Summer can be a nebulous time for residents of our student apartments in Missoula. For those not taking summer classes or working at a summer job or internship, the free time of summer, while a lovely respite from the stress of classes, can sometimes be aimless, unstructured, and even lonely. That’s part of the reason why we highly recommend volunteering during the summer.
Volunteering can be as much or as little of a time commitment as you want, and it helps provide structure, purpose, and social interaction where you might otherwise have none. Plus, volunteer work stands out on applications and makes great anecdotes for interviews. While helping others, you also help yourself, and you still have time to lounge in the sun (perhaps in one of our courtyard hammocks). What could be better than that?
If you know someone in our community of Missoula student apartments who needs something to do this summer or someone you’d like to volunteer with, be sure to share this post with them when you’re done reading. For now, let’s talk volunteer opportunities!
Before we get into any specific volunteer opportunities, it’s well worth noting that Missoula has an excellent resource for matching volunteers with a wide array of partners in need of volunteers. Volunteer Missoula is the perfect place to check out first if you’re looking to get a full sense of what’s available and filter your search results to suit your interests.
Missoula Food Bank & Community Center
If you’d like to help provide food to low-income folks who might otherwise go hungry, the Missoula Food Bank & Community Center is a great place to do just that. There are lots of different ways to volunteer, each with different time commitments and requirements, so if you’re unable to help in one way, you can likely be useful in another.
Likewise, at Missoula Aging Services there are a variety of ways to volunteer. MAS coordinates services for seniors in need, including those with dementia and other disabilities, and those in need of caregiver support. If supporting your elders is important to you, this is the perfect organization to connect with.
Camp Mak-A-Dream is a camp in Gold Creek (with an office in Missoula) that provides a home away from home for kids affected by cancer. If you’re passionate about supporting kids and teens dealing with cancer, or you just love summer camps, this opportunity is definitely for you! You can volunteer a few hours here and there at their office in Missoula, or get more involved at the camp itself.
The Clark Fork Coalition needs volunteers to join their Volunteer River Corps to keep the river clean and healthy. If you’re not afraid to get your hands dirty, sweat a little, and spend time in nature, check out their website to see how you can get involved.
Speaking of nature, if you love plants and gardening, then volunteering with Garden City Harvest is perfect for you. They even have a program called Volunteer for Veggies where your hours worked are rewarded with some of the veggies you’ve helped grow. How cool is that?
We hope we’ve inspired you to get out of your Missoula student apartments this summer and give back to the Missoula community! If you liked this post and want to read more of our posts, bookmark our blog page for easy access! You can also make sure you’re following us on Instagram so you never miss community events, updates, and special promotions!