Michiganders encouraged to volunteer during Global Volunteer Month
Michigan Community Service Commission funding 19 volunteer projects
April is Global Volunteer Month, and young people across the state are planning on showing up in a big way for their communities.
Through service projects that promote environmental stewardship, mentorship, education, food security, and other pillars of service, more than 3,000 youth volunteers will come together for Global Youth Service Day projects in April and May through projects supported by the Michigan Community Service Commission.
To help support Global Volunteer Month, the Michigan Community Service Commission will fund 19 volunteer projects across the state with nearly $20,000 to engage youth in volunteerism as part of Global Youth Service Days, April 24-26. The funding will engage an estimated 4,000 volunteers, with 3,000 volunteers ages 25 and younger, in nearly 10,000 service hours.
Projects like these, which enlist youth volunteers and push them to lead the charge for change, can inspire them to commit to a lifetime of service.
“The Michigan Community Service Commission is thrilled to support the volunteer efforts of these incredible youth,” said Michigan Community Service Commission Executive Director Ginna Holmes. “These youth volunteers are changemakers in their communities and can motivate us all to get out and lend a helping hand.”
Camp Newaygo is hosting a free, family-focused Earth Day event called Seeds, Saplings, and Stewardship through TrueNorth Community Services. This event will get kids outside, get their hands in the dirt, and help them understand how to take care of the natural spaces around them.
Before the event, students will camp out for “Packer Pride Day” to ready the planting areas, organize materials, plant trees, and do general restoration around camp. Students will then come back in the evening to help lead operations of planting seeds, making seed bombs, and exploring how trees and wetlands connect to water quality and wildlife.
“It’s active, a little messy, and designed so kids don’t even realize how much they’re learning,” said Jalisa Danhof, the director of Camp Newaygo.
High school volunteers will take younger students under their wing throughout the event, which Danhof said makes the service feel more approachable. “When a younger child sees a high school student leading an activity, it instantly feels more doable and less intimidating.”
Fremont Public Schools requires students to log volunteer hours, and the event is built into a school day. Because it’s widespread, Danhof said it helps bring in youth who might not otherwise seek out volunteerism opportunities.
“This gives them a really accessible way to meet that requirement while doing something meaningful,” Danhof said.
Universal Learning Academy’s Global Youth Service Day project also seeks to engage youth volunteers who may not have taken part otherwise in its Green Minds: Growing Minds Through Gardening and Science Initiative. Students will take part in planting, composting, sustainability lessons, and experiments revolving around sunlight, water, and soil.
Student leaders from multiple student organizations will mentor elementary students through the initiatives, creating a mentorship model that strengthens both academic learning and student leadership, according to Anna Dillon, a mentor in the project and a high school social worker at Universal Learning Academy.
“The garden will serve as a space that promotes mindfulness and mental wellness while also producing flowers and fresh produce to support families in need,” Dillon said. “Through this initiative, students are not only cultivating a garden; they are cultivating leadership, compassion, and a lasting commitment to service within their school community.”
Peerbagh Storytelling Workshops will be curating a list of South Asian community-led stories to showcase the diversity within the area. The stories will be co-created with local academics, writers, and artists.
Youth volunteers will also be creating a fun presentation to share with local schools that promotes learning about other cultures and your own.
“A lot of our South Asian and BIPOC youth volunteers were born and raised in Michigan, and this project is their way to connect with and learn about their own heritage cultures,” said Upasna Kakroo, the CEO of Peerbagh.
The Lapeer County Education Attainment Fund (LEAF) is hosting a wellness fair, where youth volunteers will teach younger students how to make movement fun.
Our goal is to inspire volunteering in our youth, whatever that may look like for them,” said Patti Biolchini, the youth programs coordinator at the Lapeer County Community Foundation.
“They will bring energy, music, and enthusiasm, which will create a fun, positive experience for everyone. I expect lots of smiles from our youth volunteers and attendees on the day of the event,” Biolchini said.
