Website: https://www.alz.org/dsw/volunteers Mission "To eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health." Age Restrictions: Not published as a blanket rule — varies by role (e.g., support-group facilitators, community educators typically skew adult). Application Process: Roles include support groups, education programs, awareness, advocacy, and fundraising events; find and sign up for specific openings via the chapter's "Find volunteer opportunities near you" page at https://www.alz.org/dsw/volunteers IdealistAlzheimer's Association Description Facilitating support groups, delivering community education presentations on dementia care, staffing awareness/advocacy initiatives, or helping run fundraising events. Firsthand Experience

Website: https://www.almostthererescue.org Mission "To save mama dogs and pups, provide care and enrichment, and find loving, forever homes," specializing in pregnant/nursing dogs and puppies in Phoenix, AZ. Age Restrictions: Volunteers must be 18 or older. Application Process: Volunteer, foster, or adopt inquiries go through their website; contact info@almostthererescue.org or (480) 336-9860. Description Hands-on care for pregnant/nursing dogs and puppies — likely socialization, cleaning, feeding, and support through their "Puppy Culture" enrichment curriculum (exact task breakdown not published; best confirmed directly with them). Firsthand Experience

Website: https://www.allfaithaz.org (also allfaithcsaz.com) Mission: Founded in 1996 in Avondale, Arizona with a vision to provide a "Hand-Up, not a Hand-Out," now serving more than 4,000 households a month with food, job training, education, and hope. Age Restrictions Not specified on their public pages — geared toward individuals and small groups broadly. Application Process Sign up by completing the Volunteer Application online; they follow up with upcoming volunteer opportunities. Opportunities run weekdays 7:30 AM–3:00 PM, plus some Saturdays and by appointment, in the office, thrift store, donations area, or food warehouse. Description Sorting and distributing donated food/clothing/household goods, staffing the thrift store, helping in the food warehouse, or assisting in the office — supporting families in Buckeye/Goodyear/Litchfield. Firsthand Experience

https://www.arcadiayouthbasketballaz.com Mission AdmiHER is Arcadia's all-girls youth basketball program, "established with a mission to support the growth of girls' basketball through coaching, mentorship, and health and wellness programming," open to any skill level for girls K–5th grade. Age Restrictions This is a coaching/volunteer opportunity, not youth-participant only — volunteer coaches are core to the program and are asked to be positive role models; a specific minimum coach age isn't published. Application Process Reach out via the contact page to be added to the coaches list — https://www.arcadiayouthbasketballaz.com/page/show/4251705-contact-us WordpressAYB Basketball Description Coaching and mentoring girls (K–5th grade) or co-ed youth in basketball fundamentals, sportsmanship, and confidence-building at practices and games. Firsthand Experience

https://azdot.gov/adopt-a-highway Mission Offers community members and businesses a chance to help keep Arizona's highways free of litter, via two-year cleanup permits. Age Restrictions Participants must be at least 12; those 12–18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Application Process Review the AZ511.gov map, select a highway segment and note mile markers, then complete and submit the Volunteer Program Application by email to the nearest ADOT District office. Groups notify the district a week before each cleanup and must pick up litter at least once a year. Description Roadside litter cleanup along an adopted mile-long highway segment, done in groups at least once (ideally several times) a year, wearing safety vests and using ADOT-provided bags. Firsthand Experience

https://ability360.org Mission A Center for Independent Living pursuing "independence, integration, consumer control and choice, equal rights and responsibility for people with disabilities." Age Restrictions No blanket minimum is published, but note there's a dedicated junior volunteer program specifically for ages 16–18 at the Sports & Fitness Center, alongside general adult volunteer roles. Application Process: New program/fitness volunteers must complete a volunteer application, criminal history form, and orientation before starting — except for one-off special events/tournaments, which only require signing a waiver day-of. Peer Mentor and Sports & Fitness Center volunteering are separate application tracks; see https://ability360.org/volunteer/ Description: Either one-on-one peer mentoring with people with disabilities toward independent-living goals, or hands-on support at the Sports & Fitness Center helping members and staff during adaptive sports, fitness, and recreation programs. Firsthand Experience(s)

https://aceingautism.org/programs/phoenix-az/ Mission "On a mission for children with autism to grow, develop and benefit from social connections and fitness through affordable tennis programming." Age Restrictions: Volunteers must be at least 13 years old; adults of all ages and backgrounds are welcome. Application Process: No prior tennis/teaching experience needed — volunteers commit about two hours a week teaching tennis to kids with autism. Apply/sign up through https://aceingautism.org/volunteer/ Description: ACEing Autism Phoenix is a local community program providing specialized, affordable tennis clinics, social skill development, and volunteer opportunities for individuals on the autism spectrum. Firsthand Experience:

https://lovepupfoundation.org Organization Mission "At #LovePup Foundation, every dog is family. We rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome pups with love and care, one tail at a time." Age Restrictions Volunteers must be 18 to volunteer alone, but minors can volunteer if accompanied by an adult. Application Process Start by filling out the volunteer application online. They'll follow up with orientation info and next steps based on your availability and interests. Application link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/17aIy-izDMCcmNo21J_VWjJIN1WZ1074HNOqvy14pji0/viewform LovePup Foundation Firsthand Experience(s) Additional details: Shelter duties include feeding, potty-breaks, cleaning kennels, obedience training, playtime, enrichment, and walking (weather permitting), plus help with adoption events and social media support. No prior animal experience is required — just compassion and willingness to help. Time commitment is flexible, from weekly shelter help to just event support. They can also provide documentation for students or individuals needing service hours — just note it in the application.

