In a past post, I talked about New Year’s resolutions and how many people (including myself) resolve to be a more active volunteer in their community. I’d like to take this opportunity to start your New Year off right and give you some volunteer ideas that could be utilized within your mentoring relationship. Not only are you promoting volunteerism in your own life, but you are teaching your mentee valuable life lessons about giving back! By making volunteerism a priority in your life, you are encouraging them to do the same.
So without further ado, here are some great volunteer opportunities in the metro-Detroit area:
Habit for Humanity: This is a fabulous opportunity for teens to volunteer in a way that is hands-on and helps them develop skills. Habitat for Humanity Detroit is always looking for new volunteers to help build homes for those in need. (Note: Volunteers on construction sites must be at least 16 years old, so this is an opportunity for the older kids) For more information, go to: http://www.habitatdetroit.org
Gleaners Food Bank: For over 34 years, Gleaners has been distributing food to the hungry in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston and Monroe counties. Did you know that last year, Gleaners distributed 40 million pounds of emergency food to over 577 soup kitchens and shelters? Pretty impressive! They are always look for volunteers to help in the warehouse or distribution. For more information, go to: www.gcfb.org
Michigan Animal Rescue League: Does your mentee really enjoy animals? The Michigan Animal Rescue League is conveniently located in Pontiac and allows volunteers 17 and under when they are accompanied by an adult. This is a great opportunity for kids who are really interested in working with animals. For more information, go to: www.michigananimalrescueleague.org
The Greening of Detroit: This amazing program plants trees, flowers and shrubs in Detroit. It also works on creating community gardens in urban areas…such a neat project to be part of! This is an opportunity to keep in mind for the upcoming Spring. For more information, go to: www.greeningofdetroit.com
As an added note, a great way that you can help Mentor Connection this New Year is by encouraging people you know to volunteer as a mentor! There are a lot of great potential mentors out there and we appreciate the help in getting them involved with our program! So if you have a friend, coworker, acquaintance, sibling, cousin, parent, workout partner (the list is endless!) who might make a really great mentor…tell them about us!
