DO NOT pay an organization that says it will provide you with records of community service accomplished in exchange for a fee or “donation” without you having to volunteer. Don`t pay for an organization that has a website that helps you do court-ordered community service, but doesn`t have a nonprofit identification number on its website, a list of its board of directors (full names), an employee list (full names), a physical mailing address, and says you will receive community service in exchange for a donation. Don`t pay an organization that claims to be a nonprofit but isn`t listed on Guidestar. Don`t pay an organization that advertises on Craigslist by telling you they can help you get documents for a court-ordered community service. These companies are at best unethical and illegal at worst (at least one person has been arrested and convicted for engaging in such fraud). So take your service seriously. Be a reliable volunteer who is polite, follows the rules, shows up on time, and takes pride in completing tasks appropriately and on time. If you miss shifts, break guidelines, don`t seem to take tasks seriously, feel uncomfortable, are late, etc., you risk being fired – and no, the court won`t help you. When writing service letters, we can only confirm your verified hours of service. We understand that it can be frustrating to wait hours for verification, especially if you need it quickly. Please note that it usually takes between 5 and 7 business days for volunteer hours to be reviewed. If your hours are not verified within this time, please contact the organization directly.

Hands On Atlanta cannot review your hours for projects we don`t handle. If this does not work either, please contact Hands On Atlanta and we will notify the organization directly of the time check. The organizations listed below accept court-ordered volunteers. Please call the organization directly for information and placement. Volunteering with religious nonprofit organizations, such as Habitat for Humanity or the Boy Scouts of America, is generally allowed, but check with your probation officer, court liaison officer, school teacher, or anyone who has assigned you a community service to make sure. Note that you do not need to express a religious affiliation or belief in God to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, but you must express your faith in God to volunteer for Scouts (and note that you do NOT have to profess religious beliefs to volunteer for Girl Scouts). They don`t just supplement mandatory hours of service. When you complete your community service, you are: If you volunteer as part of a court-ordered community service, you have at least two references who are NOT family members and who could attest to positive aspects of your character. You will need the full names, phone numbers, email addresses, and physical addresses of these individuals who are willing to write on any voluntary application. These references should be former or current employers, former or current employees in a job, a leader of your faith community (priest, preacher, elder, imam, senior cleric, choir director, pujari, etc.), a neighbor you have worked for, someone in another organization for whom you have volunteered, etc. Your reference could even be your lawyer or probation officer, or even a politician who believes you deserve a second chance. Quickly access all approved, mandatory and court-ordered volunteer opportunities from our project calendar.

Service: You are now ready to go out and serve the ATL community! Whether you`re logging in via Zoom or heading to an in-person event, there are a few things to consider. Has a court awarded you community service hours? As part of your probation or sentence? From your school as a prerequisite for a course or graduation? Don`t call one place and expect 40 hours of community service per week, starting tomorrow. It is your responsibility to make arrangements in advance with any organization you wish to volunteer with and ask if they are able to meet your documentation requirements. There are a growing number of businesses, some not-for-profit, some for-profit, who claim that if you pay them a fee or give them a certain amount of money, they will provide you with a letter to the court, your probation officer, the school, etc. stating that you have worked a certain number of hours of community service. I`ve blogged about some of them here. One of the companies even charges a monthly fee for users to track and report their charity hours — something anyone can do for free in a shared GoogleDoc spreadsheet. You should ask the person asking you to do your hours of service if this type of speaker forum is acceptable, as you would do it alone and no one can monitor how many hours you have volunteered. You can confirm that these activities are taking place: Regardless of the reason you were assigned to compulsory civilian service, there are many options for performing the required service. This is a tip to help you get started as soon as possible and do it as soon as possible.

These tips can also help you turn this experience from a “must” into a “desire,” something that benefits YOU. Search for a project: The easiest way to find service projects is to check out our opportunity calendar. There you can search by date, scope, location and more! If you follow the link above, we`ve already selected the court-ordered volunteer filter to make sure any opportunities you see are right for you. Note that HandsOn Portland, Oregon, has a website specifically for people who need community services, specifically ordered by the court to help them get placed quickly. Do NOT wait until your service is complete to announce that you need a letter confirming your hours or that you need to sign your spreadsheet. At the beginning, inform the organization that you need a letter stating the number of hours you have devoted to the organization, the start date of your service, the end date of your service, and a summary of the type of service you provided. For example, Habitat for Humanity home construction days are often booked months in advance. It`s worth checking out, but be aware that you probably won`t be able to volunteer for several weeks after you sign up. Habitat for Humanity doesn`t just mobilize volunteers to build homes – many chapters also organize repair events, mobilize volunteers for gardening, exterior painting, major or minor repairs, and more for seniors, people with disabilities, low-income people and others in need. Visit the website of the nearest Habitat for Humanity section – if you don`t see such opportunities online, write to Habitat for Humanity and nearby seniors` centres to ask if such programs exist and how you can volunteer for them.

Great opportunities to do community service in your own area. Consult the following list for partner organizations that accept court-ordered volunteers. These organizations deal with a variety of causes, so we recommend finding one that is important to you. Civil service is offered to meet fines, costs and fees ordered by the court if you are unable to pay due to financial hardship. Community service must provide real community benefits and be done in person in some locations. Mandatory community service or a “court referral program” is an alternative sentencing option for superior, municipal, traffic, and juvenile courts in the United States. These courts have the power to award community service hours to individuals convicted of a crime, in addition to or in lieu of incarceration and/or a fine. Civilian service may also be performed as a condition of probation. Civilian service is considered reparation by an offender by helping his community.

Service means actions, activities, commitment – doing something that needs to be done and that helps the community or a cause. When you call an organization, say, “Hi, my name is ____. I offer presentations for ____ People come into our community and give a presentation on a topic that our residents need to know. I`m calling to see if anyone from your organization is available to talk about ____ Note to the person that you don`t have money to pay for speakers. You never have to say you`re doing this for prescribed community service. Service Letter Request: After you`ve completed all your hours, it`s time to request a service letter. Hands On Atlanta writes service letters once a week on Wednesdays. It is important to know when you are faced with an urgent request. Please plan accordingly. We send digitally certified letterhead, on Hands On Atlanta letterhead, with a signature. These are activities you do at home, such as making blankets, but you will first need to register online, get authorization and report your service online. When you go to an organization to inquire about hours of service, don`t immediately say, “I have so many hours of community service.” Instead, say, “I want to volunteer with your organization and know how to get started right away.” This is not a lie – you will inform the organization of your charitable commitment at a much more appropriate time.