Teen Volunteer Opportunities
Learn about our Teen Ambassador Program (TAP)
Are you a teen interested in giving back to your community and making a real difference in someone’s life?
Earn service hours, learn about Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland, help homebound individuals, and have fun while making a difference!
We offer a variety of youth volunteer opportunities. Please read each opportunity for age requirements.
Meal Packing + Kitchen
Because we produce more than 40,000 meals a week, we need volunteers six days a week at our main office at 515 S. Haven St., Baltimore, MD 21224 to help pack meals and lend a hand in our kitchen. This opportunity is open to teens 14+. We welcome individuals and small groups.
Complete a volunteer application to get started >>
If teens aged 14-17 are volunteering without an adult, download and complete the liability waiver >>
Meal Delivery during School Breaks
Meals on Wheels delivers meals to over 2,000 clients five days a week across Central Maryland! If you have free time during school breaks, consider joining us.
Deliveries to our homebound clients occur Monday through Friday starting at 11am and take approximately one hour.
This opportunity is open to teens if accompanied by an adult 18 or older.
Requirements: attend volunteer orientation session and pass a background check.
Complete a volunteer application to get started >>
Grocery Shopping
Our work at Meals on Wheels focuses on making sure people who are unable to cook or grocery shop for themselves are nourished and safe. Volunteering to grocery shop for someone is a great way to do that!
Volunteers will purchase items using food stamps or a Meals on Wheels credit card.
This opportunity is open to teens if accompanied by an adult 18 or older.
Requirements: 9-12 month commitment, attend a volunteer orientation session, and pass a background check.
Complete a volunteer application to get started >>
Fundraise
Start a fundraiser at your school, with your club or sports team, or on social media to raise money in support of Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland.
Create your own personal fundraising page in support of Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland. It’s easy to get started and to share with friends and family! Create fundraiser >>
Contact volunteer@mowcm.org for more information.
Service Projects
Our clients are truly delighted when they receive special items like Mugs of Love, homemade cards, or other goodie-type bags. See examples of service project ideas here >>
Contact volunteer@mowcm.org for more information.
Ready to start volunteering with us? Send us a message or complete a volunteer application today!
2023 Teen Ambassador Program
The Teen Ambassador Program is back for its 4th year!
The Teen Ambassador Program( TAP) provides leadership experience, professional development skills, and service hours to incoming 9th-12th graders. Through TAP, participants learned about non-profits, advocacy, and using their personal voices. They participated hands-on in our kitchen, meal delivery to homebound clients, and a final project to help further the mission of Meals on Wheels. One of our sessions also had the chance to tour the Under Armour campus and speak to UA staff about how nonprofits and for-profits work together! Learning sessions and volunteering took place at our main office in Highlandtown:515 S. Haven Street, Baltimore, MD 21224.
2023 TAP Details
Time Commitment:
- Monday through Thursday, 9 am-3 pm
Approximate Daily Schedule (subject to change):
- 3.5 hours of active volunteering in our meal-packing kitchen
- 1.5 hours of engaging educational sessions
- 30-minute break for lunch
- Breaks and reflections
Participation Requirements:
- Interest in Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland’s mission
- A rising 9th-12th grader in good standing
- Completed volunteer application, TAP application, and signed parent/guardian waiver
- Proof of COVID-19 vaccination
- Ability to stand for over 3 hours while volunteering on a fast-paced kitchen line.
- Transportation to and from Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland’s main office at 515 S. Haven Street, Baltimore, MD 21224
Program Participants will:
- Meet other like-minded high school students who care about MOWCM and volunteering
- Learn about the work MOWCM does for the homebound in our community
- Participate in daily educational seminars
- Earn over 20 hours of community service through meaningful hands-on volunteer opportunities
- Create and implement a project individually or in a small group to use their voice and experiences during the program to further the mission of Meals on Wheels
- Deliver meals to clients
Upon completion of the program, participants will receive:
- Certificate of Completion
- Letter detailing community service hours completed
- Ability to volunteer at MOWCM without an adult present
IMPORTANT DATES
Priority Application Deadline for all Sessions 5/1/23
5/29/23: Applications due for Session 1
7/10/23: Session 1 Begins (thru 7/20)
6/5/23: Applications due for Session 2
7/24/23: Session 2 Begins (thru 8/3)
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis
If you would like more information about participating this summer, please email vs@mowcm.org.
If you would like to apply submit both the TAP Application and Volunteer Application.
I enjoy both the kitchen and the packing room. It is really cool to see how everyone is needed to produce the final product. I really enjoy the feeling of helping others and making a difference.
Watch the videos to check out TAP in action!
Videos produced by our Teen Ambassadors as part of their final projects
Overall, I highly recommend the TAP program. It is a really wonderful learning environment that is supportive and fun. It gave me an opportunity to learn new skills while giving back
It’s a pretty interesting experience. It’s cool to see everything going towards a cause and to meet others who want to help out.
The impact of the volunteer’s work is more than people realize. We are providing food for hundreds of people. When you sit down to eat dinner each night, it is a great feeling to know you provided that for someone else.
Teen may attend learning sessions on the following topics: Fundraising, Nonprofits 101, Marketing, Networking, Management, Advocacy, Mindfulness, Interview Skills, Leadership, Partnerships
Final projects included:
- Creating videos about volunteering at Meals on Wheels
- Writing letters to elected officials about the importance of funding for senior nutrition programs
- Creating a flyer to distribute at school about Meals on Wheels
- Creating a fundraiser
Schools represented in Summer 2022:
Archbishop Spalding
Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
Baltimore School of the Arts
Bryn Mawr High School
Carver Vocational Technical School
Gilman School
Notre Dame Prep
Centennial High School
Loyola Blakefield
St. Paul’s Schools
Dulaney High School
Maryvale Prep
Towson High School
Friends School of Baltimore
McDonough High School
Winston Churchill