Volunteer with us
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Volunteer with us *
EASY STEPS.
1. REGISTER TO BE A VOLUNTEER.
2. CHOOSED A PROJECT.
3. MAKE IT HAPPEN.
4. LOG YOUR IMACT.
NO WAIT, NO APPLICATION. JUST SERVICE.
❋ EARN VERIFIED SERVICE HOURS
Complete meaningful projects on a schedule that works for you. We track eligible service and can provide signed verification of the hours you complete.
❋ CREATE A RECORD OF YOUR IMPACT
Document your projects with photos, reflections, completed materials, and measurable results. Over time, you can build a record showing what you contributed rather than having only a number of volunteer hours.
❋ GROW INTO LEADERSHIP
You do not have to stay a general volunteer forever. Volunteers who want to become more involved can later pursue opportunities such as our Community Engagement Internship, Community Ambassador program, or project-lead responsibilities.
❋ GET RECOGNIZED FOR MEANINGFUL COMMITMENT
Students who consistently contribute can receive documentation of their service and impact, project acknowledgments, and other recognition for substantial involvement.
And I would make this one a little more specific:
❋ BUILD RELATIONSHIPS THAT CAN MATTER LATER
Long-term volunteers have the opportunity to work closely with Generations Together leadership and community partners. When someone has contributed enough for us to genuinely know their work, we may be able to speak to that experience in references or recommendations.
1. Senior Care Goodie Bags
Create thoughtful handmade items for older adults.
Remote / In-person delivery • Flexible hours
2. Hygiene Drive Boxes
Run a mini hygiene drive in your school or community.
Local • Leadership-friendly • Flexible timeline
3. Research Paper
Research an issue affecting older adults in your region and submit your work for possible publication.
100% Remote • Any U.S. state • Writing/Research
Getting started is simple. First, complete our quick volunteer registration so we know who is participating and can accurately track and verify your service. Once you register, you can immediately choose from any of our currently open independent projects and save the dates for upcoming Generations Together gatherings and volunteer events.
As you complete your project, keep track of the time you spend and document the experience whenever possible. We greatly appreciate photos of your process, along with a short reflection explaining what you did, why you chose the project, why the work matters, and what you took away from the experience. Time genuinely spent documenting and reflecting on your service may also count toward eligible service hours.
When your project is complete, submit the Volunteer Completion Form with your photos, reflection, and hour log. For projects involving physical contributions, such as goodie bags, cards, donation boxes, or collected supplies, you will also coordinate getting the completed materials to Generations Together. Once everything has been received and reviewed, we’ll verify your eligible hours and return your signed service-hour record as soon as possible.
You can participate once or keep coming back whenever you have time. Choose another project, attend an upcoming gathering, bring friends, or take on something bigger.
THERE’S MORE THAN ONE WAY TO SHOW UP.
Whether you have an afternoon, a few hours at home, or want to get your whole school involved, choose the kind of service that fits you. Every project below is designed to turn your time into something tangible for older adults and the organizations that serve them.
Pick a project. Make it yours. Get started.
Generations Together has partnered with YWCA Metropolitan Phoenix to create thoughtful gift bags for older adults. Volunteers can contribute handmade items such as bookmarks, letters, cards, and small crafts using the guidelines below.
When finished, mail or deliver your items to:
Generations Together
2055 N Dobson Rd #3 Chandler AZ 85224
Once we receive them, we can verify your eligible service hours. Need verification sooner? Submit photos of your completed work and proof that it has been mailed or is on the way. A short reflection and process photos may also count toward additional eligible service time.
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Handmade bookmarks using drawing, markers, or other art supplies. Must be colored. If volunteers choose to make several, each must be somewhat different.
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Handwritten cards with kind, encouraging messages. Please keep messages warm and gentle — avoid overly personal content. Please avoid assumptions about the receiver, and avoid topics of illness, loss, finances, or personal struggles. Messages must be more than 10 words.
EXAMPLE (DO NOT COPY THIS VERBATIM):
I hope this message finds you well and brings a little brightness to your day. Even though we may not know each other, I wanted to reach out with a note of kindness and care.
Please remember that you are thought of and valued. Your life and experiences matter, and the world is better because of the stories and wisdom you carry. I hope you are able to find comfort in the small moments today — a warm drink, a quiet moment, or something that makes you smile.
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Can be done using brown paper lunch bags. Avoid any words other than “GENERATIONS TOGETHER” on the bag. Must be decorated with colored designs (drawn with markers, colored pencils, etc.)
We suggest flowers, butterflies, cozy everyday objects (like books, plants in pots, teacups), suns, stars, etc. Of course, these are simply suggestions.
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If chosen, must be more detailed and well thought out. Suggested are landscapes, still life paintings, etc.
Will be awarded with more hours if done correctly.
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We will be responsible for turning your drawings into keychains.
Volunteers may draw small one main object or character per keychain and cut it out. Traditionally, this is done with felt, but paper drawings are appreciated aswell. Simple shapes with clear outlines and friendly postive designs, such as hearts, flowers, suns, are best.
