Children and families can help make their neighborhoods and communities better places by lending a hand at organizations in Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
Through its One Albuquerque Volunteers portal, the city connects volunteers of all ages with the needs of city departments and local groups. Families can adopt and maintain a bus stop in their neighborhood, for example. City departments and other organizations also often need help putting on events such as the annual city-sponsored Easter egg hunt or Spring Into Summer celebration in Tiguex Park. 
“We try to be a one-stop shop for people who are looking for ways to be involved and have an impact,” said Nickolas Vottero, civic engagement coordinator for the mayor’s office. “We want to provide support to the organizations that are out there trying to do the work.”
Anyone interested can register and browse opportunities at oneabqvolunteers.com, where it’s possible to sort opportunities by age or specify family friendly options. Volunteers also can use the site to track their hours, something that is useful when high school students are applying for colleges or scholarships. In some cases, background checks are required for anyone 14 or older.
In Santa Fe, the city was getting the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Board back on track this fall after the COVID-19 pandemic and is planning to organize volunteer opportunities around town that should be open to youth in 2023, said Recreation Division Director Brian Stinett. Possibilities will include service projects and after-school programs, he said.
The Santa Fe Animal Shelter has plenty of ways that kids ages 12 to 15 can help with a parent or guardian, while older kids can join the volunteer team in dozens of roles. 
At the Santa Fe Children’s Museum, teens 15 and older can help the staff with a variety of projects, and there are some opportunities for 12- to 15-year-olds with management approval. 
The Santa Fe Public Library welcomes teens age 14 and up to help with shelving, programs, art projects and creating displays, said main library Branch Manager Adam Reilly.
Volunteers go through a background check and application process and then are asked to commit to working for two hours or more once a week. Their help is very important to the library, Reilly said.
"I really enjoy their youthful spirit and energy. They bring a perspective about the library that we may not encounter with the daily interaction with patrons," he said.
The teen volunteers learn responsibility, the basics of showing up for a job and integrity, he said. "They seem to really get a kick out of it."
In Albuquerque, younger children can pitch in alongside their parents while teens can explore potential careers and build skills through volunteering and internships at the BioPark, museums and Open Space visitor centers. Potential opportunities include cleaning up the gardens at New Mexico Veterans Memorial Park or sorting children’s books for the Read to Me! NM Literacy Network.
The city’s Family and Community Services Department will host its annual Youth Job and Volunteer Fair in February. The event, geared to 14- to 25-year-olds, gives young people a chance to meet organizations that are recruiting volunteers or hiring summer help. Public libraries across the city, for example, need volunteers to help throughout the year with shelving and other tasks and with their summer reading program, while the zoo has teen docents over the summer.
“It’s a great experience for young people to see that some of the work they can do can make a difference to make our city better,” said Cristin Chavez-Smith, Community Services Division manager. She added that information is available online at cabq.gov/jobfair.
Roadrunner Food Bank is always looking for help sorting dry goods and repacking food in its warehouse. Because of safety issues – forklifts move 1,000-pound pallets around while volunteers are working – only those 8 years and older are allowed. However, there are sometimes opportunities for younger children to help label cans and other food in the repack room.
Teens 16 and up can volunteer on their own while 8- to 15-year-olds must be with an adult. Sign up for two-hour shifts at rrfb.org/service. All volunteers are asked to attend an orientation session to learn about Roadrunner and its safety guidelines, as well as about hunger in New Mexico.
“I want our volunteers to know why what they do makes a difference,” said Barbara Guenther, manager of volunteer programs.
Kids of all ages also can host a food drive to help Roadrunner. “There’s engagement they can take on outside our building that can help us with our mission,” said Sonya Warwick, director of communications.
Animal Humane also works to engage children and families in its volunteer program. Kids ages 6 to 15 can help socialize cats through the Page Pals program. By reading to cats in the communal cat rooms, kids help them learn to be comfortable around people and become more likely to find a forever home.
Because the volunteers are reading, there isn’t pressure on the cats to interact. 
“The children come in and the cat is not the center of attention,” Volunteer Manager Debbie Mouser said.
Teens 14 and older can read to shy dogs in the Calming Canines program. The goal, again, is not to put pressure on the animals to interact but to help them learn to trust people.
Volunteers for both programs go through training to learn about animal behavior and body language. “Safety is always something we have on the forefront of our minds,” Mouser said.
Animal Humane also has a Junior Ambassador program in which 16- and 17-year-olds answer phones in the office, help at events, clean in the foster department and assist with other tasks. 
“Our volunteers are just critical to our day-to-day operations … (and) to our mission of improving the lives of cats and dogs,” Mouser said.