​Hi! My name is Mahir and I’ve been with Generation SERVE for a little more than 4 years. I began my time with the organization as just a family volunteer in 8th grade. Previously, I had never volunteered before as I never really knew how. I had a very rudimentary understanding of the effect volunteering could have. Plus, I didn’t know any accessible avenues to provide my time to help the community. It was Generation SERVE, or Little Helping Hands at the time, that provided not only me, but thousands of other families easy access to make their community a happier place. In addition, the organization taught me the impact I could have on others by simply spending a small amount of my free time. It could be temporarily ending the hunger of struggling individuals to just putting a smile on an elderly individual's face. No matter how small the impact, Generation SERVE put the tools in my hands to make our community better, step by step.

When initially joining Generation SERVE, I was very excited about participating in service projects to help my community. There are a multitude of issues plaguing our society and getting involved in service is a great way to help raise awareness and advocate for these issues. I was particularly looking forward to helping the people in the homeless community, since Austin has a very prevalent homeless population, especially in urban centers. I wanted to not only participate in these projects myself, but also extend my knowledge of volunteering and advocacy to more kids and teenagers. Essentially, I wanted to create change by getting more kids involved in service work so they could understand how to actively make a difference in their communities.

The Teen Leadership Program provided me with exactly this opportunity!

All throughout 2019, we celebrated our 10-year anniversary of pioneering the youth volunteerism movement in Austin. Over the past decade, I’ve had the pleasure of watching what started as Little Helping Hands grow into Generation SERVE. I’ve witnessed our organization’s growth from one Family Volunteering Program into many unique opportunities for youth of all ages to serve — including Little Helpers Learn & Play where our youngest volunteers start the habit early, our Service Learning Program in which upper elementary schoolers take a deeper dive into specific community needs, and our Teen Leadership Program where teens hone their leadership skills. Beyond all of these achievements, we also set our sights even bigger in 2019 — officially launching a pilot of our Family Volunteering Program in Houston! Thank you for partnering with us to make the past decade one of success, discovery and growth.
 
Last fall, some of our staff were speaking with a like-minded, peer organization based in Ohio. Only a couple of years into their founding, they ended the call by saying, “we want to be Generation SERVE when we grow up.” While that might sound like a silly phrase made in jest, it’s how communities across the country have come to see Generation SERVE: as pioneers in the youth volunteerism movement. Thanks to YOU, Generation SERVE doesn’t just shape leaders — we are one.
 
You may have heard our leadership use the phrase “making our mission a movement” over the past couple of years. Although it may have started out as an aspirational catch phrase, we are now boldly claiming it as our responsibility. On behalf of the Generation SERVE Board and staff, we stand before you committed to MAKE OUR MISSION A MOVEMENT. As part of living out those words, I want to share three big steps we’ll be taking around inclusion, impact, and expansion over the next decade to fulfill this vision.
 
Inclusion: We believe that volunteerism is a right, not a privilege. Yet we acknowledge that we may not be reaching every young volunteer who wants to serve their community. We’ll be exploring the barriers to our programming and the communities we ARE and ARE NOT serving. We want to engage those communities in conversation, focus groups and brainstorming. We’re committed to making Generation SERVE more inclusive.
 
Impact: Next, we want to take a step back to measure the full impact of our unique “Service Pathway.” As the ONLY organization in the country engaging kids from age 3 through 17, we have a responsibility to add to the research and best practices around youth volunteerism. We’re committed to leveraging our 10 years of experience and data so that more communities can benefit from our challenges, successes and lessons learned.
 
Expansion: And finally, as we’ve started with our efforts in Houston, we want to give the gift of Generation SERVE to other communities across the country. Each new site will be ultimately supported by that community— as was the case with Houston. But thoughtful expansion requires infrastructure support here in Austin. We’re committed to maintaining the quality and integrity of our programs here in Central Texas, so we can more effectively share that with others. 
 
I’m honored to carry the leadership mantel in 2020 as your Board President, doing my part to give back to a wonderful organization that has done so much for my family, for so many other families and for our incredible community partners. The past decade is one to celebrate because of YOU. With your ongoing support and generosity, I believe the next decade will be even bigger and better.

When our children were young, my husband and I were very focused on a variety of volunteer activities – from school-related ones to those with the Daisies and Cub Scouts – and community engagement was a natural fit. Yet, as we grew up into a family with two very active middle schoolers, we quickly fell into a time trap. It was then that actively volunteering fell by the wayside. Between the demands of homework, competitive sports and a variety of after school and weekend activities – with their own host of parental “engagement opportunities” – we didn’t feel like we could cram in one more thing.  

