1. What is the meaning of volunteering?

   Volunteering is an act by an individual or a group of people at their free will in activities which benefit the society. Those activities are carried out without any financial reward to teenagers.

   Teenagers are often affected by various social factors including relationship with family, community and school.

   In many cases teens are willing to help people in need but are never asked to help.
   Teens are 4 times as likely to volunteer when asked as when they were not asked.
   Volunteering helps teenagers to face these issues.

   Teens with parents who are volunteers tend to become volunteers themselves.
   Parents pass on civic values by being role models, assisting their teens to connect with organisations requiring volunteers

   There are many types of volunteer work.

   • School based – may involve helping the young children with school work, tuition and school sports event

   • Hospital based – may involve helping reading to patients and religious support

   • Animal – may involve assisting at shelters and local zoo

   • Environment – may involve in preserving cleanliness and restoration activities

   • Nursing home – may involve helping in caring for the elderly, reading stories and playing games

   • Community organisations – may involve activities like charity auctions, museum and libraries.

2. What are the advantages in participating in volunteer activities?

   Volunteering has many benefits to individuals especially for teens.

   • Volunteering allows you to understand lives of others. Helping others is an important aspect of humanity.

   • The knowledge gain from volunteer activities helps you to strengthen your survival skills.

   • It helps you to understand the various happenings in the community and also gives you a chance to learn how others solve problems. It allows us to appreciate sufferings of others and instil self-realisation.

   • It is fun to do such activities. It allows you to share your knowledge, experience, talents and skills with others. Such sharing is of great value for your future.

   • Volunteering helps you to develop leadership quality.

   • It improves your self-esteem and enhances resilience in your life.

   • Volunteering helps you to be more connected to your community. You feel engaged with the society.

   • Volunteer work reduces risk taking behaviours among teens.

   • During volunteer activities, you can change your school, college community and the world at large with positive changes to make it a better place to study and live.

   • You can help the less fortunate, the disabled and the poor.

   • From academic point of view, teens who are active contributor to volunteer activities merits better chance to get scholarships and other benefits.

   • It also strengthens your application for jobs in future.

   • When you do volunteer activities, you have the advantage of meeting new people including those senior to you and expand your social network, fosters long term friendship and relationship.

   • It instils a sense of responsibility towards society.

   • Studies show that those performing volunteer work are at lower risk of cardiovascular disease and obesity

3. Available non-governmental organisations (NGO) for teens in Malaysia

   Befrienders Kuala Lumpur
   http://www.befrienders.org.my/
   95 Jalan Templer, 46000 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

   Malaysian Volunteer Fire & Rescue Association
   http://www.mvfra.org/
   32 Jalan Wirawati 6, Taman Maluri, 55100 Kuala Lumpur

   Malaysian Youth Council MYC – Majlis Belia Malaysia MBM
   http://www.belia.org.my/
   Wisma MBM, Jalan Tasik Permaisuri 2, Bandar Tun Razak, 56000 Kuala Lumpur

   Mercy Malaysia – Malaysian Medical Relief Society. A medical volunteer relief organization
   http://www.mercy.org.my/
   45C Jalan Mamanda 9, Ampang Point, 68000 Ampang

   Penyayang – Yayasan Budi Penyayang Malaysia
   http://www.penyayang.org.my/
   2nd Floor Wisma Lejadi, 50 Jalan 27/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur

   Persatuan Kebajikan HOPE Worldwide KL
   http://www.malaysia.hopeworldwide.org/
   Lot B7 2nd Floor Blk B, KL Plaza, 179 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

   Pink Triangle
   7C-1 Jalan Ipoh Kecil, Off Jalan Raja Laut, 50350 Kuala Lumpur
   www.ptfmalaysia.org/

   PROSTAR Club
   http://www.prostar.gov.my/

   R.E.A.C.H. – Regional Environmental Awareness Cameron Highlands
   http://www.reach.org.my/
   1 Jalan Besar, 39100 Brinchang, Cameron Highlands, Pahang

   South East Asian Central Banks (SEACEN) Research & Training Centre
   http://www.seacen.org/

   St John Ambulance of Malaysia
   http://www.sjam.org.my/
   41 Jalan Shelley, off Jalan Peel, 55100 Kuala Lumpur

   Women Crisis Centre Penang – Pusat Krisis Wanita
   http://www.wccpenang.org/
   24-D Jalan Jones, 10250 Penang

   FFPAM – Federation of Family Planning Associations, Malaysia
   81B Jalan SS15/5A, 47500 Subang Jaya
   http://www.ffpam.org.my/

   Hospis Malaysia
   http://www.hospismalaysia.org/

   Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation MCPF – Yayasan Pencegahan Jenayah Malaysia
   http://www.emcpf.org/
   Lot F1-24, First Floor City Point, Kompleks Dayabumi, 50050 Kuala Lumpur.

   Malaysian Nature Society
   http://www.mns.org.my/
   JKR 641, Jalan Kelantan, 50480 Kuala Lumpur

   Malaysian Volunteer Fire & Rescue Association – MVFRA
   http://www.mvfra.org/
   32 Jalan Wirawati 6, Taman Maluri, 55100 Kuala Lumpur

REFERENCE

• Kids Health    http://kidshealth.org/teen/school/volunteering.html

• Image :Flighthouse-sf.org