🙋 Volunteer Opportunities for Kids, Teens & Families
Want to give back together as a family? Need community-service hours for school? Looking for a meaningful project for your Scout troop, church group, sports team or student organization?
There are plenty of ways to help right here in the Chambersburg, Greencastle, Waynesboro and Mercersburg area — whether you have an afternoon, a few hours each month or an entire group ready to pitch in.
From helping animals and harvesting fresh produce to volunteering at community events, libraries, parks and local nonprofits, this guide can help you find a place to start.
Last updated: September 2026
Please check before you go: Volunteer needs, minimum ages, schedules and supervision requirements can change. Always contact an organization directly before showing up, especially when completing required school or court-ordered service hours.
🔎 Find What Your Family Needs
- 🎓 Need school community-service hours?
- 👨👩👧 Volunteer together as a family
- 👥 Volunteer with a group
- 🐾 Help animals
- 🥕 Fight hunger
- 👵 Help seniors and neighbors
- 🚒 Fire, EMS & public safety
- 🏀 Kids, sports & inclusion
- 🌳 Parks, nature & history
- 📚 Libraries & education
- 🏥 Health & human services
- 🇺🇸 Support veterans & military families
- 🎄 Holiday & seasonal volunteering
- ❤️ Too young to formally volunteer?
- 🔎 Find newly posted opportunities
Quick Key
🎓 School/community-service option
👨👩👧 Family-friendly
🧒 Younger kids can participate
🧑 Teen opportunity
👥 Good possibility for groups
⚡ One-time/short-term
🔁 Ongoing
📅 Seasonal/event-based
🎓 Need Community-Service Hours for School? Start Here
First things first: check your school's requirements before beginning.
Some schools, honor societies and other programs require preapproval, specific forms or verification from the organization. Ask before you volunteer so those hard-earned hours count!
🐾 Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter — Chambersburg
Ages: Under 15 with a guardian; ages 15–18 may volunteer without a guardian present once the required waiver is signed
School hours: 🎓 Yes
Groups: 👥 Yes
What you'll do: General housekeeping, yard cleanup and other work supporting shelter operations
Commitment: Flexible during available service-hour times
CVAS specifically works with schools, National Honor Society, churches, Scouts, businesses and others needing service hours.
CVAS community-service information
🐶 Antietam Humane Society — Waynesboro
Ages: 14+; volunteers younger than 18 must be with a parent or guardian
School hours: 🎓 Yes — high-school graduation service is specifically accepted
Groups: 👥 Yes
What you'll do: Cleaning and required daily animal-care tasks
For service-hour volunteers, this is work-focused rather than time spent playing with the animals. Antietam also works with schools, churches, Scout troops and businesses on group service projects.
Antietam Humane Society community service
🌻 Stoner's Dairy Farm — Mercersburg
School hours: 🎓 Yes
Families/groups: 👨👩👧 👥
Commitment: ⚡ Half-day or full-day opportunities at select events
Age: Ask when contacting the farm
Stoner's specifically invites people needing community-service hours as well as families, groups and organizations. The farm can also provide a reference letter to school administrators after volunteer duties are completed.
Stoner's Dairy Farm volunteer information
📚 Lilian S. Besore Memorial Library — Greencastle
Best for: 🧑 Teens
School hours: 🎓 Yes
What you'll do: Opportunities may include helping with children's programs, cutting out crafts, sanitizing program areas, putting away books and other library tasks.
How to start: Stop by the library for a volunteer application or contact the Youth Services Coordinator at 717-597-7920 ext. 104.
This is a particularly nice choice for teens who prefer an indoor, quieter volunteer environment.
🏥 WellSpan Chambersburg & Waynesboro Hospitals
Ages: 🧑 High-school students ages 16–18
Commitment: 🔁 Structured volunteer program
Apply early: This isn't a last-minute service-hour option.
