Teenagers have range of volunteer opportunities across the county

Volunteering can be a great endeavor for teenagers to learn basic life skills and empathy. Most important for some, it looks good on college applications.

When it comes to volunteer options for teenagers, opportunities can be limited by their age.

But Spokane is host to many great options for younger adults. Feeding the hungry, mentoring autistic children and ensuring abandoned pets are welcomed into loving families are just a few options in town.

The ISAAC Foundation

The ISAAC Foundation was started in 2007 by Holly Goodman in honor of her first child, Isaac, who she felt was mistreated by the systems in place designed to help autistic children.

“We empower those touched by autism one connection at a time,” Goodman said.

The ISAAC Foundation has many positions for teenage volunteers to help autistic children, such as the mentor program.

“So for our peers, we’re connecting with them, just showing them that being a natural peer mentor to some of our kids on the spectrum is really actually not hard and actually kind of fun,” Goodman said.

The mentorship program offers services to ages 13-18, with a few exceptions.

Mentors are partnered up with autistic children or young adults. The goal is to develop a personal relationship with the child by teaching the child life skills and becoming a friend.

Autistic people all along the spectrum can participate in the mentorship program.

“Those that are nonspeaking have specific programs, so that they have an opportunity to do some activities, and even be in our space to build relationships that make sense for them, all the way to our highly capable young people that just need some help learning how to navigate and do kind of adulting things,” Goodman said.

The ISAAC Foundation also teaches teen mentors valuable skills in life, according to Goodman.

Goodman explained how she believes public schools don’t educate students about intellectual disabilities and ways to help those who have such challenges.

“There’s no baseline for them to know how to be a natural peer supporter,” Goodman said. “We have to normalize it, and this is a good program for kids to know that this is pretty cool, and that we do fun stuff.”

During the school year, teen volunteers come in after class between 4-6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 5-7 p.m. on Saturdays, to connect with autistic individuals and help them find joy.

Activities include helping autistic individuals navigate the local community, learn time management skills and budget money.

Caleb Simmons, a 14-year-old freshman, said his time with the ISAAC Foundation helped him learn as much as he taught.

“Well, along with the people I mentor, I’m also learning how to ride a bus, because I’ve never done it. It’s also teaching me how to budget money as well, because I haven’t had much experience doing that either,” Simmons said.

Simmons’ mentoring partner is Isaac – not the namesake of the foundation – who Simmons has been working with on time management.

“Time management is Isaac’s biggest thing. If that is the only thing that he learns, and starts having a conception of time by the end of his six weeks with us, then we’ve made progress,” Goodman said.

Volunteering at the ISAAC Foundation can teach valuable skills for working with different groups of people, according to Goodman.

“What if you go to college and you’re in classes with people who have differences? Do you think that’d help because you have a different perspective? Or even when you get your first job when you turn 16, and you’re in customer service, and you see someone like Issac, do you think that gives you more experience and knowledge on what to do and how to support them?” Goodman said.

Working with the ISAAC Foundation can help teenagers get into college, especially the earlier they start.

“But you know college, when you’re applying for college and you’re applying for scholarships or different things like that, even trying to get back into your community, they want to see that you’re invested in volunteering and giving back to your community long before you start applying for college,” Goodman said.

Goodman believes autism is an underdiscussed issue in our society, and that if a few more people took the time to care, it could make a big difference.

“This really matters to us,” Goodman said. “I really feel like if more young people heard about some of these fun opportunities, it could really help them, but I think for the bigger picture it’s going to help our community, too.”

Information for volunteering at the ISAAC Foundation can be found on their website at theisaacfoundation.configio.com/.

Second Harvest

Second Harvest, a self-described “food bank for food banks” is dedicated to hunger relief across the country. Started around 1979 in Phoenix, Second Harvest has expanded deep into the Inland Northwest.

The organization realizes that teenagers may be busy throughout the school year and have made accommodations to be flexible with their schedules.

“During the winter time is when we’ll mainly see them more in our later sorts because it works better for their schedules because it’s after school,” volunteer manager Savannah Olson said.

Positions for teen volunteers include mobile markets, kitchens, sort rooms, the Child Hunger Center and Bite2Go events.

Volunteering at Second Harvest is seen by many as an “emotional tug-of-war.”

“I remember seeing people coming to a mobile market. We hand them a box of food in their back seat or their trunk, and you look and you go, ‘Oh my God, there’s four people living in that car,’ ” said Eric Williams, the Community Partnerships Director at Second Harvest.

Rachelle Goodbrake, a program coordinator for Second Harvest, had an eye-opening experience when she volunteered as a teen for the first time.

“My uncle told me we were going to volunteer at Second Harvest,” Goodbrake said. “I didn’t know what the heck that was. It sounded boring. I came here, and we sorted watermelons. It was a pivotal time in my life. I was a teenager, my mental health wasn’t great. That, then changed the trajectory of my life.”

For more information on volunteering at Second Harvest, visit 2-harvest.org/.

SCRAPS

SCRAPS originated as a dog pound in Spokane, but over the years has transformed into a countywide animal protection service and shelter for all sorts of furry friends.

“Teenagers learn how to care for animals and be very compassionate and understanding and see the reasons why we do the things we do. The cleaning and the caretaking, the observing, the nurturing and potentially getting them adopted into new families, our teen volunteers bring a lot of energy to us,” said Sarah Garner, the volunteer coordinator at SCRAPS.

SCRAPS’ scheduling is flexible but precise, with volunteers able to come in once a week to seven days a week. Late mornings, early afternoons and evenings are preferred, with a minimum of one hour each time.

No experience is needed to volunteer at SCRAPS, even if one has never been around animals.

“We get people that, you know, they haven’t really been around animals, so it takes them a little longer and we get people that have been around animals all their lives,” Garner said.

Volunteering at SCRAPS provides a unique route that can help teenagers find jobs and get into college.

“I think it’s fabulous for college applications as well as any jobs that they are interested in. It shows dedication. It shows maturity. It shows compassion, that they choose to help these animals that are less fortunate,” Garner said.

Information and applications for volunteering at SCRAPS can be found at its Spokane Valley location.

Catholic Charities

Catholic Charities in Spokane offers a variety of volunteer opportunities throughout the area.

Teenagers can get involved in Childbirth & Parenting Assistance, the Rising Strong program, senior services, the House of Charity or even the Christmas Bureau during the holiday season.

“I mean, I think it’s a really great experience for students to learn how to get involved. They learn the importance of volunteering and we have so many different opportunities, so I think it’s a good way to figure out what they’re interested in, and what they’re passionate about,” said Heidi Meany, the volunteer coordinator at Catholic Charities.

The organization first expanded into Spokane through the opening of St. Anne’s Orphanage, a Catholic home for parentless children that is now used as a day care center.

Each branch of Catholic Charities functions with autonomy in a unique way, with Spokane’s being no different.

“The best way to describe it is that Catholic charities responds to the needs of the community,” Meany said.

Serving at Catholic Charities can spark passion, Meany explained.

“I think it’s a really great experience for students to learn how to get involved,” Meany said. “Learn the importance of volunteering.

“We have so many different opportunities, so I think it’s a good way to figure out what they’re interested in, what they’re passionate about.”