What is "Service"? What is "leadership"?
NHS is first and foremost a service organization. Members and prospective members are encouraged to contribute time, energy, and talent to those in need. Remember, service does not have to be far-flung or global. There are many opportunities for service and leadership right in your own community. Be advised that we can not verify your service hours before membership is extended to you. That decision is made by the faculty council each year and is individual to each situation. However, if your service is similar to the ideas listed below you should have no issues.
What counts as service? What counts as leadership? This is a question that students ask every year. As each volunteer activity has it's own quirks, it's not a question that is easily answered. We can not guarantee that a particular activity will be seen as service or leadership by the faculty council, but she can share some of the previously accepted activities.
What counts as service? What counts as leadership? This is a question that students ask every year. As each volunteer activity has it's own quirks, it's not a question that is easily answered. We can not guarantee that a particular activity will be seen as service or leadership by the faculty council, but she can share some of the previously accepted activities.
- Previously accepted community service activities include: volunteering at hospital, food bank, library, senior center, recreation departments, assistant teachers at religious schools, fundraising walks/runs, First Aid (and first aid training), fireman (and training), police explorer. Participation in community service activities sponsored by Boy Scouts / Girl Scouts or religious organizations. Tutoring done through a non-profit organization. Other volunteer activities may be accepted, if you have any questions, contact the NHS advisor.
- Activities not typically accepted as community service: Volunteering at a family business or privately owned business (restaurants, Dr. offices, landscaping, Veterinarians, etc.) Babysitting, internships/research positions for personal advancement (internship hours must be pre-approved by NHS advisor if used for community service requirement).
Events & Opportunities For Volunteering
*Please note that service should be done for others and not as a means of personal development or advancement. If the biggest benefit of the service will fall to you then it probably doesn't count as service.
11/2023 - WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF FIXING BROKEN LINKS. IN THE MEANTIME, IF YOU FIND SOMETHING YOU ARE INTERESTED IN, GOOGLE THE NAME AND LOCATION FOR A WORKING LINK. SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.
Please check back for more opportunities!
11/2023 - WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF FIXING BROKEN LINKS. IN THE MEANTIME, IF YOU FIND SOMETHING YOU ARE INTERESTED IN, GOOGLE THE NAME AND LOCATION FOR A WORKING LINK. SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.
- Monmouth County United Way- will work with you to design/find service opportunities.
- LunchBreak (Red Bank)- Lunch Break, a community outreach center in Red Bank, is always happy to take on student volunteers, especially in the summer. Please see their website for details.
- HABCore (Shrewsbury)- Habcore homes have been established to give stability, dignity, and hope to the disabled in our community. Student volunteers are welcome (with a parent if below the age of 16).
- VIP (Volunteer in Parks) (Monmouth County)- The Monmouth County Park System is happy to take on student volunteers. Be sure to fill out a volunteer form and they will match you with a project such as trail maintenance, horse care, programs, pruning, docents, beach sweeps, and much more.
- Local libraries- Check with your local library.
- Monmouth County Library Teen Advisory Board (Manalapan)- The Monmouth County Library Teen Advisory Board meets monthly at Headquarters in Manalapan. You can earn Community Service Hours by joining this great group. Come out and meet new friends, have a snack and share your ideas for teen programming, teen collections, and more.
- Local hospitals- Check with your local hospital for volunteer opportunities.
- The Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties (Neptune)- The Food Bank has many opportunities for community service hours. For example, Mix, Mingle & Sort is held every first Thursday of each month from 6-8pm at The FoodBank in Neptune. You must wear close-toed shoes and you will help sort food donations.
- Make-a-Wish (Monroe, NJ)- Kids For Wish Kids® is a Make-A-Wish® program that enables students under the age of 18 to discover philanthropy by selecting their own fundraising project and managing it from start to finish, with little or no help from their teachers or parents.
- Strand Theater (Lakewood, NJ)- The historic Strand Theater is in need of volunteers to help run performances. They are looking for ushers, greeters, ticket takers, office assistance, etc. Help is also needed for community outreach and fundraising.
- Team TSF Marathon Volunteers (Long Branch/Hazlet)- Volunteers are needed now in preparation for this big weekend event.
In April they will need volunteers under the tent, at the baked sale, to register Teams as part of Team TSF, make signs and cheer at the finish line, and to fill various shifts over the three-day weekend schedule.
- Monmouth Medical Center (Long Branch)- Teens are encouraged to volunteer in the many busy departments of the Monmouth Medical Foundation.
- Darkness Walk Volunteers (Tinton Falls)- Help the American Foundation For Suicide Prevention organize their annual walk.
- Celtic Charms Therapeutic Horsemanship (Howell)- No experience necessary. Learn how to help disabled children care for and ride horses. Must be comfortable around animals. Training provided.