After approval, volunteers generally begin about six to eight weeks later because orientation, placement, health screening, background checks and references may be required.
WellSpan volunteer information
👨👩👧 Volunteer Together as a Family
🥕 The Gleaning Project
One of our favorite finds for families!
Ages: 🧒 Great for a range of ages and abilities
Families: 👨👩👧 Yes
Groups: 👥 Yes
Commitment: ⚡ Usually about one to two hours
Season: 📅 Most field gleaning takes place July through November
Volunteers help harvest surplus produce from local farms and orchards so it can reach people who can use it. Everyone completes an annual waiver.
Volunteer with The Gleaning Project
🥫 SCCAP Food Pantries
Ages: Volunteers younger than 18 must be accompanied by a legal guardian
Families: 👨👩👧
Groups: 👥 Group opportunities are available by arrangement
What you'll do: Stock shelves, unload donations, sort food and help support pantry operations.
👥 Looking for a Group Volunteer Project?
Have a Scout troop, church youth group, NHS chapter, student club, homeschool group, sports team, workplace or extended family ready to help?
Start with these:
🔨 Habitat for Humanity of Franklin County
Habitat offers volunteer opportunities for companies, teams, organizations and schools through its Workday Experience.
Construction: Ages 16+
Ages 16–17: No power tools or ladders, and a responsible adult is required
ReStore: Some youth opportunities are available; contact Habitat for the current minimum age and appropriate jobs
Groups: 👥 Yes
Habitat Franklin County volunteer page
🔧 Chambersburg Project
Ages: Teens who have completed sixth grade
Groups: 👥 The program organizes teens into supervised crews
What you'll do: Projects may include cleaning, painting, yardwork, carpentry and home repairs.
Adults can help as crew leaders, drivers, kitchen volunteers, nurses, project helpers and more. The major youth opportunity is a summer missions program, so watch for future registration.
Chambersburg Project volunteer information
🐶 Antietam Humane Society
Schools, churches, Scout troops and other organizations can contact the shelter about specific group projects or service days.
🥕 The Gleaning Project
Gather a group and help harvest fresh produce locally.
🥫 SCCAP
Groups can contact SCCAP directly to discuss current Franklin County projects.
🌻 Stoner's Dairy Farm
Families, clubs and other groups can inquire about helping at select farm/community events.
🏅 Special Olympics Pennsylvania
Event volunteering is specifically recommended for families, corporate groups and people needing service hours. Event jobs can include scorekeeping, awards, setup and cleanup and generally last two to eight hours.
👥 Helpful Tip for Group Leaders
When you contact an organization, include:
Number of volunteers • ages • possible dates • hours needed • adult chaperones available • whether documentation is needed for school
That gives the organization enough information to determine whether it has an appropriate project.
🐾 Help Animals
Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter — Chambersburg
🎓 🧑 👥 🔁
Students, churches, Scouts, businesses and other groups can complete service hours through shelter chores and grounds work. See the school-service section above for age requirements.
Antietam Humane Society — Waynesboro
🎓 🧑 👥
Community-service volunteers must be at least 14, and anyone younger than 18 needs a parent or guardian present.
Better Days Animal League — Chambersburg
Volunteer needs can include organizing and stocking thrift-store donations, helping in the cat room, TNR transportation, fundraising and events.
A recent local call for help also sought volunteers able to spend approximately two to three hours assisting at the Chambersburg thrift store.
Youth age: Contact Better Days before planning student service; a minimum age isn't clearly published.
🥕 Fight Hunger
The Gleaning Project
🧒 👨👩👧 👥 ⚡ 📅
Harvest excess fruits and vegetables at local farms and orchards. Field gleaning is one of the best options we've found for families with younger children.
SCCAP Food Pantries
👨👩👧 👥 🔁
Help stock shelves, unload food, sort donations or assist with pantry operations. Minors must participate with a legal guardian.
