For church groups that want to stay active all year long (and not just at Christmas and Easter!), you may be looking for some creative community projects for summer.
By staying active all year long, not only do you show genuine interest in supporting the local community, but you also bring more awareness to your cause overall. Summer is a great time for churches and other local organizations to get active for a variety of reasons.
If you’re looking for some community service projects for summer, check out the list of ideas, gather your volunteers, and start making a difference together!
Why Community Projects for Summer are Unique
Summer is a great time for any community group to plan and carry out community projects for so many reasons!
Students who are on summer vacation may be looking for volunteer opportunities (and have more availability to help create a positive impact!) People may be more apt to take time off work to give back to the community.
People in general have more time, laid-back schedules, and energy for doing things. They’re not as caught up with things like holiday gatherings, so they are generally more flexible during the summer. This is a great time to get your organization active and build relationships with people in the community.
There can also be more need during the summer, making projects more impactful. Elderly people may need help with things like lawn care or house projects, children who are out of school may need food assistance, and your neighborhood park is likely busier, meaning there could be a bigger need for park cleanups.
Let all of these things be reasons to continue your church or organization’s mission of making an impact in the community.
Ideas for Community Projects for Summer
The following community service ideas are great options for any church or community group to do, and have elements that can work across age and ability. You don’t need a huge group of volunteers to do good work in your community.
Community Laundry Day
A community laundry day can be especially helpful for community members who may not have a washer and dryer at home, who may be unhoused, or who may need a way to save on their water bill.
The general idea is that you raise funds to pay for a certain number of loads of washing and drying, including laundry soap, and families can come and do a set number of loads of laundry for free. Learn more about planning your own community laundry day here.
Water and Heat Relief Kits for Unhoused People
Water and heat relief kits can be a huge blessing for people who are facing homelessness. These are also known as blessing bags. Whether you make some and drop them off at a local shelter, or choose to take a day (or a few days) to share them with people in the community who are unhoused, this meets a specific need and can be so impactful.
Even taking a cooler of cold water and handing it out can help. For an extra treat, bring along flavor packets or electrolyte packets. I have found that these feel like an extra indulgence for people.
Make sure to always lead with dignity and love when working directly with people on the street.
A Neighborhood Cleanup or Park Cleanup and Beautification Project
If you’re looking for a volunteer opportunity that everyone can enjoy, try organizing a neighborhood cleanup or park beautification project. I don’t know about you, but I often see people on Facebook complaining about the state of the community.
If that’s the case, this is a great opportunity to take pride in the place you live. It can be something as simple as some trash bags and gloves for cleaning up a park or stretch of grass in the community.
Always make sure to use protective equipment when picking up trash, and follow safety instructions when using tools!
Summer Food Support for Families
Summer food support can be a lifeline for struggling families. And, it can take many forms!
- Host a free meal at your church or a local community center
- Collect bags of food that can be shared with families facing food insecurity
- Partner with local farms to glean produce that they can’t sell to share with family shelters to make meals
- Host a food drive for food pantries in your area
- Set up a volunteer network to stock micro-pantries around town
This is one of the most versatile ways to make a difference, and an essential way to give a little bit of help to people who are stressed.
Supply Drive for a Local Homeless Shelter or Domestic Violence Shelter
Most nonprofit organizations that serve people who are unhoused, escaping domestic violence, or providing crisis nursery services have an ongoing wishlist of items they need. Doing a supply drive is a great way to support these organizations and get the community involved.
For students who need volunteer hours, they can design flyers, take them to local businesses, and offer to pick up supplies at businesses that agree to be a drop-off point. There are so many ways to get involved!
Community Block Party
A community block party is a fun way to get people together and support a good cause. You can do this several ways:
- Make it a fundraiser: Ask people to donate a “cover charge” that will then be donated to a specific cause
- Free resource fair: Let the block party be free, and invite local organizations to come and set up, so people can familiarize themselves with available resources in the area
- Social or cultural event: It can truly just be a good time. Have a free event, and let it be an opportunity for various cultural groups to showcase their traditions and give people a different perspective on others’ traditions
Back-to-School Supply Drive
The cost of school supplies to start the school year can be a major burden for struggling families. This is especially true after a full summer of having kids at home to feed and/or paying extra for full-day childcare.
