YVC Projects

All projects are FREE and are for youth ages 11-18

Summer Projects
Summer 2008 Registration Form

*NEW THIS YEAR* Youth who participate with YVC this summer are eligible to earn the President's Volunteer Service Award. This is a special award to honor volunteers who contribute to their community. For more information contact YVC.

July 7-11

Summer Classroom Assistant #546
Volunteers will support the lead and assistant teachers in our summer classrooms by reading to the children, devising and implementing special projects, chaperoning field trips and helping out at meals. Maximum of 6 youth on project.
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Location: Beacon Hill and International District
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org
Restrictions: Minimum age 16

Trail Warriors #547
Volunteers will be learning to use tools such as a Pulaski's, McLeod, grub hoes and more! Volunteers will also be constructing drain drips, water bars, placing culverts, trail brushing, and building turnpikes. Learn about back-country trails and see the difference in the condition of trails after your help. Maximum of 15 youth on project. Transportation will be provided from Seattle and Bellevue.
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: Soaring Eagle Park
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org
Restrictions: Minimum age 12

Volunteer Chore Services 1! #548
Volunteers will be participating in a 5-day King County Hop! Each day you will work with a new senior client and either do yard work (mowing lawns, weeding, raking leaves, gardening, etc.) or house work (laundry, dishes, mopping, sweeping, etc.). So come on out, get your hands dirty, and make a difference! Maximum of 10 youth on project.
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Location: King County - Specific Site To Be Determined
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org

Feed Families 1 #582 *New Project*
Volunteers will be helping out at the White Center Food Bank and get a feel for what hungry families get at food banks, what food comes from grocery stores, Food Lifeline and Northwest Harvest. Help out at the warehouse, getting food ready for distribution, unload donation trucks, distribute food, and cleaning up the warehouse. Maximum of 6 youth on project.
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: White Center
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org
Restrictions: Minimum age 14

July 7-18

Summer Academy 1 #549
Volunteers will serve as teaching assistants, tutors and activity assistants for elementary school aged children. Volunteers will also be chaperones on fieldtrips to museums, aquariums, beaches, parks and other scheduled activities. Maximum of 15 youth on project.
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Location: Zion Preparatory Academy
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org
Restrictions: Minimum age of 13

Meal Making Madness #550
Help the Lifelong Aids Alliance prepare and provide meals and groceries to people living with HIV/AIDS and other illnesses. Hang out in the kitchen and prep food to be cooked, package meals and grocery bags, and other food related tasks! Who says peeling a potato has to be boring? Maximum of 6 youth on project.
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: Capitol Hill
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org
Restrictions: Minimum age 14

July 14-18

Nature Consortium #551
Help us clean up the Duwamish Greenbelt! Youth Volunteers will help with the removal of the Himilayan blackberries, English ivy and Scots broom that are really cramping the style of our native plants. Volunteers will also help sheet mulch, move plants, load and unload tools and do some trail work. Maximum of 15 youth on project.
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: West Seattle
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org
Restrictions: Minimum age 13

EarthCorps: Ellis Pond Restoration #552
.Join us in restoring Ellis Pond Park, Mercer Island’s only year round pond!  A beautiful 2.8 acre park, Ellis Pond is also host to many neat living things including Pileated woodpeckers (the ones that look like Woody the Woodpecker), owls and cool plants native to the Pacific Northwest.  Our work will include removing invasive plants like English ivy and Himalayan blackberry, spreading woodchips, possible trail maintenance in clearing brush from trails.  Our overall goal is to stabilize restoration in much of the entire park!  An ambitious goal but we can do it! Maximum of 12 youth on project.
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: Mercer Island
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org
Restrictions: Minimum age 13

Des Moines Food Bank 1 # 586 CANCELLED
Come on down to Des Moines and help out at the food bank. Help us give out food, sort food, break down bulk items, as well as learning about food banks and why people use them. Maximum of 10 youth on project.
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Location: Des Moines
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org

Adopt-A-Street #592 *New Project*
Calling all youth who live and/or go to school in teh Lake City area (or just like Lake City). Are you between the ages of 11 and 18, like to have fun, want to help your community, and earn required service learning hours? If you answered yes to any one of these, join more than 300 active volunteer groups cleaning up nearly 200 miles of city streets through Adopt-A-Street. For this week, we will be working hard to make Lake City sparkle. So come join the fun! Maximum of 10 youth on project.
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Location: Lake City
Contact: Julius McMillion (206) 427-4393
E-Mail: julius_mcmillion@hotmail.com

July 19-20

Outdoors For All 1 #553 - FULL
Come hang out with children and adults with disabilities. Help set up the equipment from the trailers and be an outdoor buddy for the weekend! Help us make outdoor activities fun for everyone! Maximum 4 youth on project.
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Location: Magnuson Park
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org
Restrictions: Minimum age 15

