You don’t need to be an adult to volunteer at Community Action Services and Food Bank. Riley, 15, collected 245 pounds of supplies. Spencer, 16, collected baby care products. Joshua, 18, made Halloween, personal hygiene, and birthday kits.
In fact, kids often fill essential volunteer roles at Community Action Services and Food Bank, especially Boy Scouts. The non-profit agency has all kinds of opportunities for Scouts, from Eagle Scout projects to the Citizenship in the Community merit badge to scouting activities. Here’s how to get Scouts involved:
Do an Eagle Scout project
Around the country, Eagle Scouts perform millions of hours of service every year, completing worthwhile projects in their communities. In 2017 alone, Eagle Scouts logged 8,461,760 volunteer hours. And Utah produced more Eagle Scouts than any other state. So if you’re interested in joining the legions of Eagle Scouts in Utah, submit a proposal. One common Eagle Scout project is collecting items and assembling specialty kits. We offer a range of specialty kits to people in need, from birthday to hygiene to homeless packs. You must submit at least 100 kits for an Eagle Scout project, but most Scouts donate more than 250. You’ll need to organize a fundraiser or drive to collect items for the packs, then recruit volunteers to help put them together.
Contact our volunteer coordinator volunteer@communityactionuc.org to find out what we need when you’re ready to get started with your project. Community Action Services relies on volunteers like Eagle Scouts to keep shelves stocked and help people in need.
Earn a merit badge
Community Action Services and Food Bank helps Scouts fulfill requirements for the Citizenship in the Community merit badge. It’s the perfect place to spend your eight-hour volunteer requirement.
Ideas for two hours:
- Learn about poverty in the community in the 2014 Poverty Report and Poverty Simulation Game. Then teach your family what you learned.
- Work at the Food Bank—you’ll need to have an adult with you if you’re younger than 16, and only people ages 16 and older can volunteer during the day. And if you’re bringing more than three people, you must schedule in advance via email to volunteer@CommunityActionUC.org.
Ideas for four hours:
- Collect items and putting them into kits for people in need.
- Conduct a drive for food or specialty items.
If you’re interested in earning your Citizenship in the Community merit badge and helping people in your community, Community Action Services has opportunities for you.
Have fun volunteering
Are you looking for a hands-on, fun activity for your Boy Scout troop? Community Action Services has ideas for service activities for groups of up to 10 people. If your group has kids younger than 12, though, you can’t volunteer during operating hours. Everyone needs to wear closed-toe shoes, and children need to be supervised by adults. Remember to schedule your activity in advance. Also, be sure to give at least two days notice if you need to cancel. Activities at Community Action Services and Food Bank are a fun way to get kids interested in service.
Boy Scouts fill essential roles at non-profit agencies around the U.S. With Eagle Scout projects, a merit badge and fun activities, there are all kinds of opportunities available for Scouts at Community Action Services. Call (801) 373-8200 or email volunteer@CommunityActionUC.org to get started today.