Teen-Friendly Volunteer Opportunities at HSCC

The Humane Society of Carroll County offers volunteer opportunities for teens who are interested in giving back to their community. Service hours are available for those who need them for school.

Teen volunteers help support the daily work of the shelter and play an important role in helping animals in need. Volunteering also provides a chance to build responsibility, teamwork, and compassion while making a positive impact.

How to Get Started

Teens Age 16+

Teens age 16+ can begin their volunteer journey by signing up for new volunteer orientation.

Volunteer shifts open to those age 16-17 include:

• Data Entry & Admin Support
Support HSCC behind the scenes by entering and updating records, assisting with basic administrative tasks, and helping keep information accurate and organized. This shift is available 4-6pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Some blackout dates apply. New Volunteer Orientation is required.

• Reading to Cats, Reading to Dogs, Happy Paws Helper
These shifts focus on enriching the lives of the animals in our care! Our Reading to Cats and Dogs shifts allow the animals in our care to get used to the presence of humans and engage their senses. Our Happy Paws helper volunteer opportunity helps our canine department prepare enrichment opportunities for the dogs in-shelter, engaging their senses!

• Laundry Transport Volunteer
Transport shelter linens to an offsite laundromat and return them clean and ready for use. Laundry costs are covered. You must provide your own transportation. New Volunteer Orientation is required.

• Cat Enrichment Volunteer
Provide positive interaction, gentle play, and companionship to cats to support their well-being and adoptability. A hands-on training session is required to begin signing up for this weekly shift. Once orientation is complete, look for Cat Enrichment Training in VolunteerHub.

• Cat & Small Critter Cleaning Volunteer
Help maintain clean, safe spaces by cleaning kennels, changing bedding, and refreshing food and water. Training is provided on your first two shifts. These supervised training shifts are available on limited days, but one two supervised shifts are completed, shifts are available daily Mon-Sat. You may sign up for training shifts after completing volunteer orientation.

• Cat Knits
Knit or crochet in the Community Cat Room while offering calm, consistent human presence to cats. Orientation is not required. You can sign up for these shifts on a separate page, outside of our regular volunteer sign-up: https://vhub.at/catknits

• HSCC Shelter Helper
Assist with operational tasks such as organizing supplies, light cleaning, and administrative support. This shift is available daily and one of the best ways to help extend our team’s capacity for care. From sorting donated goods, to helping with simple tasks helps our staff focus on caring for the animals! Register for new volunteer orientation to sign-up for this role.

• Outdoor Maintenance Volunteer
Help keep shelter grounds clean, safe, and welcoming. This shift is available daily Monday through Saturday to those who have completed new volunteer orientation.

• Adoption & Event Poster Distribution
This family-friendly volunteer opportunity can be done on your own schedule! Simply sign up so that we have materials ready for you. Deliver adoption and event posters throughout the community to help raise awareness of adoptable animals and upcoming events. Individuals 16+ may register in VolunteerHub and report their own hours. New Volunteer Orientation required.

• Event Set-Up & Tear-Down Volunteer
HSCC is out and about in the community regularly! Assist with preparing for and breaking down events and adoption programs. New Volunteer Orientation is required for ongoing events.

Specialty Roles

Graphic Design, Photography/Videography, Summer Kids Camp Counselor. Please attend a new volunteer orientation and let us know of your specialty skillset!

15 & Under

Ages 5-15 are permitted to volunteer in a limited capacity if accompanied by an individual age 16+ who has completed new volunteer orientation.

For a listing of volunteer opportunities for ages 5-15, please visit our family-friendly volunteer information page.

Special Event Volunteer Opportunities

We occasionally have volunteer opportunities for a variety of ages that do not require participating in our new volunteer orientation. These shifts will post to our Community Event Volunteer Page. If no current shifts are listed, please be sure to register in our volunteer portal, even if you elect not to attend volunteer orientation so that you receive email updates when new event volunteer opportunities are posted.

Fundraising / Community Outreach

Need volunteer hours? Put your creativity to work helping animals! Organizing a fundraiser for the Humane Society of Carroll County is a way to build leadership skills, bring friends together and support cats and dogs in need. HSCC can create a fundraising page for you through our partner, OneCause, making it easy to share your fundraiser and collect donations online. Our team can work with you on how to track your volunteer hours for these special projects. Before getting started, check with your school or service organization to confirm any requirements.

Fundraising Ideas for Teens

Bake Sale or Snack Stand: Team up with friends to sell homemade treats, lemonade or snacks and donate the proceeds.
Yard Sale for the Animals: Collect gently used books, games, clothing and other items, then organize a sale with family or neighbors.
Walking or Fitness Challenge: Set a goal for miles walked, laps swum or another activity, and invite supporters to donate through your fundraising page.
Crafts for a Cause: Create and sell friendship bracelets, artwork or other handmade items to benefit HSCC.
Game Night or Tournament: Organize trivia, board games, video games or cornhole with a suggested donation to participate.
Club or Team Challenge: Rally your school club, sports team or friend group around a fundraising goal, or challenge another group to some friendly competition.
Birthday Fundraiser: Invite donations instead of gifts and use your OneCause page to explain why helping animals matters to you.