After being involved in a variety of programs in the past, I wanted something different. I wanted activities the whole family could engage in, as well as variety so we could explore the passions of each family member. And I needed to find something that was flexible, where we could choose the days and times that worked best with our schedules. We had been involved with Little Helping Hands in the past and – after researching the organization under its current name, Generation SERVE – I was thrilled to learn that they had evolved to engage teenagers. After speaking with some friends about Generation SERVE, we decided to attend their annual Family Volunteer Day service fair together. At Austin Families Give Back, our family got to engage with many different nonprofits and participate in hands-on activities, like braiding leashes for Austin Pets Alive!, putting together books for prisoners with Inside Books Project and making seed balls with Keep Austin Beautiful. We were so impressed with Generation SERVE and inspired to get more involved!

The more I learned about Generation SERVE, (the commitment of the Program Directors and staff, their desire to enable children and teens to be actively engaged in the community...) the more I became hooked. One of the things that I appreciate most about Generation SERVE is that the organization provides significant value for both their nonprofit partners and their volunteers. The nonprofits are able to focus on the important work they’re doing instead of recruiting, training, scheduling and engaging volunteers. And volunteers can easily choose which community service opportunities fit their needs best, with a variety of time commitments and causes, and the option to do direct service or behind the scenes work.

As I hoped, Family Volunteer Day sparked an interest in our teenagers and served as a catalyst for community engagement as a family. Since then, we became Family Sponsors, we participated in a variety of activities and I joined the Board of Directors! In addition, our teenage son participated in the Teen Leadership Program this summer. He joined a cohort of like-minded teens and learned more about Generation SERVE, participated in a variety of service projects and trained on the skills needed to lead volunteer activities. 

I’m thrilled to be part of such a great organization and to have the opportunity to participate on many different levels. I hope that wherever you are in your cycle of community engagement, you come check out Generation SERVE during Family Volunteer Day and see what inspires you!

All summer long, we have been encouraging youth to volunteer for 10 or more hours as part of our Summer Volunteer-a-Thon for our 10th birthday! To recap their summer of service, we spoke to five of our youth volunteers: 9-year-old Mae Villarreal, 12-year-old Julia Garcia, 11-year-old Jewel Kinvig, 7-year-old Cannon Ignal and 10-year-old William Beaver.

Why did you decide to participate in Generation SERVE's Summer Volunteer-a-Thon?

Mae: I thought it would be pretty cool to volunteer over the summer. I volunteered during the school year with Generation SERVE and had a lot of fun and learned a lot.
Julia: I really enjoy volunteering. That’s why I wanted to participate.
Jewel: Happy Birthday to Generation SERVE! I wanted to do the Volunteer-a-Thon because Generation SERVE is turning the big 1-0. After volunteering during the school year, why stop for summer? I love to volunteer year-round. 
Cannon: I wanted to participate because I like helping people.
William: Because I think it is fun.

What community service did you do this summer?

Mae: I volunteered at the Good Neighbor Settlement House. They help people who are seeking asylum in the United States. I did different things like help make King Ranch Casserole so people who don't have homes can have food. I served the food to people who are coming to the United States seeking asylum and helped make hygiene bags for them. The hygiene bags had deodorant, toothpaste, a toothbrush, a towel, and some shampoo and conditioner. We also made snack bags for people who were going on a bus or a plane to somewhere else in the United States to see their families.
Julia: I volunteered at the Austin Diaper Bank, cleaned up Bartholomew Park, recycled many recyclables, created dog toys and brought them to the animal shelter, created leashes with Austin Pets Alive! and made LifeBooks with STARRY.
Jewel: I was in Canada this summer, so I decided to volunteer in Nipissing Village. It is the tiny community that my mom grew up in. This summer, they did their second annual Pie-Fest. People bake pies and donate the pies to the museum, then on Pie-Fest, people come to buy a slice of pie, with all of the money going to the museum. I love to bake, so I baked two Key Lime pies to donate, and also volunteered as a waitress to serve pies. 
Cannon: I made a thousand sandwiches for people that don't have food or money to buy food. I got to load the truck with all the sandwiches I made. I donated lots of soap and food to the food pantry. I helped my mom make birthday boxes for foster or homeless children so they can have a special day. I played bingo at the nursing home with the residents.
William: I worked at the garden, read to shelter dogs, made cat toys for shelter cats, volunteered at Austin Creative Reuse sorting donations and participated in the Summer Volunteer-a-Thon.

What was your favorite volunteer experience from this summer?