https://www.honorhealth.com/community/volunteer-opportunities/teen#summer Organization Mission “The program is a seven-week session running from June to mid July and requires a commitment of two (2) four-hour shifts each week, with a minimum of six weeks of participation. If a high school volunteer misses three or more shifts during the seven-week session, they may be removed from the program. Volunteer shifts are available between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. If your family has a two-week vacation scheduled during the program dates, you are not eligible for the program as you cannot miss more than one week of service. Our high school volunteers perform a variety of duties in our medical centers and at Desert Mission Food Bank. High school volunteers will interact with HonorHealth team members, patients, and family members. This experience allows them to improve communication skills and build confidence while giving back to the community.” Age Restrictions Volunteers must have completed 10th grade and must be at least 15 years of age. Application Process I volunteered at Honor Health because I wanted to get more firsthand experience being in a hospital setting while also serving my community. The application process was very straightforward. There are three short answer prompts, and these answers must fit within a page. The first question asks about a personality trait that will aid in providing success as an HonorHealth volunteer. The second question asks to choose one of Honor Health ICARE values (Innovation, Collaboration, Accountability, Respect, Empathy) and write about its importance, and the third question asks about how the volunteer plans to prioritize this duty. Then, you are required to choose an in-person interview panel date for the volunteer supervisors to get to know more about you and assess your ability to handle hypothetical situations in the hospital. For example, they asked me what I would do if there was a visitor who needed my help while I was already in the middle of helping someone else. Hypothetical questions like these are super important to answer wisely as the supervisors want to hear your voice and see how you can bring value to the hospital! Firsthand Experience(s) Once you are chosen for a volunteer position, you are assigned to one of four duties: information desk volunteer, supply chain volunteer, surgery waiting volunteer, or Desert Mission Food Bank volunteer. I was chosen as a front desk volunteer. When working at the front desk, you are the first person individuals see when they walk in the hospital. So, an integral part of this role is being the embodiment of an exceptional first impression regarding the hospital’s workings, and making it clear to individuals they will be in good hands throughout their visit. Aside from being a friendly face, some of my specific duties included escorting visitors to patient rooms and/or waiting areas, discharging patients, answering the phone, collecting mail, cleaning wheelchairs, and delivering flowers to patient rooms. I very much enjoyed my time as a front desk volunteer, because I was able to talk to countless amounts of individuals. When I escorted visitors to patient rooms, I had conversations about sports, the weather, and any other basic topics to help make the visitor feel more comfortable when being in a hospital. Something just as simple as making small talk with the visitors while walking to the elevators had truly uplifted both my and their experience while at HonorHealth. After escorting people to their destinations, they would often express their gratitude for walking with them, thank me for being so helpful, and ask for my name to make our exchange more personal. This had been my favorite part of being a volunteer. Seeing how my actions positively impacted the patients and visitors was really the highlight of my experience. I would recommend this program to anyone who is interested in serving their community and/or pursuing a career in healthcare. It is also a great way to learn more about medicine through their Meet. Discover. Explore (MED) sessions that offer events like touring specific parts of the hospital (operating room, trauma centers, etc.) and hands-on events/simulations like learning how to control life-threatening bleeding. I absolutely loved this program and will definitely be coming back to it the following summer! - Aliya Batheja

https://www.handsonphoenix.org/volunteer-sign-up Organization Mission "HandsOn Greater Phoenix is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that puts volunteers to work where they are needed most. We envision a day in which all people realize their power to make a difference and actively engage in their communities." Application Process Fill out a registration form on the website. Pay a one-time $25 activation fee for lifelong access to the volunteer opportunity calendar (not applicable for youth under the age of 16). Age Requirements No age requirements. Volunteers under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Firsthand Experience(s) HandsOn Greater Phoenix is an amazing organization! If you sign up, (which does require a $25 fee for those over 16), you get access to a calendar where different community service opportunities around Phoenix are uploaded for each day. There are many versatile service options. HandsOn Greater Phoenix also hosts their own volunteer days and I attended a crafting day. We made cards, cut felt, and made bookmarks. This was a very fun and family-friendly activity! If you are looking for some crafty, more chill way to do service, this is perfect for you!