👵 Help Seniors & Neighbors
Franklin County Area Agency on Aging
Volunteer opportunities can include:
- 🚗 Delivering meals
- ❤️ Visiting older adults in the community or care facilities
- 🎨 Helping with senior-center activities and crafts
- 🧾 Assisting with specialized programs
The county's senior network includes communities throughout Franklin County. Age and clearance requirements depend on the role, so families should ask specifically about youth-friendly projects.
Franklin County Aging volunteer opportunities
❤️ Younger kids?
Ask a senior center whether it currently welcomes cards, crafts, holiday projects, performances or another intergenerational project. Always ask what would actually be helpful before creating or collecting items.
🚒 Fire, EMS & Public Safety
For teens interested in emergency services, volunteering may provide both community service and early career exploration.
Pennsylvania junior firefighter programs can accept youth ages 14–17. Activities may include nonhazardous training, first aid when appropriately trained, cleanup outside danger zones, fundraising, fire prevention and community outreach. Individual fire departments determine whether they operate junior programs.
🔥 Franklin County Junior Firefighter Academy
Ages: 14–17
When: Annual — watch for the next registration period
2026 academy: June 25–28
What participants learn: Engine, truck and rescue-company operations, teamwork, leadership and hands-on emergency-services skills.
Franklin County Junior Firefighter Academy
🚒 Interested in your hometown department?
Contact your local fire/EMS organization and ask specifically whether it currently accepts junior members. Even people who don't want to fight fires may be able to help departments through events, fundraising, community outreach or support roles.
🏀 Kids, Sports & Inclusion
Chambersburg Memorial YMCA
The YMCA posts age requirements for specific volunteer positions.
One example is:
🏀 Biddy/Youth Sports Coach — age 15+
Youth-sports coaches generally serve during five-week sessions on Saturday mornings. Other volunteer roles and age requirements vary throughout the year.
Chambersburg YMCA volunteer opportunities
Special Olympics Pennsylvania
Families: 👨👩👧
Groups: 👥
School/service hours: 🎓
One-day opportunities: ⚡
Event volunteers help with jobs such as scorekeeping, awards, setup and cleanup. Special Olympics specifically identifies event volunteering as a good fit for families, groups and people needing service hours.
Special Olympics Pennsylvania volunteer opportunities
🌳 Parks, Nature & History
Renfrew Museum & Park — Waynesboro
Volunteer possibilities include:
- 🌱 Grounds and landscape work
- 🎪 Special events
- 🏛 Collections and exhibits
- 📜 Tours and historic interpretation
- 🔨 Preservation/community projects
Renfrew offers flexible schedules ranging from regular weekly service to occasional events and projects. Ask about age requirements for youth volunteers.
Renfrew volunteer opportunities
Conococheague Institute — Mercersburg
Volunteer roles can involve research, educational programming, events, grounds maintenance and other museum/history work. Requirements vary by position, and some roles require background clearances.
Conococheague Institute volunteer information
Pennsylvania State Parks
Keep an eye on nearby state parks for trail work, cleanup days, habitat projects, gardening and other volunteer events. These can be especially good possibilities for outdoor-loving families and groups.
📚 Libraries & Education
Lilian S. Besore Memorial Library — Greencastle
🎓 🧑
Teen volunteers may help with children's programming, crafts, sanitizing program spaces, shelving books and other library needs.
Contact: 717-597-7920 ext. 104 or stop by for a volunteer application.
Alexander Hamilton Memorial Free Library — Waynesboro
The library has offered teen volunteer opportunities that can include shelving and organizing materials, helping with children's programs and assisting at special events.
Other Local Libraries
It is also worth asking Grove Family Library, Coyle Free Library and Fendrick Library about current teen, event or summer-reading volunteer opportunities.
Youth policies aren't always posted online, so call the individual branch before counting on the hours.
