Summer volunteer opportunities for teens are a great way to help our community, grow leadership skills, gain experience and fulfill school requirements. United Way of Berks County has compiled a list of youth volunteer opportunities across a wide variety of interests. Contact information is included in each listing. If you don’t find something here, consider calling your school, church and local service organizations. You can also search for volunteer opportunities that interest you.
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Animals | The Arts | Community Health | Events | Food | Job Experience | Kids and Teens | Outdoors | Retail | Science | Seniors
Animals
HUMANE SOCIETY OF BERKS COUNTY
Foster Care Volunteer
We always love to have new foster families join the team! Foster families (must be 18 yrs.) open their home to animals in need, and we have an on-going need for animals looking for foster care. Animals range from puppies and kittens too young for adoption, those recovering from medical care, those working on additional training and socialization, and much more. All vet care and supplies are provided by HSBC and there is always a staff member on call if an emergency arises. Plus, foster care is tons of fun and saves lives. Please visit our website, humanepa.org and complete a foster volunteer application today.
Service Days for Groups
The Humane Society of Berks County loves to host groups for 1 Day Service Opportunities. Service Days are typically shelter cleaning and organizing projects, yard work, and other important shelter projects that keep the facility in tip top shape. Service Days take place Wednesday – Saturday and with up to 15 people/day. Volunteers between 14-17 years must be accompanied by a parent. In addition, we have special events and larger scale projects.
Contact Leanne Quire at lquire@humanepa.org or 610-921-2348
The Arts
THE YOCUM INSTITUTE FOR ARTS EDUCATION
Arts Camps
Be creative, gain skills and support the arts in our community. Volunteers in 9th grade and up are needed for a variety of arts camps and outreach classes to work with professional artists, musicians, dancers, actors and directors from June 14 – August 20. Camps and classes are offered for ages 2-15 and are held on-site and various off-site locations. Special incentives if you commit to a minimum of 25 hours.
Contact Beverly Houck at primarystages@gmail.com or 610-376-1576
Community Health
BERKS TEENS MATTER (BTM)
Youth Ambassadors
Berks Teens Matter is committed to reducing teen pregnancy, so our youth have a better future. Our goal is to reduce teen pregnancy by 40% in Berks County by 2022. BTM is looking for Reading High School students, grades 9-12, who are interested in serving as a Youth Ambassador (YA). Our YAs help lead our work by providing peer education to local youth, serving as the youth “face” of BTM at local events and learning about healthy sexuality so they can be empowered leaders in the community. Our YAs say that some of the best things about being a YA are occasional outings, meeting friends and becoming part of a core group. This is a one-year commitment, but summer is a great time to start. We meet for 1-2 hours each week during the summer and most of the school year.
Contact Bethany Bower at projectmanager@berksteensmatter.org or 610-375-6523 X113
Events
VOiCEup BERKS
Summer Service Opportunities for Youth 11 -18 years
Pagoda Clean-up – July 7, 9 AM -11 AM
The Pagoda serves as a historic landmark for the city of Reading. Join YVC as we clean up the Pagoda and the surrounding area.
Neversink Park Clean-up – July 28, 9 AM – 11 AM
Join YVC as we clean up Neversink Park and the surrounding area.
Contact Lindsay Sites at lindsay@voiceupberks.org or 610-750-2190
Food
FAMILY PROMISE
Hospitality Volunteer
Must be 18 years or older to apply. Volunteer will oversee coordinating food and donation drop-offs to clients in our program. Volunteer hours are flexible. Volunteer must be available at least 5 hours weekly.
Contact Deborah Rhodes at drhodes@familypromiseofberks.org or 610-373-1314
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF BERKS COUNTY
Deliver a Meal to Habitat for Humanity Volunteers
Use your culinary skills to make and deliver breakfast or lunch to our construction or ReStore volunteers. Our construction volunteers are renovating homes for Habitat homeowners, creating a safe and beautiful place to live. Our ReStore volunteers are busy unloading trucks, getting merchandise ready for the sales floor or helping customers.
