Volunteer

When she arrived in the Eastern Washington farming community of Wapato last spring for a six-day school service trip, Overlake High School junior Caroline Spencer expected to learn about migrant farm workers’ issues and work alongside them in apple orchards. What she didn’t expect was that her exper

It’s better to give than to receive,” a time-worn platitude, but it’s true — just ask Sammamish mother Melissa Masterleo. Her teenage daughter Marlena was “completely transformed last summer” by volunteer work she did through an organization called Teens in Public Service (TIPS), a nonprofit organiz

'Tis the season of giving back and, with a tight economy and so many in the Puget Sound region unemployed or underemployed, there is no shortage of needs and opportunities to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those around us. For many families, the desire to give back in a tangible, hands

Every holiday season, my family enlists the help of neighbors to “adopt” a needy family — sometimes two. And every year, our son Kiernan has helped, passing out the flyers, wrapping gifts and wearing a huge grin as he helps carry everything to be dropped off. When we started the tradition, he was in

No doubt about it, bringing a baby home can really slow down your life. The world suddenly becomes divided into two: places where you can bring your kids and places where you can’t. This can put drastic limits on parents who look for meaningful ways to get involved in their community. But it doesn’t

General Opportunities United Way of King County Has many different kinds of volunteer opportunities, including one-time and ongoing projects.    Volunteermatch.org Helps match volunteers up with interests and location. Treehouse for Kids A retail-like store (clothing brand) environment wh

Creepy crawlies, mud and rocks -- kids are naturally drawn to nature when they're young. But how does one reach them when they've arrived in their teens? Some local educators have created innovative programs that engage older kids, and give them important job skills in the bargain. Building natural

Christina Conte remembers the eye-opening discovery she made when her daughter entered her teen years. "I was shocked to see how little respect teens receive in our country and how intimidating they are to most adults," Conte says. So Conte, a self-employed advertising and design art director