Mae: My favorite experience was all of it! I liked making the hygiene bags. It was nice to help other people who aren't from this country. I liked serving the food because it was nice seeing the smiles on people's faces when we served them. They didn't have a lot of food when they got there and so a lot of people wanted seconds.
Julia: My favorite experiences were making LifeBooks for STARRY and making dog toys.
Jewel: I loved doing the Pie-Fest. I love to bake, so this was a way to do something I love and help a new organization. It was neat that some people knew who I was, even though I didn't know them, because of my family. I got to meet new friends while waitressing and I got to help the Nipissing Village Museum, which I had never done before. I thought it was neat that they reached out to me as a helper because of knowing how much I volunteer in Austin and knowing that I love to bake. 
Cannon: My favorite volunteering was playing bingo with the elderly at the nursing home. They get happy when they see children because many of the residents don't ever get visitors so it makes them smile to see kids.
William: My favorite part was working on the garden. I liked that we got to work with plants!

How did you feel after volunteering?

Mae: After volunteering, I felt happy because I knew that I helped a bunch of people. It made me realize how lucky I am to have the stuff I have like my toys and friends. Some people had to leave their friends and their stuff behind. It's hard going through all of that trouble when you're just a little kid or baby.
Julia: Volunteering makes me feel good inside. This summer made me feel so inspired that last week, when I heard that two of my friends had a rough summer with a genetic disease called Friedreich’s Ataxia, I decided to help in anyway I could. I love finger knitting so I decided to raise money and knit from the heart to help support my friends. I call it Knitting to KNOCK Out FA. I turned 12 at the beginning of August so I used my birthday money to buy yarn and all the money I collect from selling my beanie hats, blankets, scarves and bags will go to FARA (Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance), an organization helping those living with FA. They help my friends with research to find a cure!
Cannon: Volunteering is good. I like doing it.
William: It made me feel very happy.

What did you learn from your volunteer experience?

Mae: I learned that we should be thankful for what we have because some people in other countries have nothing and work really hard. These kids are really brave for going through what they're going through because it's definitely really hard to go through what they did. We should treat them kindly and be good friends.
Julia: When I put volunteering into motion, it inspired me to keep going, keep giving and keep spreading small acts of kindness through my volunteer work everywhere I go.
Jewel: I learned that no matter where you are, even in another country, there is alway volunteer work to do and ways to help others!
Cannon: I learned I can make people have happy days like I like to have.
William: Doing little things can make a difference and affect everyone.  

If you would like to support Julia’s Knitting to KNOCK Out FA initiative by purchasing one of her handknit goods, email her mother Martha at [email protected].

I joined Generation SERVE's Youth Leadership Program at the end of 9th grade. After my first year in high school, I was tired and all I wanted to do was hang out with my friends and rest. Having to wake up in the morning to go to a training didn’t sound particularly appealing to me, especially considering it was summer. Coming into it, I didn’t know what to expect and I was nervous on the first day of teen lead training. 

My first time entering the Generation SERVE building, I was greeted by very friendly staff members and older teen helpers, who played icebreaker games with us which facilitated a rise in comfort level among most of the kids. It took no time at all for me to loosen up and begin enjoying my experience, and it was all because of the staff and teen helpers at Generation SERVE. They shared their enthusiasm with me and the other for volunteering and helping our community. 

This summer, I have been helping the teen leads and co-leads in the very same program I came into, except now I am the one who is in charge of creating a comfortable and fun environment for training. Being able to be a role model and knowing that you are giving back to the community is very rewarding and brightens my day. 

Even on my first day this summer as a teen lead and co-lead trainer, I had some butterflies in my stomach. But, once again, the atmosphere of Generation SERVE was welcoming and I got into the groove of things without trouble. When the kids first came in, they were all very shy and quiet, which was expected, but they got over it within the day. I found it kind of easy to train these kids because, while they may have low attention spans and difficulty focusing on a long presentation, I was in their position not that long ago. I can relate to them and I know what improvements and little changes I can make to engage the teens and make it an enjoyable experience for all of us.

We’re turning 10 on June 28th, and there’s no better way to celebrate the best decade ever than by remembering our 10 favorite moments in Generation SERVE history!

School’s out for summer and we’re ready to kick off your summer of service with a ton of great opportunities to give back!