The Friends of Flint River Watershed Inc. is overseeing an event where students and teachers within the Flint River watershed take part in testing the water’s vitality and health. Through the initiative, students will learn more about their local environment, how to be an active citizen, and the importance of doing so to make a positive change.
Much like other Global Youth Service Day projects, the impact of this volunteer work is long-lasting.
“We uncover vital information that is used by the state of Michigan and the Genesee County Drain Commissioner's Office,” said Nikki Osmon, the education programming manager at Friends of the Flint River Watershed Inc.
“Having this data tells the watershed coalition and other municipalities things we couldn't uncover without their help,” Osmon said.
The Michigan Community Service Commission issued grants ranging from $150 to $1,500 to:
Projects addressing Community Well-Being & Improvement
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Location and Date |
Organization and description |
Contact person and email |
|
April 18 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mount Clemens |
The Macomb Foster Closet will host a structured volunteer service project to unload a large trailer of donated toys and clothing inventory and organize these essential items into our newly renovated additional storage and project space |
Macomb Foster Closet Kevin Alpine macombfostercloset@gmail.com |
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Date: TBD Kalamazoo |
For global youth service day, youth, staff, and community partners are planning the Edison Mutual Aid Day that speaks to provide a day of wellness and resource sharing. |
Fire Historical and Cultural Arts Collaborative David Taylor director@thisisfire.org |
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April 24 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Muskegon |
United Way of the Lakeshore’s 2026 Day of Caring will partner with Muskegon Community College to mobilize youth and adult volunteers across Muskegon County to lead and complete more than 13 hands-on service projects that strengthen neighborhood spaces, nonprofit organizations, environmental assets, and community pride. |
United Way of the Lakeshore Anna Dillon adillon@ulapsa.org |
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April 23-24 2 p.m Detroit |
AmeriCorps Urban Safety Program plans to partner with a high school on Detroit's Eastside, the neighborhood's community association, and READY, an AmeriCorps program at the Center for Urban Studies-Wayne State University. The event will involve engaging the students and staff of the school community and residents living in the surrounding area. |
Wayne State University- Center for Urban StudiesDarrian E Lewis darrian.amus@gmail.com |
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April 18 (virtual), May 1-12 (in-person) Ann Arbor |
We are curating a list of South-Asian community-led stories to showcase the diversity within our community of neighbors. This educational material and book will be co-created with local academics, writers, artists in art and literature.
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Peerbagh Upasna Kakroo namaste@peerbagh.com |
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April 24 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Flint |
'Diamond in the Rough' Softball Field Beautification and Clean Up This field is used as a practice field for the school, as well as Crim Sports uses it for youth baseball programming and the Special Olympics uses it for practice and games in the summer. |
Crim Fitness Foundation Josh Miller j.miller@crim.org |
Projects addressing Environment
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Location and Date |
Organization and description |
Contact person and email |
|
April 20-May 8 Flint |
Flint River GREEN; Teachers and students within the Flint River watershed test water chemistry of their local streams. |
Friends of the Flint River Watershed Inc. Nicole Osmon
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April 20 - May 8 Detroit |
TCC Spring into Service is a volunteer initiative taking place in celebration of Global Youth Service Day to refresh, organize and beautify the TCC campus. |
The Children’s Center of Wayne County, Inc. Katie Olex kolex@thechildrenscenter.com |
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April 15-May 12 Westland |
Green Minds: Growing Minds through Gardening and Science is a service-learning initiative designed to strengthen science education, mental wellness, and community connection. Students participate in hands-on planting, experiments on sunlight, water, and soil, composting and sustainability lessons. |
Universal Learning AcademyAnna Dillon adillon@ulapsa.org |
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April 27-29 Newaygo
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Camp Newaygo will host a free, family-friendly Earth Day event, Seeds, Saplings, and Stewardship at Camp Newaygo, designed to connect children and families with hands-on environmental learning. |
