MORE ON VOLUNTEERING TO DEAL WITH SOCIAL ISOLATION

I really loved Dr. Debra's post yesterday. I truly believe that teenagers need some structure in the summer. They need time to just hang out with friends etc. but they also need some structure. Summer jobs are currently difficult to find and that means that volunteer work is perfect. Many teens need volunteer hours for school or NHS. Our teens need also to develop a sense of giving back. There are opportunities out there if you look. My daughter's volunteered at the local zoo. It was a wonderful program; not only did they get to work with the animals at the zoo(My daughter still talks about dipping frozen rodents into raw egg to feed that snakes,) but in the afternoon they had speakers on to find a job, how to write a resume and many other things. There was also strict dress code etc. like an employer would expect. This was not a volunteer position. We had to pay to be in this program but it was worth it. Many families cannot afford to pay for summer activities but there are volunteer jobs available. When they are looking for first jobs these volunteer positions can go on their resume. In addition, they learn a great deal about the "real world" and themselves. Sherri