Community Service

  • Background

    Glendale High students are encouraged to perform at least 100 hours (Revised as of 3/12/2021 50 hours) of community service during their four years of high school.  Students who achieve this level of service and submit the appropriate forms will receive the GHS Community Service Award when they graduate.

    Community service is not a graduation requirement, but it can make a big difference when students are applying for admission to colleges and trade schools, and for scholarships to pay for higher education.  It can also provide excellent work experience for students who will be entering the job market.

    Community service is not a paying job; it involves helping at service organizations like hospitals, churches, libraries, the humane society, or the zoo without being paid. But community service has many other rewards, just ask anyone who has worked as a volunteer.  There’s something for everyone, whether they like working with animals, the environment, books, young children, senior citizens, scouting, the disabled, homeless persons, or whatever.  Some students try several types of community service – that's fine, too!

    Provides students with opportunities to:

    • Offer service to their community
    • Gain work experience
    • Qualify for the GHS Community Service Award at time of graduation (100 hours minimum service requirement)

     

    Join

    1. Turn in a signed Parent Permission Form to Room 1110-Principal's office (you'll have to print it from this web site and get your parents to sign it). This form is mandatory and receipt of the Senior Award may be affected if it is not turned in.

    2. Volunteer at a qualifying organization and have the adult volunteer coordinator sign your   Volunteer Hours Form 
    3. Turn in your hours to your Room 1110--Principal's office (but keep a copy in case the original gets lost!!)

    4. Parent Volunteers will verify whether working for the Organization submitted will qualify for Community Service Hours as we review your forms and notify you if it does not.

     

    Where can I volunteer? What are qualifying organizations?

    Organizations that are qualified to receive charitable contributions are qualifying organizations for this award. These organizations can be verified by clicking here.

    You can ask an organization for a copy of their 501(c)(3) letter authorizing their charitable status.

    If you are not sure whether an organization you are interested in volunteering for will qualify, email us the pertinent information and we will let you know.

    Pay attention to the Daily Bulletin for Volunteer Opportunities.

    Research the Internet to find organizations that are involved in activities you might be interested in

    The City of Glendale's Neighborhood Services Division offers a free newsletter by email listing upcoming local charitable events and community service opportunities. Click here to be added to their mailing list in 3 easy steps. Click "Community Members" when prompted in step 2.

     

    Forms

    Parent Permission Form (this form is mandatory and receipt of the Senior Award may be affected if it is not received).  

     

    Volunteer Hours Form (the deadline to turn in Senior hours is April 12, 2023. The deadline for all other grades is by the end of the second semester of the school year. Hours not turned in timely will not be counted for this award).

     

    Total Service Hours

    All grade levels must submit their hours at the end of each semester grading period and/or no later than the last day of school.

    Service Hour Totals Update:

     

     

    Volunteer hour forms for 9th, 10th and 11th graders are due on the last day of school or they will not be counted.  


    Students: If you have any questions about your hours, please email the Community Service Program at morozco@gusd.net 

     

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q:  How can I get the forms I need to start doing community service?

    A:  You may download them from this web site or request them at Room 1110.

    Q:  Where do I turn in my completed forms?

    A:  At your Room 1110. (During the summer, hold onto your forms and turn them in when school starts in August.) 

    Q:  How will I know if you received my forms and you counted the hours I volunteered?

    A:  We post updates to the Student Hours Database periodically on this web site. These show which hours were turned in and whether we have successfully verified the hours at the organizations where students volunteered.

    Q:  Who runs the Community Service Awards Program?

    A:  The principal is in charge of the program. The office staff in room 1110 oversee the day-to-day running of the program.  Ms. Maria Orozco morozco@gusd.net collects the forms and verifies student hours.

    Q:  I'm a junior…how many hours of community service do I need to earn the GHS Community Service Medallion?

    A:  All GHS students will need to volunteer at least 100 hours during their four years at our school in order to receive the Community Service Award at the Senior Awards Night and wear the Service Medallion at graduation.

    Q:  My uncle needs help in his bakery. Can I earn community service hours for working in his bakery if I don't get paid for it?

    A:  Although volunteering your time this way to help a family member is a wonderful way to spend your time - and pick up some valuable work experience in the process - it does not qualify as community service in our program. We only count hours volunteered at non-profit businesses, hospitals, nursing homes, daycare facilities, churches, animal rescues, schools, scouting, libraries, homeless shelters, museums, parks, and other places where SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY is the primary motivation. Volunteer hours for interaction with residents at for-profit convalescent or senior care facilities are acceptable.  Administrative work at these same locations, however, is NOT acceptable.  Working with residents provides a service to the community; doing admin work saves a for-profit organization payroll costs and is not in the spirit of “Service to the Community”

    Q:  I want to help a political candidate with her re-election campaign for community service hours. Is this okay?

    A:  Yes and no…if you volunteer your time in the campaign without being paid, then it qualifies as community service in our program and we will count those hours toward your service award. However, if you will also be applying for the President's Volunteer Service Award (which requires at least 100 hours of community service in a 12-month period), they do not count hours spent working for political campaigns or on lobbying efforts towards their award.

    Q:  Do community service hours worked over the summer and over holiday breaks count in the program?

    A:  Yes, as long as the hours were worked after your 8th grade promotion.  For the purposes of this program, we consider you to be a Glendale High student the day after you finish 8th grade.

    Q:  I did some volunteer work at an art museum over the holiday break, but I lost the form they signed that stated how many hours I worked. What should I do?

    A:  Just print out another Community Service Hours form, fill in the dates and number of hours that you worked at the museum, and ask the volunteer coordinator at the museum to sign your form.  They will probably check their volunteer records to confirm your dates of service and hours before signing the form.

    Q:  I volunteered at a dentist’s office for a whole year but I just found out that those hours don’t count in the Community Service Awards Program.  Is there any way to make these hours count?

    A:  The good news is that you can probably include all of those hours as volunteer work when you apply to colleges; check with your counselor about that. 
    The rest of the news is that volunteering in a doctor’s or dentist’s office does not fit our program’s definition of COMMUNITY service. 

    Q:  How are ASB and GHS Club hours counted?

    A:  Hours volunteered in conjunction with ASB or a club at GHS will only count if they are for events related to a non-profit organization such as the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Healthy Kids, AIDS Walk, Beach Cleanup, helping the Homeless, etc. Attending meetings or doing work for GHS is considered part of club activities and does not count as volunteer hours.

    Q:  What about hours volunteered at church?

    A:  For purposes of this program, hours volunteered at church activities (e.g. singing in choir, playing a musical instrument for services, alter serving, candle prep, etc.) will be limited to 2 hours per week UNLESS they are for a very specific activity such as teaching, rummage sale, day camp, etc.

    Q:  Will peer tutoring qualify as volunteer hours?

    A:  Peer tutoring for a grade IS NOT Community Service but peer tutoring for credit (not grade) is considered Community Service and those hours will count.

    Q:  I transferred to GHS from another school and was not able to submit my hours on time.

    A:  Special accommodations can be made for transferred hours. Please email us.

     

    Q:  Can I get volunteer hours when I attend a PTSA monthly meeting?

    A:  Yes! Students will be allowed 1 hour volunteer service when they attend a PTSA monthly meeting and provide their name and grade on the sign-in sheet, as well as listing the hour on their volunteer form.  Any PTSA board member at the meeting can sign your volunteer form.