- St. Brigid's Food Pantry (Long Branch)- Volunteers are needed each month on the second Friday to assist in unloading and stocking food delivered to the facility from the Foodbank of Monmouth/Ocean Counties. Truck delivery occurs between 9:30 am to 11:30 am on the second Friday of each month.
- Enable, Inc (Neptune)- Be a friendly visitor or help spruce up a group home. Many opportunities available.
- Hospice Volunteers (various locations)- Embracing HospiceCare is seeking Palliative Support Volunteers to meet the special needs of terminally ill hospice patients. Volunteers provide companionship, respite, emotional and spiritual support for patients and families. Virtual volunteering also available! Use your talents to create lap blankets for our terminally ill patients. Many of our patients would enjoy the warmth and comfort a blanket can provide. If you possess such talents in sewing, quilting, crocheting, and knitting your abilities could be put to great use.
- Historic Village at Allaire (Farmingdale)- Serve as a costumed interpreter! A great opportunity for those interested in acting or history.
- Monmouth County SPCA (Eatontown)- Help provide care for the many animals residing at the shelter. Minors 14-15 must have parental supervision at all times. Those between 16-17 who will have contact with dogs must have signed permission from parents. Cat socialization permitted at any volunteer age over 14. Plenty of volunteer opps for those who do not wish to have, or who are unable to have, direct pet contact.
- iCan Bike (Lincroft)- Help teach a child with a disability to ride a two-wheeler bike! Volunteers for this amazing, 5-day camp work directly with our riders, helping them to balance, steer and pedal, but most of all, providing motivation, encouragement and sharing in their triumph at the end of the week. You will work with the same rider all week, so you really do get to know them and their families. Volunteers must be 16 years or older and in good physical fitness. A time commitment of 90 minutes per day for one week is required. There are 5 time slots to choose from. We ask that volunteers choose one, or up to two, time slots that work for their schedules and commit to being there each day at that time.
- Knitting/crocheting for charity (various locations)- Grace Healthcare Services is a Hospice Agency with many patients in your community. They can help you get the blankets you make to patients who would love to have them.
- New Jersey Academy for Aquatic Sciences at the Adventure Aquarium (Camden)- In need of volunteers to dive in their tanks, to help teach classes, to assist in caring for the animals, to perform programs and to get others to appreciate our planet.
- 4H (Freehold)- Many opportunities available in this great organization.
- Special Strides Therapeutic Riding Center (Monroe)- If you are a teen that exemplifies a positive attitude about life as well as having a strong desire to help others then please contact Karen Goldberg, The Special Strides Junior Committee Adviser. [email protected]
- Kids CORP Teen Volunteers (various locations)- KIDS Corps matches students ages 12 to 21 with volunteer opportunities throughout Monmouth County. Family & Children’s Service arranges volunteer opportunities for individuals based on interests, location and availability.
- St. Peter's Thrift Shop (Freehold)- St. Peters Thrift Shop located in downtown Freehold is looking for happy, helpful people to volunteer in our very busy thrift shop. Work the hours that fit your schedule on a weekly basis or on a one time basis. Volunteers will help sort, sell and merchandise items for sale.
- Photography for MOCEANS Center for Independent Living (Long Branch)- If you are able to take meaningful, expressive photos of people, places, and things; if your photos have a professional touch; if you have the software to edit for the web...MOCEANS want to meet you! They will ask you to photograph specific scenes, items, or people. They will ask you to attend events, as needed.
- Tutors Aslan Youth Ministries (Red Bank)- Provide weekly tutoring for at-risk, urban youth ages 5-15. Remediation in reading and math using ACE (Accelerated Christian Education) curriculum. Orientation/training provided.
- VITAS Musical and Visual Artists and VITAS Project Storykeeper Volunteers (various locations)- VITAS Innovative Hospice Care is looking for musical and visual artists to volunteer to help terminally ill patients and their families express themselves when words fail them. Artists go into nursing homes and assisted living communities to play a musical instrument, sing, help a patient paint a picture and share their talents in therapeutic ways. VITAS Innovative Hospice Care has teamed up with Project StoryKeeper to match talented, sensitive volunteers with elders near the end of life who have a tale to tell. StoryKeeper volunteers capture a patient's meaningful moments and then develop a "digital biography" on CD or DVD featuring the patient's voice/video recalling his or her life stories.
- Challenged Youth Sports (Monmouth County)- Challenged Youth Sports, which began in 1990 in Lincroft, New Jersey, is a recreational sports program for children with disabilities. The program is totally volunteer based. If you are interested in helping out, please send an email to[email protected] with your contact information so they can add you to the email list.
- JBJ SoulKitchen (Red Bank)- we are still looking for volunteers to assist with washing dishes & busing tables, who live in the Red Bank area, and can volunteer on a regular basis. If you fit the above description and are over the age of 15 please email us at: [email protected]
Please check back for more opportunities!