Community Service

Pack Meals for Food Insecure Students | NOW SEEKING 2024 VOLUNTEERS:

Location: 1729 1st Ave S.

Seattle, WA 98134

Email: kyle@backpackbrigade.org

instagram:https://www.instagram.com/washingtonbackpackbrigade/

Its ongoing and goes Monday-Thursday, 8:00am – 11:00am.

You can also schedule group sessions with them later on in the day if you email them.

Renton Parkrun:

Location: The event takes place at Cedar River Trail Trailhead by the 405 overpass in Renton, WA.

Email: renton@parkrun.com

This event happens every Saturday at 9:00am.

It is a park run and there’s no rush. You can run at whatever pace you would like but if you don’t want to run, you can help volunteer by setting up the park run and showing people the trail they need to stay on. 

The Seattle Public Library:

Location: 1000 4th Avenue

Seattle, WA 98104

Website:  https://www.spl.org/about-us/support-us

The Seattle Public Library brings people, information and ideas together to enrich lives and build community. You would just have conversations on how we can make our community better and you can pitch your ideas out there and make a difference.

Renton History Museum:

Renton History Museum has a volunteer program!  Become a volunteer today!

235 Mill Ave South

Renton, WA  98057

425-255-3330

rentonhistory.org

Renton Youth Traffic Court: Community Service Opportunity:

Renton Youth Traffic Court is a great way to gain community service hours while learning and engaging with a career pathway you may be interested in. This is an opportunity to learn the in’s and out’s of the court system, play out roles in the court, and gain community service hours. Sounds interesting? Renton Youth Traffic Court is just for you. A student-led program that holds events in the Renton Municipal Court on the second Wednesday of each month at 3:00 p.m for 1-2 hours. You get the opportunity to act out roles in the court system ( judge, bailiff, community advocate, respondent advocate, respondent, juror and mentor), the chance to network with city leaders and student peers, and best of all, free food at every event!

In order for youth drivers not to have their traffic violation trialed by an adult court, they can apply to get their case resolved in the Renton Youth Traffic Court program that is held and played by teens who sign up to enact the court system. If the traffic violator fully completes the program, their violation would be dismissed. Youth drivers interested in applying to get their case heard can send a youth court participation request form to the Renton Municipal Court. Once their request form has been accepted, they get a hearing date, arrive at Renton Municipal Court on that date, and finally get their case resolved by the Renton Youth Traffic Court program.

Some perks of this program is that there is no attendance! You are allowed to come to the program as many times you’d like and registration is free. If you are interested in the Renton Youth Traffic Court Program, visit the City of Renton Washington website for further explanation of what the program is all about, what the program contains, and the registration form. Renton Youth Traffic Court is also traveling to Seattle University School of Law to a once of a lifetime training from Washington judges and lawyers! Best of all, there is no registration fee! This is an amazing opportunity for you and your future. We look forward to seeing you there!

Picture of Renton Municipal Court Building

Humane Teen Club (Seattle):

What is Humane Teen Club?

Humane Teen  Club  (HTC)  is a fun and informative program for young people ages 13-17 who have a passion for animals and an interest in learning about animal welfare. We focus on connecting teens who care about animals, exploring animal-related careers, and developing speaking and advocacy skills. Humane Teen Club members also prepare to become responsible  volunteers  and  representatives  of  Seattle  Humane.

Humane Teen Club Objectives:

• Celebrate and explore the power of animal companionship
• Learn about the importance of the Human-Animal Bond
• Become familiar with current best practices in companion animal care and training
• Develop public speaking and leadership skills in a supportive environment
• Acquire tools to advocate and educate about animal welfare topics
• Explore animal-related  career  opportunities
• Gain insight, training, and preparation for volunteer service at Seattle Humane

Applicant Requirements:

• Teens must have an interest in animal welfare, companionship, and volunteerism.
• Teens must be able to work both independently and in groups.
• Teens should be at least 13 and no older than 17 years of age at the time of the first meeting
• Teens must demonstrate a positive and respectful attitude towards peers, staff, volunteers, and animals.
• Teens must complete all steps in the application process, outlined on the next page.