TrueNorth Community Services Camp Newaygo Jalisa Danof jalisa@campnewaygo.org |
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April 10, 16, 17, 20, 28 and May 7 and 14 Noon to 3 p.m. Detroit |
At both the Brightmoor Botanical Garden and the Finney Community Arboretum, we are inviting volunteers to roll up their sleeves and help us welcome the new season. This spring, we’re mobilizing community members to refresh and restore these vibrant green spaces — clearing litter and debris, preparing garden beds, and spreading fresh mulch to nourish the soil and protect our plantings |
Detroit Hives Timothy Jackson info@detroithives.org |
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April 20-22 Coldwater |
Our school yard includes a green space for kids play, kids playground, and prayer garden. Students would be participating in cleaning up all areas and helping to design the prayer garden to help meet all needs and create a more peaceful quiet haven for all to use. |
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School/Church Brenda Mescher mescherb@scbelementary.org |
Projects addressing Food Insecurity
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Location and Date |
Organization and description |
Contact person and email |
|
April 9, 16, 23, 30, 2:45-4 p.m. Alpena |
We will be working with the Meals on Wheels in Alpena and the Alpena Senior Citizens Center to provide additional items within the distributed meals. Our youth will be focusing on a theme each week to contribute to the bags (themes include care, comfort, education, and kindness) |
Boys & Girls Club of Alpena Catherine Knoch bgcalpena@gmail.com |
Projects addressing Senior Health & Well-Being
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Location and Date |
Organization and description |
Contact person and email |
|
Date: TBD Bay City |
The Bridging Generations Project is a youth-led service initiative designed to support older adults in Bay County. With nearly 31% of Bay County’s population ages 60 and older, many seniors face challenges such as social isolation, limited mobility, and living on fixed incomes. |
United Way of Bay County Gina Huynh Gina@unitedwaybaycounty.org |
Projects addressing Youth Wellness
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Location and Date |
Organization and description |
Contact person and email |
|
May 2 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Attica |
Lapeer County Education Attainment Fund (LEAF) is hosting a wellness fair for the county emphasizing the whole student with 3 pillars focused on; Movement, Medical Needs, and Money. |
Lapeer County Community Foundation Patti Biolchini pbiolchini@lapeercountycf.org |
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April 16-17, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30pm Ann Arbor |
Our school has two All-School Service Days each spring. Students sign up for one of five pathways of their choosing (education, environment, community, food, housing). This grant application is for the students who will be working in the education pathway, |
Greenhills School Alyssa Friendly afriendly@greenhillsschool.org |
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May 1-2 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Marquette |
This project is intended to give rural youth in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula a chance to engage in direct and indirect volunteerism and engagement within their community. The focus area of this project is geared towards engaging the youth to learn hard and soft skills such as communication, logistics coordination, networking, problem solving, and how to perform outreach and engage with their peers and adults. |
Marquette Senior High SchoolJoseph Thomas jthomas@mapsnet.org |
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April 24 9-11 a.m. Goodrich |
Day of Difference occurs annually here at Reid Elementary. We pick organizations in Genesee County to make projects for in an effort to teach our preschool-1st graders how to help others in our community. This year we have picked the following organizations to help: Hurley Children's Hospital Voices for Children - Flint Senior Living Center Ennis Center For Children REACH Runaway and Youth Shelter Vine & Branch Spa |
Goodrich Area Schools- Reid ElementaryGeorgia Richmond grichmond@goodrichschools.org |
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April 17 2-5 p.m. Detroit, MI |
This event will consist of teen self-awareness, self-love, accountability and the ability to create a life of peace and success for themselves. The itinerary for this event is structured based on the needs of our inner-city youth. It will consist of College Prep, Mental/ Self-care practices, Career Readiness, Healthy/Holistic lifestyle knowledge and financial literacy. |
Fly Heels & Cufflinks Non Profit Organization Jasmine Chambers jasmine@flyheelsandcufflinks.org |