Contact Eneida Powell at eneidap@habitatberks.org or610-621-0011
HELPING HARVEST
Hunger Fighters Needed
Helping Harvest is always looking for new volunteers to join our mission to end hunger. Please log on to our website www.helpingharvest.org to find a list of the volunteer opportunities we offer and click on our green volunteer button to complete the volunteer form. We have volunteer opportunities on a variety of days and times. Volunteers must be at least 12 years of age and those 12-15 years of age must volunteer as a team with a parent/guardian, while those 16+ may volunteer on their own. We look forward to having you help those in our community in need.
Contact Lori Lowery at llowery@helpingharvest.org or 610-926-5802 X206
OPPORTUNITY HOUSE
Come Help Us Grow Our Own Fresh Food
Work in the Community Garden. We grow our own food in a community garden across the street from our shelter. We are assisted by the Penn State Master Gardeners who help teach and guide us along the way. Hours are Monday thru Friday 8 AM – 3 PM. Perfect for families, kids ages 6 and up, local businesses, youth groups, or anyone who wants to learn to garden like a pro. Groups and families come plant, weed, and harvest with us.
Prepare and Drop Off a Meal
We serve three meals per day 7 days a week. The need is great and we can certainly use the help to provide the meals to the clients of Opportunity House. Donating a meal makes a positive and immediate impact for our clients and Berks County. Due to COVID restrictions, all meals are dropped off until further notice.
You can sign up for a meal at www.opphouse.org/volunteer or Contact Stacy Perlaki at sperlaki@opphouse.org or 610-374-4696 X231
THE SALVATION ARMY
Food Pantry Helper
Volunteers are needed for our pantry distribution program to help sort, bag and distribute food to community members in need. Volunteers must be reliable and trustworthy.
Contact Yesenia Mejia at yesenia.mejia@use.salvationarmy.org or 610-373-5208 X207
SAFE BERKS
Calling All Cooks
We are looking for families, organizations, community groups or local churches to either cook OR sponsor dinner from a local restaurant to feed approximately 30 clients in our Safe House. Whether your group can provide dinner monthly or just one time, your help is appreciated.
Contact Mindy McIntosh at mindym@safeberks.org or 610-468-9637
Kids and Teens
Olivet Boys & Girls Club
Summer Camp Volunteer
Help lend a hand and make a difference in the lives of local kids at one of our nine Olivet Clubs! Volunteers ages 15 and up will assist our staff with our 8-week summer camp that includes eight different themed weeks, arts & crafts activities, sports activities, and field trips. Volunteers are required to obtain background clearances.
Contact Abby Frost at Abigail.Frost@olivetbgc.org or 610-373-1314
VOiCEup BERKS
Summer Camp Opportunities
Baer Park Playground Volunteers June 15 – August 6
Volunteers will assist Playground Leaders at Baer Park Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays from 12:30 – 4 PM with facilitating games and sports with the youth who attend. This volunteer opportunity will run 8 weeks and offers flexibility with schedules once all volunteers register to accommodate sports, vacations, etc. Training takes place prior to beginning at Baer Park. Volunteers need to be 14 years to participate.
Rock Hollow Woods Camp Counselor June 14 – August 13
Spend your time outdoors this summer at Rock Hollow Woods Environmental Learning Center, a unique 77- acre nonprofit learning center whose mission is to provide children with outdoor opportunities to discover and learn about the natural world and empower them to protect their environment. Volunteers assist teachers and children grades K-7. Some of the camps include Art Exploration through Nature, Wetland Investigations, Wildlife CSI and numerous others. Modeling appropriate behavior is important and a love for nature and children is a plus. Days and times are flexible. Training takes place at Rock Hollow Woods prior to beginning as a Camp Counselor.
Contact Lindsay Sites at lindsay@voiceupberks.org or 610-750-2190
SHADY HOLLOW ASSISTED RIDING
Assisted Riding Volunteers
Shady Hollow provides children and adults with physical and emotional disabilities the opportunity to ride a horse. Without volunteers, we would not be able to offer this amazing service. Become a volunteer and experience what joy our riders get from being on one of our horses. No experience needed, all volunteers receive training before helping with lessons.
Contact Leigh Stauffer at volunteer@hugahorse.com or 610-812-2054 or Michele Cooper at michele@hugahorse.com or 610-858-7937
THE SALVATION ARMY
Summer Camp Counselor
Volunteers must be at least 16 years of age, reliable and trustworthy and love working with kids. Help kids during their daily activities including pool time and fun weekly field trips at our Summer Day Camp.
