And you want to know what volunteering you could do to help you get into university, to get the attention of a scholarship committee, and/or to help you understand the career more or to prepare you better for your career choice.

If that's you, this page is for you.

Studying or working in medicine and studying and working in social work are very different, but when it comes to what volunteering contributes to helping people that want to work in either of those fields, the volunteering is largely the same. That's why it's combined on this page. And while veterinary medicine is focused on animals, you are going to deal with a huge variety of humans if you work in that field, and you have to gain their trust and be able to communicate with them in order to care for their animals properly. The volunteering recommended here can help. 

For any of these career pursuits, volunteering at a hospital is worthwhile - but it's not really anything special for a university application. Plus, many hospitals are limiting volunteering to the gift shop.

Volunteering that would give you training and experience that you could use at university and in your career choice include volunteering:

• as a firefighter, first responder or EMT.
  
• with the Red Cross as a trainer, as a disaster responder, helping with their warming centers during cold nights, or helping with blood drives, etc.
  
• with Planned Parenthood, particularly in community education programs.
  
• at a domestic violence shelter or nonprofit serving women experiencing domestic violence, particularly in counseling clients or in educating the public about the issue.
• as a part of a victim services program.
• at a hospice, particularly in counseling clients and their families.
  
• at a nonprofit or community hospital or clinic that serves low income people.
  
• at any organization that serves people with intellectual disabilities, or people with physical disabilities.
• at an organization that helps refugees (these can be found in your own community or nearby).
• at an animal shelter, particularly in programs where you work with potential pet owners and the community.
  
• at an organization or initiative focused on HIV/AIDS in some way (educating people about prevention, helping people who may be HIV positive, etc.).
• with seniors / the elderly, particularly programs that help them stay healthy and active mentally and physically.
• with people who are incarcerated or recently released.
• through a university program if you are a pre med, medical-related or social work degree (this might include helping your local health department with COVID-19 vaccination clinics).
• through nonprofits that help people who are homeless or about to be.

The American Cancer Society Road To Recovery program recruites volunteers to provide free rides to treatment for cancer patients. Transportation barriers are the #1 reason for missed cancer appointments. Volunteers choose the rides that work best for their schedule. Most rides are scheduled during the weekday between 7am and 7pm. Volunteers are asked to commit to a minimum of 2 rides per month. There are other requirements as well (volunteers must have a valid driver's license and insurance, have access to a safe and reliable vehicle, pass a background check, appreciate and respect diverse backgrounds, lifestyles, etc., follow policies, etc.).

Mentoring / Working With Children

Any volunteering with children is going to require that you undergo a criminal background check. An arrest or conviction will not automatically prevent you from working with children; the nature of the crime, the role of volunteers in the program in which you want to participate, and the policies of the organization dictate who can and can't volunteer.

• Look at the web site for a nearby public school, or stop by the school during regular business hours, and find out how to volunteer. Many schools have mentoring and tutoring programs, as well as one-day events focused on bicycle safety, sporting events and other activities that welcome volunteers.

• If you are in the USA: become a GoodGuides Youth Mentor through Goodwill. This is a national mentoring program at 56 Goodwill agencies in 38 states serving young people between the ages of 12 and 17. These young people are matched with adults who help the youth realize their potential and prepare for their future. Goodwill may have other volunteering opportunities available: you could help train their clients to make clothing displays more appealing or fashionable, or to test electronic equipment before it goes up for sale in a store. You could help train clients in how to create a résumé or how to use word processing or accounting software.

• You could volunteer with your local Girl Scouts or Girl Guides to:
  
  
  
  • help with a one-time event, like a day camp, an over-night camp or a badge day. These events need people to lead or help lead activities, to cook, to make posters for the event (with song lyrics, directing girls to craft tables, telling them how to clean up after the event, etc.) and to staff the registration table at the start of the event, among many other activities.
     
  • help individual troops or service units with maintaining their web pages, maintaining their online discussion groups, maintaining their Facebook pages, or designing fliers
     
  • help identify groups in your area that would be great targets for Girl Scout / Girl Guides volunteer recruitment (civil clubs, professional societies, etc.)
     