Volunteer with Generation SERVE

• Register for our Summer Volunteer-A-Thon - In celebration of our 10th birthday, we are challenging kids to complete at least 10 hours of service in the summer months of June, July and August. These hours can come from Generation SERVE volunteer activities, volunteer service through other organizations or volunteer projects you come up with on your own! We will be in touch throughout the summer with tips and ideas. Sign up here.
• McKinney Falls Dedicated Family Placement - We still have open spots for teens and parents to provide life-saving water safety education to visitors of McKinney Falls State Park! Teens (age 12+) and parents will complete a mandatory training on June 1st and choose at least three outreach dates to teach families visiting the park about drowning prevention. This placement is a great fit for teens who like to meet new people, spend time outdoors and gain leadership experience. Register here.
• Family Volunteering - As always, we will continue to offer our year-round family volunteering activities on our calendar all summer long. Since school is out, we’ll be hosting special summer-specific opportunities, like cooking in the Central Texas Food Bank kitchen, facilitating games at Sammy’s House Splash Day and serving food to clients of Caritas of Austin. Check out the calendar here.

Volunteer with Other Organizations
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• Austin Humane Society - Join AHS for their popular Summer Kids Series where kids age 12 and under will learn hands-on about animals and how to care for them. Some of these events are service-oriented, some are educational and some are just plain fun. Keep an eye out for our teen leaders, who will be facilitating some of the Summer Kids Series events! View all the sessions and sign up here.
• Austin Parks Foundation - APF is hosting a family-friendly service day the first Saturday of every month this summer. Join them to clean up Austin’s parks, trails and gardens all summer long! Their first volunteer shift is on Saturday, June 1st, for National Trail Day and they’ll be mulching and enjoying the trails of Gus Garcia Park. View their calendar and sign up here.
• Family Eldercare Summer Fan Drive - Every summer, Family Eldercare collects box fans and oscillating fans from the community to provide their senior clients with relief from the Texas heat. Learn more about how to donate fans here.
• Meals on Wheels Central Texas - Every summer, Meals on Wheels has a special demand for delivery drivers as their regular volunteers go out of town for summer vacation. This opportunity is a great activity for the whole family where you get face-to-face interaction with MOW’s clients. Apply to volunteer here.
• Recruit a Team to Walk to End Alzheimer’s - Support the Alzheimer’s Association’s annual fundraising event to end Alzheimer’s by recruiting a team to participate in the walk. Learn more here.
• Williamson County Animal Shelter Rescue Readers - WilCo’s shelter opens its doors to kids of all ages every Sunday at 1pm as part of their Rescue Readers program. Come read to rescued dogs and cats to socialize them for adoption. Learn more here.

Volunteer on Your Own
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• Make Pet Toys for a Local Animal Shelter - Many local animal shelters accept donations of DIY dog and cat toys, blankets and rice sock warmers. Call your favorite shelter to ask what they need, they may even send you specific project ideas!
• Organize a Food Drive - Help alleviate hunger in Austin by organizing a drive for non-perishable food items to support your favorite local food pantry. The largest food bank in the area is Central Texas Food Bank, but there are plenty of smaller local pantries to support as well.
• Organize a School Supply Drive - Help Austin’s youth prepare for the school year by hosting a school supply drive for essentials, like paper, pencils, folders and backpacks. Youth-serving organizations in need of school supplies include Foundation Communities, Communities in Schools, Austin Independent School District, SAFE Alliance and more.
• Plant Native Trees or Flowers in Your Yard - Add to our local ecosystem by planting native plants in your yard at home. Planting wildflowers in your yard can attract butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators. Learn what flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds here.
• Donate a Wish List Item to Your Favorite Organization - Nearly every organization has a wish list posted on their website calling out their most needed items. These in-kind gifts can make a big impact in helping organizations achieve their mission. Go to your favorite organization’s website to see what they need! See our full list of nonprofit partners here.

View our full list of project ideas here.

Our Mission:
To engage children in volunteerism and empower them to make a difference in their communities.

Our Vision:
Generations of youth who develop into community-minded leaders.

These important statements provide us with a goal to work toward each day. They help us understand our impact and keep our team focused on what we set out to accomplish at Generation SERVE.

With this mission and vision in mind, we have worked fast and furiously to put our stamp on the next generation, and we have grown to a formidable sized organization – with a staff of 10, a Board of Directors of 15, and an Activity Lead team of 45! As we have grown, an organizational culture has emerged that we are proud of and that makes Generation SERVE very unique. So recently, our team defined our core values to ensure that we stay true to who we are, even as we expand our organization and our reach. 

Our Core Values

Trust: Trust binds our work with each other, our volunteer families, and our community partners.

Our Program Director Charli Krause explains, “Trust is integral to what we do. I’m honored when our nonprofit partners trust our families and our team with their projects. They have faith that we will get everything done and done correctly, and the families know that what they are doing is important and meaningful.”

