Elgin Area VolunTEEN Guide now available

The Elgin community is lucky to have teens who are passionate about giving back to their communities.

From hosting fundraisers to cleaning up trash to working behind the scenes at events, local teens are always willing to lend a hand.

Sometimes, it can be hard to find new volunteer opportunities for teens outside of school or clubs. Many agencies do not take volunteers under the age of 18, and those that do take young volunteers have different age limits and requirements.

To simplify finding volunteer opportunities for young people, the United Way of Elgin, the Elgin Area Leadership Academy Class of 2015 and Youth Leadership Academy have developed the "VolunTEEN Guide" to help parents and teens find the right volunteer opportunities.

The guide lists local organizations that accept teen volunteers. Each agency has different age limits and guidelines, so be sure to contact the agency you are interested in to find out their requirements to volunteer. Several agencies also accept court-ordered teens; these are indicated in the guide.

While not a comprehensive list of all available opportunities for teens, this guide is a great place to start. Visit unitedwayelgin.org/teen-volunteer-guide/. It is offered in English and Spanish.