Letter in Community Service

Frequently Asked Questions

The requirements state that I have to complete at least 50 hours in a “non-school activity”. What type of volunteer work counts as a non-school activity?
Volunteer work must be completed with a non-profit organization with a 501(c)3 status. These are just a few ideas; there are many ways to volunteer in your community and school. If you have further questions or need ideas, please contact us or visit our online database at: http://volunteer.truist.com/uwpierce/volunteer/

Non-school Examples:

Gift shop clerk or assisted patients at a local non-profit medical facility
Stocking and distributing food at a food bank
Mentoring a child through a mentoring program
Environmental restoration work through a local non-profit
Volunteering with any non-profit organization

Some hours performed with a civil service organization may also count. Please call us to verify ahead of time.

The requirements state that I have to complete at least one “school activity”. What type of volunteer work counts as a school activity and how many hours do I need?
The following is a list of activities that can be done in school. These are just a few ideas and this is not a complete list. If you are uncertain if an activity counts, please contact us:

Participating in a community service project through a school club (Honor Society, Key Club etc)
Assisting a teacher before/after school or during the summer (not a family member)
Volunteering with a parent organization within the school or school district
Assisting at sporting events, concerts, theater productions (if not required for a class)
Tutoring peers through a school tutoring program

There is NO hour requirement for school-related activities. Sometimes work done through a school group can be counted as school related OR non-school related work if the work was done with an outside organization (i.e. Kay Club participating in Relay for Life). You may count the hours where you need them.

I volunteered on a mission trip through my church, how do I count these hours?
If you volunteer on a mission trip or other volunteer vacation, the hours are calculated as follows:

                During the school year: 10 hours per day
                During the summer: 15 hours per day

If you have documentation proving that you served more than these hours per day, you may submit it with your application and will be credited with these hours if we are able to verify them with your provided contact.

I volunteered as a camp counselor, how do I count those hours?
If you volunteer as a camp counselor, the hours are calculated as follows:

                During the school year: 10 hours per day
                During the summer: 15 hours per day

If you have documentation proving that you served more than these hours per day, you may submit it with your application and will be credited with these hours if we are able to verify them with your provided contact.

Can I count hours from club meetings?
If you participate in a school service club, you may count any hours that are spent organizing and implementing a service project. If you are in a club that uses meeting times to discuss other club business, you may not count those hours. Only hours spent planning and participating in a service project will count as community service hours.

I volunteer as a sports manager with my school’s team. Do these hours count?
Typically, you are able to earn a sports management letter if you volunteer with a varsity level team, so these hours do not count. If your time is spent with younger students (i.e. You are in High School helping with Junior High or you are in Junior High helping with Elementary) or a community sports group your hours will most likely count. Please call us if you are unsure.

Can I count my time babysitting or helping with yard work or house work?
Any babysitting, yard work or house work performed with a non-profit CAN be counted for this award. In cases where you are assisting an individual on your own, we require the individual have a documented need and they cannot be a related to you. To qualify the recipient must meet at least one of the following criteria:
Receive Medicaid benefits (low-income senior citizen)
Receive SSDI (individual with a disability)
United Way volunteers will need to contact the recipient and verify that they meet this criteria.

I have to complete community service hours so that I can graduate, can I count these hours towards my Varsity Letter?
Any community service or volunteer hours done to meet a graduation requirement DO NOT count towards your Varsity Letter in Community Service. Volunteer hours that are counted for the Varsity Letter are to be done above and beyond what is required for graduation. If, for example, you are required to complete 20 hours of service as part of your project but you complete 30 hours then we will only be able to count 10 of your hours toward this distinction.

I have to complete community service hours for a class, can I count these hours?
Any community service or volunteer hours done as a requirement for a class, DO NOT count towards your Varsity Letter in Community Service. Volunteer hours that are counted for the Varsity Letter are to be done above and beyond what is required for a class.

I participated in Nurse Camp. Can I count these hours?
There is a volunteering component to Nurse Camp but you cannot count all of your hours spent there. You may only count the actual volunteer hours spent with the camp.

I job-shadowed. Can I count these hours?
No, hours spent performing a job shadow do not count for this award, even if it is with a non-profit or school organization.

I volunteered with a local company but wasn’t paid for my work. Can I count these hours?
Unfortunately, no you cannot. If the company is not a non-profit organization we cannot count these hours. This includes many childcare facilities that are not non-profit organizations. Be sure to check with the organization you are volunteering with ahead of time to ensure they meet the guidelines.

I volunteered with my family. Can my parent be the contact for my verification of hours?
Unless your parent works for the organization you volunteered with, you may not have your parent sign off on hours. You will need to get the contact information for the organization representative who can verify your volunteer work. In cases where your parent does work for the organization it is preferable to have someone unrelated to you as your contact.

Who do I contact for more information?
If your college/career counselor at your high school cannot answer your questions, feel free to contact Bethany Opstedalat the United Way of Pierce County at (253) 597-6685 or bethanyo@uwpc.org.