July 21-25

Coleman Park Reforestation #554
We need help removing non-native plants from Coleman Park to let our native ones breathe. English ivy, Himalayan blackberries, laurel and holly are cramping Coleman Park's style. You'll be removing ivy from the ground and trees, weeding, cutting back blackberries and digging up their roots. Learn about native plants and how to protect them. Maximum of 30 youth on project.
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: Coleman Park
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org

Goodwill Bonanza 1 #576 *New Project*
Help out in our production facility where donated items go before they can be placed in the retail store. We need your help sorting these donations and preparing them to be sold. Sort items (clothes, toys, shoes, and more!), put price tags on items and hang them on racks or put them on shelves. Who knows, you might find something you'd like to buy at the end of the day. Maximum of 15 youth on project.
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: International District
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org

Wilderness Camp #579 FULL
Wilderness Awareness School’s one-of-a-kind summer day camps are a place where children work together in small groups gaining nature awareness and knowledge of plants, mammals, birds, and survival. You will be supporting the lead instructors through leading games and being a positive role model for children. This is your chance to learn and teach at the same time!
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Seattle
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org
Restrictions: Minimum age 16
NOTE: All volunteers are required to attend a one-day training covering youth mentoring, leading games, hazards, and environmental education.
Wilderness Camp Training
Friday, June 20 from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. The training will be held in Duvall, with transportation available from a centralized location in Seattle.

Operation: Sack Lunch 1 #557 *New*
We prepare 140 sack lunches daily Monday - Friday, along with preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner for the Compass Center. Help us prep and serve food in our chemical free kitchen. Do meal prep, sack lunch prep and assembly, serving and clean-up. Maximum of 12 youth on project.
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: Downtown Seattle
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org

Des Moines Food Bank 2 # 587 *New Project*
Come on down to Des Moines and help out at the food bank. Help us give out food, sort food, break down bulk items, as well as learning about food banks and why people use them. Maximum of 10 youth on project.
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Location: Des Moines
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org

July 25

Youth Services Carnival #555
Help set up and run a carnival for children in the community! Run games and give away prizes, serve refreshments and food, and help clean up when the day is through. Maximum of 15 youth on project.
Time: 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Location: Seattle Union Gospel Mission
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org
Restrictions: Minimum age 18

July 21-August 1

Summer Academy 2 #556 FULL
Volunteers will serve as teaching assistants, tutors and activity assistants for elementary school aged children. Volunteers will also be chaperones on fieldtrips to museums, aquariums, beaches, parks and other scheduled activities. Maximum of 15 youth on project.
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Location: Zion Preparatory Academy
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org
Restrictions: Minimum age 13

July 28-August 1

Operation: Sack Lunch 2 #580 *New*
We prepare 140 sack lunches daily Monday - Friday, along with preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner for the Compass Center. Help us prep and serve food in our chemical free kitchen. Do meal prep, sack lunch prep and assembly, serving and clean-up. Maximum of 12 youth on project.
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: Downtown Seattle
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org

Volunteer Chore Services 2! #558
Volunteers will be participating in a 5-day King County Hop! Each day you will work with a new senior client and either do yard work (mowing lawns, weeding, raking leaves, gardening, etc.) or house work (laundry, dishes, mopping, sweeping, etc.). So come on out, get your hands dirty, and make a difference! Maximum of 10 youth on project.
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Location: King County - Specific Site To Be Determined
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org

Excursions Extraordinaire: Keep it Young #559
Excursions Extraordinaire is an opportunity to take our long term residents on community outings that they would not otherwise be able to go on. We will match the volunteers with residents and head to our destination in an ACCESS bus (no charge). Volunteers will accompany (and push if necessary) their residents throughout the day. This is a good opportunity for out residents to get out of our facility and converse with a younger community member. Maximum of 12 youth on project.
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Location: Washington Care Center
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org

Seward Park Reforestation #560
We need help removing non-native plants from Seward Park to let our native ones breathe. English ivy, Himalayan blackberries, laurel and holly are cramping Seward Park's style. You'll be removing ivy from the ground and trees, weeding, cutting back blackberries and digging up their roots. Learn about native plants and how to protect them. Maximum of 30 youth on project.
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: Seward Park
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org

August 2

Basket Ball Refs #561
Ever wanted to be a referee for a basket ball game? Now is your chance! We need volunteers to referee 3 on 3 games, keep score, keep time, be a runner, give out water to the players and keep the court dry. Maximum of 15 youth on project.
Time: 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Location: Seattle Union Gospel Mission
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org
Restrictions: Minimum age 18

