Volunteering

Americans have long believed that it’s their duty to practice what they preach. As a result, the country is a nation of volunteers.

The country’s largest service organization, the American Red Cross, counts more than a million volunteers. And countless thousands have taken the lessons of crime prevention to heart as well, and they volunteer each year to make their communities and the lives of the people who live there better, safer, and free from crime.

Neighborhood Watch volunteers are active from coast to coast, their volunteers on guard for suspicious activity, their infrastructure bringing together local officials, law enforcement, and citizens for the protection of their communities. The Volunteers in Police Service programs count on civilian volunteers to assist sworn officers. Members of Community Emergency Response Teams give critical support to first responders, providing immediate assistance to victims and organizing spontaneous volunteers at disaster sites.

The Crime Prevention Coalition of America, which consists of more than 300 national, federal, state, and local organizations, represents thousands of individual constituents who are committed to preventing crime. Tens of thousands more citizens volunteer in schools, libraries, houses of worship, rehabilitation centers, and prisons.

Information about Volunteering

Ideas for Volunteers
If you want to get involved, here are some ideas to get you started

How Parents Can Encourage Volunteering
Tips for parents on getting kids to volunteer in the community

Teen Volunteers Campaign
Information and public service announcements for promoting volunteering among teens

Programs on Volunteering

Teens, Crime, and the Community
The Teens, Crime, and the Community (TCC) initiative has motivated more than one million young people to create safer schools and neighborhoods.

Downloadable Resources on Volunteering