  • identify potential activities for older Girl Scouts / Girl Guides (those 12 - 17)
     
  • help with a Girl Scout / Girl Guides troop
     
  • lead or co-lead a Girl Scouts or Girl Guides troop
     
  • serve on a council-level committee
     
  Whether you want to help just occasionally with a one-time event, you want to help primarily online, you want to work with girls or DON'T want to work directly with actual Girl Scouts / Girl Guides , or you want to invest lots of hours every month, Girl Scouts has a role for you - and you will need to register as a volunteer on your council's web site (you will find your local council via the national Girl Scouts of the USA web site); you can register to volunteer via most council web sites immediately, right now, without knowing where you want to volunteer yet. NOTE: Girl Scouts of the USA does NOT discriminate on the basis of religion (or lack their of) nor on the basis of sexual orientation (unlike the Boy Scouts of America). But they aren't super welcoming to volunteers who don't have girls in the program.
  

• CASA Court Appointed Special Advocates is a national, non-profit network of almost 1000 programs in the USA that recruit, train and support volunteers to represent the best interests of abused and neglected children in the courtroom and other settings - including foster children. Volunteers stay with each case until it is closed and the child is placed in a safe, permanent home. For many abused children, their CASA volunteer will be the one constant adult presence in their lives. You do not have to be a lawyer or social worker to be a volunteer. "We are simply looking for people who care about children and have common sense." CASA and guardian ad litem volunteers advocate work directly with abused and neglected children and the people in their lives: foster parents, social workers, attorneys, teachers, medical providers and others; such volunteers are thoroughly trained and well supported by professional staff. In addition, most CASA programs also have opportunities for non-advocate volunteers, such as helping with administrative tasks or special events.

• Big Brothers Big Sisters is a national, volunteer-supported mentoring network, creating meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers ("Bigs") and children ("Littles"), ages 6 through 18, in communities across the USA.

  And consider which of these statements is more powerful:

  I volunteered 15 hours a week for four months at the local hospital.

  As a volunteer, I counseled teenagers on how to protect themsleves against HIV/AIDS.

  Whick would be more impressive to a scholarship or university adminissions committee?

  Also see this advice on working abroad for international humanitarian and development agencies), and this resources on volunteering abroad (volunteering internationally).

 
If you found this page helpful, let others know:

Other resources

Careers Working With Animals (for the benefit of animals)

Volunteering To Help After Major Disasters.

Volunteering with organizations that help animals and wildlife.

Advice for volunteering as a group / volunteering in a group

Ideas for Leadership Volunteering Activities
These ideas are good for anyone seeking ways to create or lead a sustainable, lasting benefit to a community, to have a leadership role as a volunteer.

Group Volunteering for Atheist and Secular Volunteers

Family Volunteer - Volunteering by Families with Children

Using Your Business Skills for Good - Volunteering Your Business Management Skills, to help people starting or running small businesses / micro enterprises, to help people building businesses in high-poverty areas, and to help people entering or re-entering the work force.

Advice for Finding Volunteer Activities During the Holidays

Detailed information on Finding Community Service and Volunteering for Teens.

How to Find Volunteering Opportunities, a resource for adults who want to volunteer

Online Volunteering (Virtual Volunteering)

How to complain about your volunteering experience.

Fund Raising For a Cause or Organization

Donating Things Instead of Cash or Time (In-Kind Contributions)

Creating or Holding a Successful Community Event or Fund Raising Event.

How to Make a Difference Internationally/Globally/in Another Country Without Going Abroad

Ideas for Funding Your Volunteering Abroad Trip.

How to Get a Job with the United Nations or Other International Humanitarian or Development Organization

Ideas for Leadership Volunteering Activities
These are more than just do-it-yourself volunteering - these are ideas to create or lead a sustainable, lasting benefit to a community, recruiting others to help and to have a leadership role as a volunteer. These can also be activities for the Girl Scouts Gold Award, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award (U.K.), a mitzvah project, or even scholarship consideration.

Exploring Leadership: For College Students Who Want to Make a Difference  

The Most Good You Can Do

Doing Good Better: How Effective Altruism