August 4-8

Camp Counselor for Gilda's Club #562
Gilda's Club will offer campers daily projects, field trips, and guest workshops. Camp counselors will be responsible for 2 children on a 24/7 basis (this is an overnight camp) and on outings in the afternoon, and keep an eye on their children and keep them as part of a larger group when participating in camp activities. Maximum of 4 youth on project.
Time: 9:00 a.m. (August 4) - 3:30 p.m. (August 8)
Location: Camp Berachah in Auburn
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org
Restrictions: Minimum age 16

Night Out Against Crime Block Party #563
Help us in preparation and implantation for Cascade People's Center's National Night Out Against Crime Block Party. Paint signs, put up flyers, chalk sidewalks, make activities for kids. Help set-up on the day of the Block Party by setting up chairs, tables, tents, etc. Clean-up after the event and help get the Center ready for fall. Maximum of 10 youth on project.
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Cascade People's Center
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org
Restrictions: Minimum age 14

Northwest Harvest 1 #564 *New*
Northwest Harvest is the only statewide, community based hunger response network in Washington. We work to eliminate hunger by securing an average of 18 million pounds of food a year to distribute to around 300 independent food banks and meal programs. Help us by sorting, repackaging foods into family sized portions, and putting labels on items. Maximum of 20+ youth on project.
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Location: Kent
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org

Feed Families 2 #583 *New Project*
Volunteers will be helping out at the White Center Food Bank and get a feel for what hungry families get at food banks, what food comes from grocery stores, Food Lifeline and Northwest Harvest. Help out at the warehouse, getting food ready for distribution, unload donation trucks, distribute food, and cleaning up the warehouse. Maximum of 6 youth on project.
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: White Center
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org
Restrictions: Minimum age 14

Forest Frolickers Relocated #588 *New Project*
Work in the urban forests of North Seattle with our very own favorite Seattle Parks and Rec project leader, Jacobo Jiminez. We will be maintaining trails, removing invasive plants, and enjoying Seattle's summer weather. Maximum of 10 youth on project.
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: North Seattle
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org

August 4-15

Recycle Launch #578 *New Project*
If you are a youth with an interest in creating real change, this is the project for you. Help develop and conduct an outreach and education campaign aimed at training a diverse group of youth (many of which are immigrants and refugees) on how to recycle in their homes. These youth will in turn educate and motivate their families to participate in the recycling program.
Time: TBA
Location: Seattle
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org

August 5-9

Outdoors For All 2 #565
Come hang out with children and adults with disabilities. Help set up the equipment from the trailors and be an outdoor buddy for the weekend! Help us make outdoor activities fun for everyone! Maximum 4 youth on project.
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Location: Magnuson Park
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org
Restrictions: Minimum age 15

Marra Farm #566
Help us maintain the Giving Garden. Help by weeding, planting, harvesting, turning beds, re-barking paths hauling compost, etc. At the end of the week (Saturday), we will end by working in the South Park Food Bank distributing the food to the community. Maximum of 15 youth on project.
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: South Park
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org

August 9

Campaign 5000 Community Walk #589 *New Project*
Each year Black Dollar Days Task Force holds a community walk as a major fundraiser to increase their funds to help the community. Volunteers will be helping with registration, walk along with other participants and possibly hold the banner at the front of the walk. The walk will go around most small businesses in Central Seattle, and end with a picnic for those who participated. Maximum of 12 youth on project.
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Location: Spruce Park
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org

August 11-15

Northwest Harvest 2 #581 *New*
Northwest Harvest is the only statewide, community based hunger response network in Washington. We work to eliminate hunger by securing an average of 18 million pounds of food a year to distribute to around 300 independent food banks and meal programs. Help us by sorting, repackaging foods into family sized portions, and putting labels on items. Maximum of 20+ youth on project.
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Location: Kent
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org

Goodwill Bonanza 2 #567
Help out in our production facility where donated items go before they can be placed in the retail store. We need your help sorting these donations and preparing them to be sold. Sort items (clothes, toys, shoes, and more!), put price tags on items and hang them on racks or put them on shelves. Who knows, you might find something you'd like to buy at the end of the day. Maximum of 15 youth on project.
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: International District
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org

Elder Health Northwest - GAP #568
Get Active Program (GAP) is a day health program for adults (18+) with developmental disabilities. GAP is designed to increase socialization, develop life skills and help maintain independence. Volunteers will help participants with activities like art, reading, nail care, karaoke, modified sports and fieldtrips. This is an opportunity for both our clients and volunteers to interact with people of different generations and abilities, possibly build lasting friendships. Maximum of 8 youth on project.
Time: 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Location: Seattle
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org