Collaboration: We embrace the interconnectivity of our work.

Marketing Director Allison Johnson points out, “The interconnectivity of Austin’s nonprofit community and the extensive network of partnerships organizations have with each other is what allows our community to continue moving forward on issues like homelessness, animal welfare, environmental stewardship, literacy and so much more. We love being part of that big web of passionate people making Austin better every day!”

Innovation: We are resourceful and creative in achieving our mission.

Barbara Lundquist, Youth Leadership Programs Manager, elaborates, “Innovation is essential to Generation SERVE because youth are eager to make a difference, and we are here to ensure they are fully equipped to do so. We are working alongside the next generation of creative problem solvers, and they have big ideas. We push ourselves so that we can continue pushing them. We are always asking questions and seeking out opportunities to grow in any situation, while building relationships, adapting to change, and learning from every experience. Every youth volunteering activity is an opportunity for a young mind to notice a new solution so we want to make sure we have the innovative programs to allow for their ideas to flourish.”

Inclusivity: We are committed to creating and fostering an environment where everyone can engage with our mission.

Arielle, our Marketing Manager, explains, “Generation SERVE was founded on the idea that community service is for everyone. We have challenged the idea that quality work can only be done by adults by bringing volunteers as young as 3 years old into organizations across Austin to alleviate the workloads of organizations’ staff, provide a friendly face to their clients, and help them focus on the real work of achieving their respective missions. Providing opportunities to volunteer as a family makes service more accessible to parents, especially working and single parents, because they no longer have to worry about childcare and can instead share the experience with their loved ones. Since our Family Volunteering program is free and activities take place in just about every neighborhood in the greater Austin area, we see families from all walks of life and all demographic groups participate with us and enjoy the benefits that service can provide to both youth and adults.

“Our team is always thinking about inclusivity, whether it’s about fee assistance for families unable to pay the cost of our fee-based programs, tools for accessibility (like ASL interpretation or MetroAccess transportation for program participants) or Spanish language materials for non-native English speakers. Every day, we look for new ways to make our programs approachable and accessible for families and youth of all backgrounds and abilities.”

Passion for Service: Our staff, volunteers, and organization demonstrate what it means to be community-minded leaders.

Amy Loar, our Executive Director, emphasizes, “It is key to our organization that everyone – board, staff, and volunteers have a strong connection to what we are doing to create community-minded leaders through service. We see this through the parents and community members that donate considerable time to Board service, families that continue to volunteer with us, the kids that volunteer regularly and join our programs to dig deeper into what it means to serve, and our staff who make all of this possible.

“Trust, collaboration, innovation, inclusivity, and passion for service are the values that make Generation SERVE what it is today, and they guide what we will become in the future.”

Hi! My name is Mahir Kota, and I’ve been volunteering with Generation SERVE for almost 3 years. In 2017, I participated in the summer Youth Leadership Program, which expanded my understanding of what we teens could do to benefit our community. During the teen program, I realized how empowering Generation SERVE was. I was taught how to raise money through our choice of fundraiser. It was here that I developed my community-oriented mindset. It taught me that giving back to the community is fundamental to how society functions, and it warmed my heart to see the receiving individuals smile when they realized that others care about them. 

From there, I applied to join the Teen Advisory Board (or TAB). As part of TAB, I was given the opportunity to work with other teens to help a cause that we cared about as a whole. One example is when we got to work with teens at the Texas School of the Blind and Visually Impaired. We were asked to lead a session to teach the kids at the school how to fundraise so they could raise money for Guide Dogs of Texas. There was one student who was so excited about fundraising. He had so many wonderful ideas, and it brought a smile to everyone's face to see how keen he was to help his community. Being able to bring so much positivity and support to other people is a fundamental reason of why I continue to volunteer with Generation SERVE.

Just recently, I was elected as Board Liaison of the Teen Advisory Board. This means I’m the teen representative on Generation SERVE’s Board of Directors. I am given the opportunity to be the youth voice on the Board and provide our input to affect the organization as a whole. At Generation SERVE, I have been given a vast array of resources that I would not be given anywhere else. I have also been given unprecedented opportunities to give back to my community that I can get nowhere else in Austin. Without Generation SERVE, I would not have developed the community mindset that now influences many of my actions within our community. I recommend the summer Youth Leadership Program to every teen I know because this program’s effects are so positive. Teens who participate in the Youth Leadership Program are investing in your community by investing in themselves, and there’s nothing better than that.