By Lexus Yamashiro | Staff Writer

With summer vacation here, students are taking the opportunity to relax or work to save up for the next school year. However, there are a few who are looking to possibly work soon, but want to gain some type of work experience before becoming employed. This is when the idea of volunteering comes into play, which, although does not provide any paychecks, can profoundly benefit individuals who have never worked before.

Volunteer opportunities over the summer allow students to gain an understanding and hands-on experience of what the working field is like. Here are a few places where students can go to over the summer to volunteer:

The Hawaiian Humane Society

Location: 2700 Wai‘alae Avenue



The Hawaiian Humane Society conducts everything from pet adoptions to the spaying and neutering of animals; investigations in animal cruelty; and the education of youth and the community on the importance of caring for animals properly. Applicants must be able to work a three-hour shift weekly for a minimum of three months, and upon acceptance will start off volunteering and training at off-site locations such as Petco and PetSmart. The volunteer admissions process for the humane society is a five-step process that includes the following:

In part of completing the volunteer application, all applicants are required to watch the volunteer orientation video found on the humane society’s website under the volunteer page. Volunteers who get accepted could be helping in several areas including, but not limited to, foster care, adoption events, animal care, dog walking, and cat socialization. Volunteers will also be able to schedule which days they are available to work and will have access to the Hawaiian Humane Society’s database to log this information.

Contact the Hawaiian Humane Society for more information about volunteering at 808-256-2222 or volunteer@hawaiianhumane.org. Visit https://www.hawaiianhumane.org/watch-this-video-to-volunteer/.

AccesSurf Hawaiʻi

Location: White Plains Beach in ‘Ewa Beach (location for events are subject to change)

AccesSurf Hawaiʻi works to help individuals with disabilities, both physical and intellectual, through therapeutic means in water sports and ocean recreation. Volunteer opportunities to help with setting up, surfing, assisted swim, water transfer, and more, are open to volunteers who attend AccesSurf Hawaiʻi’s Day at the Beach event and Wounded Warrior Beach Day event. Both events are scheduled once a month at White Plains Beach and can be viewed online at AccesSurf Hawaiʻi’s events calendar.

The Day at the Beach event is held from 7:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., while the Wounded Warriors Beach Day event occurs from 8:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Volunteers can find the detailed schedule of both events on the volunteer page of AccesSurf Hawaiʻi.

An application to volunteer for AccesSurf Hawaiʻi can be found online. Those interested in applying who have any licensed certifications should have that information on hand to fill out the required information for certifications that were not already listed on the application form.

Contact AccesSurf Hawaiʻi for more information at 808-236-4200 or Info@AccesSurf.org. Visit https://www.accessurf.org/volunteer/.

The American Red Cross of Hawaiʻi

Location: 4155 Diamond Head Road

The American Red Cross of Hawaiʻi reaches out into the community daily to help those in a state of emergency. It is open to applicants of various backgrounds, talents, skill levels, and for most positions, allows volunteers to have a flexible work schedule. All new volunteers are required to create an account on the American Red Cross website, which will then lead them to complete an application form online. The purpose of this is so that volunteers can have a volunteer connection profile, which will allow them to see the number of hours that they put in for their community service, as well as for the people of Red Cross to monitor.

Opportunities such as becoming a disaster responder, disaster preparedness presenter, community outreach volunteer, and office volunteer are available for those who are interested. The Red Cross also provides internship opportunities which include, but are not limited to, the following:

Sound the Alarm Program Lead Internship

Sound the Alarm Administrative Internship

Volunteer Engagement Internship

Volunteer Recruitment Internship

Depending upon the volunteer or internship program that individuals are looking to work in, there will be training courses held either in person with a Red Cross employee or online. Background checks may also be run on incoming volunteers as a safety precaution for the community and the people that are receiving help.

Contact Andrea Ritter, the Red Cross Senior Volunteer Specialist, for more information at 808-739-8123 or andrea.ritter@redcross.org. Visit http://www.redcross.org/local/hawaii/volunteer.

Paepae o Heʻeia

Location: 46-077 ʻIpuka Street

The Heʻeia fishpond is cared for by Paepae o Heʻeia, a non-profit organization that is open to volunteers. There are two ways that people can volunteer, whether it is through it’s Saturday Community Workdays and Friday mornings.

The Saturday Community Workdays are scheduled on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month (subject to change) throughout the year. The days of these workdays can be viewed on Paepae o Heʻeia’s calendar online, and all volunteers must RSVP the day(s) they would like to join either online or by phone call. Volunteers will begin at 8:30 a.m. and will end at 12:00 p.m. Some tasks include moving rock and coral, filling buckets, hauling floating barges through the water, cutting/pulling out invasive mangrove, and trash pickup.

Friday morning events occur weekly at the Heʻeia Fishpond from 8:00 a.m. to 12:oo p.m. which involves handling large tasks in and around the fishpond. A few of these tasks include hauling rock and coral, mangrove removal, and site maintenance.

Volunteers are asked to bring the following when participating in either one of these events: covered shoes or tabis (mandatory to participate), clothes that can get dirty, sunscreen, and a water bottle. Volunteers are able to prepare for these events by viewing a map of the fishpond online.

Contact Paepae o Heʻeia for more information at 808-236-6178 or admin@paepaeoheeia.org. Visit http://paepaeoheeia.org/volunteer/.