Approved Activities

Acceptable Activities

Note: these activities must be unpaid

School

• • School Garden

  • Mentoring

  • Tutoring

  • Reading to youth

  • Helping to improve school grounds: football field clean-up, playground clean-up

Community

• • Farmers Market

  • Adopt-A-Park; contact Independence Parks & Rec

  • Community beautification or clean up project

  • Independence Public Library

Community Service Organization

• • Operation Santa Claus

  • Brew-B-Q

  • Relay for Life

  • Blood drives for community

  • Assist with performances for the community when an admission fee is NOT charged, i.e. Habitat for Humanity, Community Band, Ladies Musical

  • Fundraising events for non-profit organizations

Chamber Activities

• • Downtown events

  • Fourth of July

  • Golf Outing

Sports

• • Coaching younger students in a sport or activity

  • Referee for Independence Parks & Rec

  • Special Olympics

Animal Lovers

• • Human Society (animal shelter)

  • Dog/cat sitting

Politics

• • Political party/campaign work

People

• • Day care for children at local centers

  • Library story hour, summer reading program

  • Helping shut-ins/elderly (reading, writing letters, housework, etc.)

  • Raking/shoveling/yard work for a person in need

  • Church service activities (Mission trips - only for service hours worked, teaching Sunday School or Vacation Bible School)

  • Assisting at hospitals, nursing homes, adult day care

  • Camp counselor

  • 4-H

  • Scouting service activities

This is only a partial list, please take time to find other volunteer activities. If you are in question if the volunteer activity is acceptable or non-acceptable, check with  Kristy Ward, Silver Cord Coordinator or Val Maximovich, Volunteer Coordinator, 319-332-0626 prior to starting the activity.

Non-Acceptable Activities

• • Travel time to and from volunteer activity

  • Court/school ordered activity

  • Practices for extracurricular activity

  • Fundraising for yourself/school

  • Doing "extra credit" or "special chores" for teacher at school

  • Attending church, confirmation, or Sunday School

  • Extracurricular activities

  • Working at a family business/farm anywhere you are getting paid

  • Babysitting for siblings

  • If you are part of a team or organization i.e. Club Hours when sitting in a club or organization meetings for out-of-school activities. Ex: showing cattle for 4-H, time completing record books, planning meetings in youth groups, duties, officers of church or community groups.

  • If you are receiving service hours for another organization i.e. NHS, FFA or Student Council, those hours do not apply to Silver Cord hours.

  • When supervising campers or mission trips do NOT count sleeping or down time