Contact Yesenia Mejia at yesenia.mejia@use.salvationarmy.org or 610-373-5208 X207
Outdoors
Nolde Forest EE Center
Earn your Eagle Scout Rank/Gold Award
Great opportunities available for current self-motivated boy and girl scouts to make a difference and earn the rank of Eagle Scout/Gold Award. Select from one of several projects, or propose your own, here within Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center. Use your leadership training and gain valuable skills to improve visitor experience.
Contact Brent Erb at noldeforestsp@pa.gov or 610-796-3699
PHOEBE BERKS HEALTH CARE CENTER
Enjoy the Fresh Air
Adult and junior volunteers (12 years old or have graduated from the 5th grade) can help our residents enjoy the summer weather by taking them outside for walks or just sit on our patio and chat awhile.
Contact Liane Mayernik at lmayernik@phoebe.org or 610-927-8514
SOUTH MOUNTAIN YMCA
Green Thumb Volunteers
Love being outdoors? Get in tune with nature and express your creative side by sprucing up the camp’s various flowerbeds. 600 acres are available for you to help plant flowers, mulch and do some painting. Volunteers must be 16 years or older.
Contact Tracey Braymiller at ycamps@smymca.org or 610-670-2267
Retail
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF BERKS COUNTY
ReStore Volunteers
Volunteers aged 16 and older will assist with the daily operations of our ReStore. They will be assisting customers, replenishing or re-organizing merchandise and/or working to keep the store clean. Opportunities are available when the store is open: Wednesdays through Saturdays, 9 am to 6 pm and Sundays, Noon to 6 pm. We ask that volunteers plan on at least a three-hour shift
Contact Eneida Powell at eneidap@habitatberks.org or 610-621-0011
Seniors
BERKS ENCORE
Techno Tutors
When it comes to the world of digital technology, you know so much and the older generation would love to learn from you. Everything from creating a Facebook page to keeping in touch with friends, to using a smartphone or iPad for finding recipes. If you are age 14 or beyond, and you are comfortable in the technology world – YOU can be a great friend and resource to our older adult participants.
Share your talents
Can you sing, dance or play an instrument? We are always looking for volunteers willing to share their talent with us.
Reading Center – Contact Jim Youndt at jyoundt@berksencore.org or 610-374-3195 X237 Douglassville Center – Contact Kate Sweinhart at KSweinhart@BerksEncore.org or 610-582-1603
PHOEBE BERKS HEALTH CARE CENTER
Pet Visitor Volunteer
Do you have a loveable pet? Pets can help reduce stress, relieve loneliness and depression, and prevent heart disease. Bring your pet in for visits with our residents.
Share your talents
Can you sing, dance or play an instrument? We are always looking for volunteers willing to share their talent with us.
We need you!
Want to warm a heart & create a smile? Adult and junior volunteers (12 years old or have graduated from the 5th grade) are needed to help transport, deliver laundry, assist with activities, reading, visit with our residents and much more. No matter how much time you have to give, our residents appreciate every minute.
Contact Liane Mayernik at lmayernik@phoebe.org or 610-927-8514
VOiCEup BERKS
Letters of Love for Berks Heim – June 19, 9-10:30 AM
Youth 11 -18 years join us virtually, as we create cards and letters to send to Berks Heim in Leesport. Berks Heim has become our “Nursing Home Adoptee” which means we will be working together, virtually, throughout the course of the year to create cards and letters to be shared with the residents who live at Berks Heim.
Contact Lindsay Site at lindsay@voiceupberks.org or 610-750-2190
Science
READING SCIENCE CENTER
Cell Lab
Volunteers aged 16 and over will act as interpreters for visitors in the actual working lab with hands on experiments. Training provided. Strong customer service and communication skills to express knowledge and love of science needed.
Educational Program
Assist Executive Director and RSC Programming Committee with creating and facilitating educational programs and activities for various age levels that are focused on the STEM sciences. Strong customer service and communication skills are needed to engage with visitors.
General Volunteers
Duties include greeting and assisting guests, helping with ticket sales, and providing general information.
Contact Liz Lally at liz.lally@rdgsci.org or 484-878-2112