Top Five Reasons Every Teen Should Volunteer

A young man by the name of Spencer Corwin was about to begin his 7^th grade year in school. He wanted to volunteer in Orange County, California, but didn’t know where to get started. He found a lot of organizations for teen girls to get involved in the community, but he couldn’t find much out there for boys. So he decided to change that.

Spencer and his mother, Terry Corwin, recognized the importance of giving back, so they worked together to create Lion’s Heart. Lion’s Heart offers teenagers a special connection with their communities by providing volunteer and leadership opportunities for teens. Teen volunteers gain a lot from their experiences as they learn, grow, and mature. Lion’s Heart is dedicated to organizing, inspiring, and empowering teens to serve the community in fun and meaningful ways while promoting leadership, accountability, and teamwork.

We’ve all been taught that giving back is important, and some schools even require students to volunteer before graduating. But why should your teens want to volunteer?

Here are 5 benefits of volunteering (believe me, there are more).

1. You get to help those who need it. This is the obvious benefit, right? But it’s also the most important part. As a volunteer, you have a great opportunity to give back in any area that is important to you. For Spencer, making sure that all teens had the opportunity to volunteer was most important to him, so he started a volunteering organization. What passion could you pass on to others?
2. Volunteering is great for your mental and even physical health. Not only does volunteering boost self-confidence and happiness, but it has also been found that people who volunteer have lower mortality rates than those who don’t.
3. Volunteering can teach you the social and networking skills that you will need as an adult. Volunteering can teach teens how to network and build a list of important contacts. The people you volunteer with are also great candidates for recommendation letters. These are the people who have seen how you interact with others in social situations and how you handle new challenges.
4. Volunteering lets you see how others experience the world and opens your eyes to something new. From volunteering with animals to giving food at animal shelters, volunteering can expose you to very new experiences that you may not have known otherwise. Having new experiences can help you discover a new passion, and gives you the contacts to pursue that passion.
5. Make your resume shine. Volunteer experience can set you apart from other applicants for job and school applications. Your volunteer experience shows that you are ambitious, that you care about your community, and that you are willing to work to affect change. These are great qualities that recruiters and admissions officers look for in a potential student or employee.

So how can you get started volunteering? Join Lion’s Heart! We make it easy to get involved!

Lion’s Heart has worked with volunteer organizations like the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, The Rotary, Boys Town, Orange County Food Bank, National Beach Clean Up - Surfrider Foundation, numerous school districts, Tournament of Roses Parade, and American Red Cross blood drives, to name just a few.

We are not a fundraising organization, and we rely on our many volunteers. All of our volunteers are enthusiastic about serving the community, and teens can be involved with or without parent participation. It couldn’t be any easier to make a difference!

Lion’s Heart is for all teens across the nation. We invite you to join an existing chapter or start your own. Spencer and his mother were able to change their community and communities across the country with their passion for community service. What will your passion lead you to change?

Sign up with Lion’s Heart today, and see how you can affect your community for the better.

In his senior year of High School, Spencer said, "A fellow leader once told our group, 'Those who serve in life are winners,' and that's something that I've always believed, to my very core. I have learned that when you give back, you are part of the community."

Here are a few words from graduated members of Lion’s Heart:

“Lions Heart had a huge impact on what I have done over the years. The confidence I obtained leading a new student run community service group has given me skills I still use today. It was a place where I learned to be a leader of my peers, where I learned what I was passionate about, and where I found the confidence and skills to go out in the world and help people.” Noelle B., Graduated Lion’s Heart Member and student at UC Santa Barbara

“My takeaway from Lion's Heart is that it is an organization that promotes the development of community-based young adults who gain an appreciation and passion for other people.” Carly E., Graduated Lion’s Heart Member and student at Cornell University

“Even though most of the people in my graduating class would probably remember me as a hooligan, I can honestly say that Lion’s Heart had a pretty significant impact on my life. (Lion’s Heart) did help me to appreciate the life that I live and motivated me to become the humanitarian that I am now.” Brandon P., Graduated Lion’s Heart Member and University of Southern California graduate student

“YOU as the teenager have the power. The exposure and experience that I gained from Lion’s Heart as a teen allowed me to strengthen my passion for community service in my adult life.” Darby C., Graduated Lion’s Heart Member and student at Texas Christian University

For more information, please go to our website: www.lionsheartservice.org