“There are tons of opportunities out there,” says Cassie Collins, director of volunteer services for Children’s Medical Center Dallas. “Teens who volunteer have an opportunity to see that what they are doing is truly helping someone else.”

For example, on average, 100 teens participate in the teen summer program at Children’s, which is designed to encourage teens to provide volunteer support to the hospital and to learn more about healthcare-related career opportunities. Teens in the program commit to 50 hours, but most exceed that because they enjoy the experience of volunteering, Collins says.

If your child is interested in finding a volunteer opportunity, begin by following these steps:

Ask your family to talk about what kind of project you’d like to work on. Make a list of things you like to do and organizations that interest you. Would you like to help people, animals or the environment? Do you like to talk with people, or work with your hands? Decide how much time you have to give.

Before you volunteer every week or every month, try a one-time project first. Try different groups to see which one fits your interests best.

When you’ve decided what organization you’d like to volunteer for, call the volunteer coordinator. If you have trouble connecting, don’t get discouraged. Keep trying. Many coordinators are busy and will appreciate it if you keep trying.

Volunteering means just showing up, right? Not quite. It will mean more to you if you learn about the group you’re going to help. And find out what supplies you will need. Will the work be dirty? Do you need to look nice? Do you need to bring food?

Bring your supplies with you and arrive on time to receive any instructions you will need. Afterward, be sure to thank everyone who helped, including the volunteer coordinator, your family – and yourself.

Looking for a group that needs help? VolunteerMatch (www.volunteermatch.org) and SERVEnet (www.servenet.org) help link organizations and volunteers online.