If your drawing would work as a sticker or charm, it will likely work as a keychain.
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Crocheted items that avoid copyrighted figures and steer more towards a lighthearted theme.
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Additional creative contributions are welcome as long as they are appropriate, respectful, and suitable for seniors. Submissions may be reviewed and, in some cases, not accepted. If you’re unsure whether your idea is appropriate, please contact us before submitting at info@generationstogether.us
Generations Together is partnering with Tempe Community Action Agency (TCAA) to collect new hygiene essentials for people in our community. Your job is to create and manage your own collection box, find it a safe home, spread the word, and get the donations back to us when the drive ends.
1. CREATE YOUR BOX
Use a sturdy cardboard box around 18" × 18" × 16". A medium moving box works perfectly. You may decorate it however you want, but it must clearly display a sign or poster with:
SOMEONE IS GOING WITHOUT WHAT YOU USE EVERY DAY.
Generations Together x Tempe Community Action Agency (TCAA)
Then be sure to write the approved donation list. You can find it here: https://canva.link/rjqdhoznn7tzfwn
2. FIND IT A HOME
Choose somewhere indoors, visible, and supervised where people regularly pass by. You must ask for permission before placing your box. Good options include:
Local businesses
Your school
Churches, temples, mosques, or other community spaces
Libraries or community centers
Gyms or recreation centers
Salons or barbershops
Dental or medical offices
Apartment/HOA clubhouses
Cafés or restaurants
Offices/workplaces
Grocery stores or small markets, with manager approval
Avoid leaving boxes outdoors or anywhere they could easily be damaged, removed, or stolen.
3. MAKE YOUR BOX YOURS
Once your box is out, promote it! Share it on Instagram, school accounts, group chats, neighborhood pages, club announcements, or anywhere else appropriate. Tell people where it is, what you are collecting, and why you chose to participate.
We especially encourage you to take photos as your box fills so you can document the impact you created.
4. CHECK IN ON IT
Your box is your responsibility for the duration of the drive. Stop by periodically to make sure it is:
Still in place
Clean and secure
Clearly labeled
Not overflowing
Only collecting appropriate new items
5. WRAP IT UP
At the end of the drive, count your donated items, take a final photo, collect everything from your location, and coordinate delivery to Generations Together. Submit your Volunteer Completion Form with your hours, photos, location, approximate item count, and optional reflection.
Your eligible service hours can include the genuine time you spend designing the box, securing a location, promoting the drive, checking on it, collecting materials, documenting your project, and delivering the donations.
🥇 Top Collection Box — $120
Awarded to the volunteer whose box collects the greatest number of approved hygiene items.
🎨 Best Designed Box — $50
Awarded to the volunteer who creates the most thoughtful, creative, and effective collection-box display.
Keep in mind, the prizes are just a fun little bonus to make the drive more exciting. The real goal is to support the community, get involved, and see how much impact we can make together.
Research an issue affecting older adults where you live and turn what you learn into something that can actually be shared.
This opportunity is completely remote and open to volunteers from any city or state. You have a lot of freedom in what you choose to explore. Your topic simply needs to connect to older adults in your own community, region, or state. You might investigate transportation, loneliness, healthcare access, housing, scams, technology, food insecurity, caregiving, language barriers, ageism, rural aging, or another issue you believe deserves more attention.
Choose a question you genuinely care about, research it using credible sources, and develop an original research paper, policy brief, or long-form article presenting what you found.
You will have room to make the project your own. We care much more about thoughtful research, strong sourcing, and a meaningful connection to older adults than everyone following the exact same formula.
Completed papers can be submitted to Generations Together for editorial review. Strong submissions may be published on the Generations Together website as part of our growing collection of youth research on aging and older-adult issues across the country.
Published contributors can receive their own feature including:
Their name and photograph
Their research article or paper
A short author biography
Their community or region
A brief explanation of why they chose the issue
A shareable link to their published work
That gives you a real piece of work you can point to later in résumés, portfolios, scholarship applications, college applications, internships, and other opportunities.
Volunteers who produce especially strong research and continue contributing may be invited to join Generations Together as a Youth Research Contributor, a more advanced role for students interested in continuing to research, write, and help expand our coverage of issues affecting older adults.
Youth Research Contributors may receive opportunities to develop additional pieces, work more closely with our team, help identify future research topics, interview community members or organizations, and potentially present or share their findings through Generations Together projects and events.
Your first paper can therefore become more than a one-time volunteer assignment. It can be the beginning of a published body of work and a larger role within Generations Together.
Publication is selective and is not guaranteed. Submissions are reviewed for originality, accuracy, credible sourcing, quality, and alignment with our mission, and volunteers may be asked to revise their work before it is published.
Explore our Internship Program or become a Community Ambassador to take on a deeper role with Generations Together. Build experience, lead projects, represent our mission in your community, and help us expand the impact of intergenerational service.