A good community project depends on volunteers.
Community organizations may have paid staff, but most could not operate without their volunteers. It is community volunteers that organize any number of service projects, recruit other volunteers and see the service project to completion. Many high schools also require students to complete a community service project in order to graduate.
Library
Public libraries often have any number of needs and use volunteers to re-shelve books left out by patrons, read to children and assist those with disabilities. Along with the high, wide shelves, sometimes libraries require smaller, wooden shelves, especially accessible for children or for other purposes. A valuable community service project would be to provide shelves for the library.
If you are not handy with tools, gather a committee to set down needs and goals and begin a fund-raising campaign. Ask businesses to donate prizes and/or money. Ask the media for coverage of the project. If the shelves are for the children's section, get the children involved with prizes for their participation as well. Once the money is donated, give prizes to those who worked hard as well as those who got the most donations. Buy the shelves and, with those present who helped and donated along with the media, present the shelves to the library.
Not all community service projects require a committee. If you have some expertise in construction, offer your services in building a needed shelf or two. Be sure to follow library directions as to size, weight, etc. Shelves need to be solid enough not to be easily tipped over.
Along with shelves, libraries are often short of step stools. While not glamorous, buying or making steps stools as a community service project is an important contribution.
Adopt-A-Highway Program
Keeping roads clear of litter and trash is a continuing problem. Individuals, schools and/or organizations can "adopt" a section of road as a community service project. This can be a one-time clean up or an adoption lasting for a period of months or years. There is also an Adopt-A-Highway Program that works with corporate sponsors and states. Your business or organization can pay to see that a road section is properly cleaned and maintained. You can also be a volunteer for the program to help clean up the highways.
Even if there is no formal program in place, a community service project would be to choose a portion of a roadway and take the initiative to clean up the trash on both sides of the highway on a regular basis. Publicizing your efforts and encouraging others to do the same extends what one person or organization can do when others join in the effort to keep the roads and highways clean.
Organize a Blood Drive
Red Cross centers need blood and platelet donations. They need volunteers willing donate one or both. This need skyrockets during crisis situations. A good community service project is not just to donate blood and/or platelets yourself, but also to organize friends, family and the community to do the same. You can do this informally or you can work with the Red Cross for a wider impact.
Tags: service project, community service project, community service, community service, Adopt-A-Highway Program