What are some good volunteering activities for teens?

It depends on your age, your transportation availability, and why you're doing it. If you're doing it for school credit (CSIP), you need to get a list from your school. If you don't drive, or can't get a ride on a regular basis from a parent, for example, you'd need to volunteer at places within walking distance or within walking distance of a bus or train stop (if you have buses/trains in your area). Also, some volunteer jobs are based on age (e.g. 13-15, 16-19, etc.), so you'd need to know if you're old enough. With that aside, there are a multitude of places you can volunteer. Schools and/or hostels for handicapped and mentally retarded kids/adults: These places are quiet, slow paced, and you can usually set what you want to do. I used to bring arts and craft supplies and some healthy snacks and we'd talk and craft. You can do whatever interests you, they basically want companionship, just remember to keep their intellectual and physical abilities into consideration. Mentally retarded adults will often tend to like tween-age activities but still have interests in more adult conversation. And remember, those who are physically disabled but not mentally impaired want to be treated the same as anyone else. Also, don't let "mentally impaired" scare you. When it comes to the mentally retarded, it often means they are like young children - not good at academics but very generous with affection. You can volunteer at hospitals. It's not just candy stripers these days (the girls who bring gift shop items up to sell or help people write letters, etc.). You can work in the billing department, TV and phone departments, and so on. I'm not religious but, since most hospitals have a church-like section, there are probably volunteer jobs in that area, as well. You can help at women's shelters and child abuse shelters. You can help at pet shelters. See if there's a ASPCA branch near you. You can volunteer at PETA. They protect the ethical treatment of animals. Some branches are more zealous than others so check to see what the activity is for that day before volunteering in case it's something you don't want to do. I would not recommend this if you are younger than 18. You can help at animal emergency hospitals. You can help at day care centers. See if there are schools for children with disabilities near you or work programs for the mentally handicapped. On such organization is AHRC, search for them on the net to see if they have a sister organization in your area. You can bring food to the poor, blankets to the homeless, help the elderly go grocery shopping (e.g. read labels too small for them to see), help the blind in various daily activities, even help some new moms as Mothers' Helpers. If you're doing it for your spirit, for some feel good moments, or just to put on your college application to show you're well-rounded, just about any volunteering you can think of will help. If you have some special skills, think of offering them. Maybe take a quick training course at your local public pool and volunteer to be a pool life guard. Use your imagination and I'm sure you'll find something perfectly suited to you.