🏥 Health & Human Services
WellSpan Chambersburg & Waynesboro Hospitals
🧑 🔁
High-school students ages 16–18 can apply to WellSpan's formal teen volunteer program. Because onboarding can take several weeks, this is best for students looking for a more structured experience rather than last-minute hours.
American Red Cross
Greater Pennsylvania volunteer opportunities include helping at blood drives as a Blood Donor Ambassador, emergency preparedness/community education and other humanitarian programs. The Red Cross also specifically identifies teen and young-adult opportunities.
Greater Pennsylvania Red Cross volunteering
🇺🇸 Support Veterans & Military Families
Local American Legion and VFW posts, along with Franklin County veterans organizations, periodically support community events, outreach and service projects.
Youth eligibility varies considerably, so contact the organization directly before planning student service hours.
Ask about opportunities such as:
- 🇺🇸 Community or patriotic events
- 🍽 Meal/event assistance
- 📦 Supply collections
- 💌 Cards and appreciation projects
- 🌿 Memorial or cemetery projects
- 🎄 Holiday outreach
This can be an especially good category for Scout troops, school organizations and family projects.
🎄 Holiday & Seasonal Volunteering
Some of the easiest ways to introduce children to service happen during the holidays.
📦 Operation Christmas Child
Families, churches and groups can pack shoebox gifts together.
2026 National Collection Week: November 16–23. Anyone can pack a shoebox.
Local churches and collection sites may also need seasonal help, so watch for community announcements as collection week approaches.
🔔 Salvation Army
Watch for local opportunities surrounding holiday giving, Red Kettle bell ringing, Angel Tree and holiday assistance. Requirements vary by project, so contact the Chambersburg Salvation Army for the current season's volunteer needs.
🎪 Community Events
One-time community events can be perfect for students and families who can't commit weekly.
Keep an eye on local organizations such as:
Mainstreet Waynesboro • Greencastle-Antrim community events • Renfrew Museum & Park • local libraries • nonprofits • food programs
❤️ Too Young to Formally Volunteer? Kids Can Still Help!
Lots of volunteer positions have minimum ages.
That doesn't mean younger children have to sit out.
Consider a family, classroom, team or Scout project such as:
- 🐾 Hold a pet-food or shelter-supply drive
- 🥫 Collect food for a pantry
- 📚 Collect new children's books
- 🧼 Assemble hygiene or personal-care kits
- 🎁 Pack an Operation Christmas Child shoebox
- 💌 Make cards for seniors or veterans
- 🎂 Collect birthday-party supplies for families in need
- 🧥 Hold a coat, hat or glove drive
- 🌳 Participate in an approved cleanup
- 🍎 Collect snacks or pantry staples
- 🎄 Choose a holiday giving project
💡 One important tip
Ask the organization what it needs before collecting anything.
A box of specifically requested supplies is much more helpful than 100 items the organization doesn't currently have room for or cannot use.
🔎 Still Looking for the Right Opportunity?
The United Way of Franklin County Volunteer Hub is one of the best places to check for newly posted local needs.
The page is specifically for Franklin County, Pennsylvania and includes current volunteer opportunities, donation needs, a monthly volunteer update and information for people seeking community-service hours.
Browse the United Way of Franklin County Volunteer Hub
📌 Before You Volunteer
Before heading out, confirm:
✓ Minimum age
✓ Whether an adult must stay
✓ Current volunteer openings
✓ Training or clearance requirements
✓ Appropriate clothing/shoes
✓ Whether groups are accepted
✓ Whether the organization can sign or verify school-service hours
And if those hours are for school, NHS, Scouts or another program, make sure the project meets that organization's requirements before you begin.
🤝 Know an Opportunity We Missed?
Local nonprofits, community groups and organizations change their volunteer needs throughout the year.
If you know of a kid-, teen-, family- or group-friendly volunteer opportunity in the Chambersburg-area Macaroni KID region, we'd love to know about it so we can keep this guide growing!
