to apply, students must have completed their first year of high school and be 15-17 years of age.
18-year-olds can also volunteer.
Teen Summer Program for 15-17 year old
Empath Health
What they do: Provides healthcare and living assistance for those with chronic or advanced diseases.
How teens can volunteer: Teens 14-18 years old can participate in their teen program. Volunteer opportunities allows you to engage in uplifting activities with patients, help record their life stories, plan and join birthdays and other special events, assist around the homes of patients, offer administrative support to the organization, and assist with other patient support activities.
Location: Pinellas County
Kids And Community-related Volunteer Opportunities
Kids Helping Kids Pasco
What they do: Provides food assistance and education and enrichment activities for kids in Pasco County
How teens can volunteer: Volunteers can join various outreach activities and events; older teens can volunteer to help with day-to-day operations of the organization
Location: Pasco County
Learn More About Upcoming volunteer Opportunities
ToyMakers of East Lake
What they do: Provides handmade toys to kids throughout the US.
How teens can volunteer: Assist with the toy-making process. Elected student volunteers may have the opportunity to take on a leadership role with the organization.
Location: Palm Harbor, FL (Pinellas County)
Additional information: Minors must be accompanied by a guardian on the first two volunteering days
Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, 8AM-12PM
Clearwater Parks & Recreation
What they do: Provides the Clearwater community with meaningful programs, events, and clean and useful facilities.
How teens can volunteer: Assist with the maintenance or beautification projects and with the facilitation of various events and activities throughout the parks.
Location: Pinellas County
Additional information: Various volunteering events and programs are available
Visit Calendar for Volunteer Opportunities
Clothes To Kids
What they do: Provides free clothes to low-income or in-crisis school-aged children.
How teens can volunteer: Volunteer at the venue, Host a collection drive and collect new and gently used clothes.
Location: Tampa Bay Area
Hours required: Corresponding hours are awarded for certain amounts of clothing collected.
Learn More About Volunteering Here
Here are some organizations that are always looking for volunteers, simply reach out and ask and you’ll find that they have many service opportunities that may not be listed online.
Check out these Volunteer Opportunity Ideas:
- Any local church
- Non-profit organization
- Animal Shelters
- Community Libraries
- Community Events
- Visit Justserve.org
- Visit VolunteerMatch.org
- Virtual Community Service Opportunities for Teens