Camp Long 1 #569
Youth volunteers will pull ivy and use small hand tools such as loppers, adz, shovels, and Pulaski's. Once the area is free of invasives, we will then use wheel barrows to carry woodchips over to mulch the area. The trails need an out slope of 2-5 degrees. We would be grading the trail down to that point so that water runs off the trail into the forest. We also have some lighter trail duties such as resurfacing. This resurfacing uses 5/8's minus gravel to give the trail stability and traction. Maximum of 25 youth on project.
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: Camp Long
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org

Restore Nature Now! #570
During this week students will get hands on experience with several different types of environmental restoration projects. We will expose the students to several different restoration sites throughout King County where students will learn new restoration techniques and get our hands dirty implementing them. Help stream and wetland site maintenance, invasive plant removal, mulching, watering, seed collection, and transplanting. Maximum of 15 youth on project.
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: King County - TBD
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org
Restrictions: Minimum age 13

August 11-22

Stuff the Bus #571
The mission of Communities in Schools of Seattle is to champion the connection of needed resources with schools to help young people successfully learn, stay in school and prepare for life. This project directly allows us to provide the necessary school supplies to the students who need them. Volunteers will be doing collections at a Seahawks game, "riding the bus" and collecting supplies from different corporations, or sorting the supplies. Maximum of 15 youth on project.
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Seattle - TBD
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org

August 18-22

Camp Long 2 #572
Youth volunteers will pull ivy and use small hand tools such as loppers, adz, shovels, and pulaski's. Once the area is free of invasives, we will then use wheel barrows to carry woodchips over to mulch the area. The trails need an out slope of 2-5 degrees. We would be grading the trail down to that point so that water runs off the trail into the forest. We also have some lighter trail duties such as resurfacing. This resurfacing uses 5/8's minus gravel to give the trail stability and traction. Maximum of 25 youth on project.
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: Camp Long
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org

Danny Woo Garden #573
Danny Woo Community Garden serves the low-income elderly of the International District. For over thirty years the garden has been a source of traditional Asian crops, exercise, and social activities for the elders and the community. The garden is interlaces with narrow and potentially dangerous pathways that must be widened to help the gardeners access their plots. The goal of this project is to widen and mulch three pathways. The volunteers will be removing raised-bed boards, edging pathways to three feet wide, replacing boards, and mulching pathways. The completion of the project will enhance the gardeners' safety and their ability to grow their food. Maximum of 9 youth on project.
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Location: International District
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org
Restrictions: Minimum age 14

Feed the Hungry #574
Volunteers will be helping pack a variety of nutritionally-balanced, diet-specific emergency food bags that our program makes available to social service agencies, schools and faith communities throughout King County. These bags provide an effective emergency response to individuals and families in hunger crisis. Volunteers will work in our Central District warehouse and are asked to pull food stock from shelves and pack these food items into paper bags, to await delivery to families. Maximum of 1 5 youth on project.
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Location: Central District
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org

Bus Shelter Mural #584 *New Project*
We've located another boring bus shelter that needs your creativity to brighten the days of those waiting for the bus. Work together to design and paint a mural that will be seen by hundreds every day!
Time: TBA
Location: Bellevue
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org

August 20-22

Penguins Attention #575
Help us close down Camp Sealth after a summer of excitement with an overnight project! Put away equipment used by the summer campers, tear down teepees, freshen camping gear, clean out cabins, and get camp ready to unwind for the winter. Even though there's plenty of work to do, we'll find time to enjoy camp activities such as archery, low ropes course, hiking, and of course, S'MORES!!! Maximum of 25 youth on project.
Time: 12:00 p.m. (20th) - 2:00 p.m. (22nd) *Please note that arrival and departure times are tentative
Location: Camp Sealth
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org

August 23

Seattle Paint Out #590 *New Project*
Help us clean up Cal Anderson Park. Remove stickers and posters, paint over graffiti, pick up litter, and make this a beautiful park for all to enjoy! Maximum of 15 youth on project.
Time: 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Location: Cal Anderson Park
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org
Restrictions: Minimum age 14

August 28-29

Treehouse Wearhouse #591 *New Project*
Youth volunteers will be working in the Treehouse Wearhouse, a retail-like store where foster children can chop for free. Volunteers will help with sorting donations, inventory, restocking merch, helping with shopping days and special projects (such as stuffing backpacks for back to school season). Maximum of 12 youth on project.
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: Seattle
Contact: Grace McKinney (206) 826-8929
E-Mail: gracem@campfire-usa.org
Restrictions: Minimum age 12

How/When to Sign-Up
There is limited amount of space on each project, so sign up quickly. The projects are assigned on a first come, first serve basis.

During the school year, contact the YVC Service Learning Coordinator for the project you would like to be a part of to sign up.