Graduation Requirements:

• Regular and consistent attendance (no more than 2 absences, arrive on-time and attend the full meeting)
• Come to meetings prepared (wear name-tag and volunteer t-shirt, bring binder and a pen, complete homework assignments on time)
• Demonstrate a desire to work with animals and/or learn more about animal-welfare related issues
• Complete hands-on demonstration of animal handling for cats, dogs, and small animals
• Work on a self-directed community service project
• Participate in oral presentations throughout the year to improve speaking skills, including a research project in December and culminating presentation in April.

This is not a complete list of activities, but rather a guide to help determine if becoming an HTC participant is the right fit for you and your schedule. Working toward graduation requirements outlined above provides an opportunity for teens to demonstrate their individual skills, interests, reliability and commitment to becoming a volunteer. The Volunteer Services team, not Education Services, ultimately matches people with available openings based on that person’s skills and interest and current needs of the shelter.

How to Apply:

We begin accepting applications in May and the deadline to submit is mid-August, every year.  Around 50 teens are accepted to the program based on their written responses to essay questions on the application form, their oral responses to interview questions during the information session, and their community member recommendation. Applications are reviewed after the submission deadline, and teens are offered acceptance to the program in early September.

1. Fill out the application form before Friday, August 25.
2. Have a community member submit a letter of recommendation by email to htc@seattlehumane.org, or through our recommendation form.

The form asks the recommender to describe what they know about the applicant’s character and why they would be a good fit for our program. The recommendation should be written by a non-relative who knows the applicant well, like a current or former teacher, tutor, coach, or religious leader. Due to the proximity of the application period to the end of the school year, we recommend that interested teens request a letter of recommendation as soon as they consider applying.

3. Attend an information session with a parent or supporting adult.
   Information sessions consist of a short presentation, general Q&A, and individual interviews with applicants. The purpose of these sessions is for teens and parents to learn more about Humane Teen Club and provide the opportunity for applicants to meet staff and volunteers that facilitate the program. Register here.

It is our goal to include members with a diverse set of skills, passions, needs, and backgrounds. We have a multi-step application process so we can learn about teens in a variety of ways, allow authentic personalities and motivations to shine through, and plan for all members to have a positive, welcoming experience. If you have any concerns about the application process, or would like to discuss an accommodation, please connect with us by emailing htc@seattlehumane.org or calling 425-373-5385.

Humane Teen Club Meetings:

The 2023-24 class will have a combination of virtual and in-person meetings, depending on the content covered. There is at least one full-group session, once per month, that lasts 90 minutes on Zoom. Most months, Humane Teen Club members have a second meeting for 2-2.5 hours at the shelter. Shelter meetings are offered on two dates, and about half of the group attends either session.  Meetings consist of guest presentations, educational activities, and specific skills training. Interaction with animals is not a typical part of HTC meetings.

Note: Teens are only permitted two (2) excused absences during the year. Please check calendar dates to make sure they work with your schedule. Late arrival or early departure (defined as missing more than 15 minutes at the start of a meeting or 30 minutes at the end) count as one-half of an absence. More than two absences will cause participants to be ineligible for graduation, which is currently a requirement to become a volunteer before the age of 18. Excessive absences/tardies result in teens missing key information, and do not reflect the time and commitment that is expected of Seattle Humane Volunteers. View proposed schedule for 2023-24.

Program Fee:

Due to the non-profit nature of our work, there is an enrollment fee to cover the costs of running the program, which includes a volunteer uniform, program materials, and refreshments when we meet in-person. We want this program to be accessible to anyone who would like to participate, so for the 2023-24 school year, families will choose the fee that best fits their budget on a scale from $100-$300. Please let us know if the program fee presents a barrier for your family and we will work out a solution.

Community Service Credit:

For each meeting attended, we award one (1) community service hour. Throughout the year, we also have several opportunities for teens to participate as volunteers-in-training for which they can receive credit for hours worked. We also help participants design a community service project as part of the program. If your school requires a certain number of service hours, we can work with you to verify these hours on an appropriate schedule (once per month, quarterly, etc).