Hosting a back-to-school drive, collecting the needed supplies, and distributing them within the community is not only a rewarding experience, but can also impact a whole family that is trying to get by.
You can also partner with local schools to support teachers and provide spare supplies for them to share with students who may not have everything they need. It’s a good idea to get a specific list so you’re collecting items that will actually be wanted and used.
A Community Garden Work Day
Whether you have a community garden at your church or help out with one in the community, there’s always work to be done!
Contact a local community garden to see what sort of volunteer jobs they have available, or, if you have one, share the jobs you need extra hands to help with.
Whether you need people to pull weeds, water, or make repairs, there are jobs for every skill level. As a bonus, let volunteers take home free produce for their help!
Shut-In Visits and Maintenance Projects
One of the most uplifting things for seniors can be visits from young people. Get in touch with a local senior center and find out if they do shut-in visits and how to volunteer.
You may also find that there are opportunities to be of further service, whether by fixing a wobbly handrail in their home, tightening a loose piece of floor trim, or helping with some additional cleaning that may be a challenge for a senior who has mobility issues.
While these are all great ideas, make sure to always lead with love and dignity. Respect that you are in someone’s home. Never do something to their home without permission.
Walking Dogs or Visiting Cats at a Local Animal Shelter
Shelter pets benefit SO much from extra enrichment and interaction! This is a great project for anyone, but especially youth groups! Just make sure to set up a volunteer orientation so participants understand safety and care protocols for animals waiting to be adopted.
Care Packages to Comfort Patients at a Local Hospital
Being in the hospital is stressful enough. Check with a cancer unit or children’s hospital, where people may have longer-than-usual stays, and see what sort of comfort items that patients enjoy.
Collect items and share them with people in this vulnerable time. Always follow the guidance of hospital staff regarding any items with religious messages.
Start or Contribute to a Diaper Pantry
The expense of diapers is a massive burden for families facing financial difficulties. Whether you do a one-time diaper drive and share the items with a crisis nursery or food pantry, or set up an ongoing diaper pantry, this can be a lifeline to families with babies and toddlers.
Note: From our experience, sizes 3-7 are the most needed. Most people tend to get smaller sizes from baby showers or from the hospital when they leave. Check out my full diaper pantry post here.
Partner with a Local Food Bank or Soup Kitchen
A lot of people seem to forget that food banks and soup kitchens need help all year long. (You know, not just at Thanksgiving and Christmas.)
I don’t say that just to be snarky. However, it seems like too many groups focus their efforts at one time during the year and forget these organizations exist the rest of the time. There are so many ways to fill service hours at these places, including:
- Hosting a food drive
- Volunteering to sort donations
- Staffing the food pantry
- Serving food
- Cleaning up and doing dishes
Special Considerations with Community Projects for Summer
As with any ministry, when doing community projects for summer, there are some special things to keep in mind:
- Be mindful of heat: Make sure volunteers stay hydrated and take regular breaks when doing outdoor volunteer work. This is especially important if you have older volunteers or those with medical concerns.
- Take precautions for sun exposure: Related to heat, make sure to take precautions when it comes to sun exposure. Have sunscreen available, make sure to set up shaded areas for volunteers to take breaks, and hydration available.
- Pay special attention to first aid needs: Summer brings things like bug bites, poison ivy, and a whole host of other potential ills. Especially when doing outdoor work, make sure that volunteers are properly trained around these things. If you’re doing cleanup projects where volunteers may come into contact with things like bird or mouse droppings, make sure they are wearing proper protective equipment and following sanitation and disposal guidelines.
Tips for Volunteers Doing Community Projects for Summer
As one of my fellow volunteers once said, there is always, seemingly bottomless need. And while I can see how that may discourage certain people from wanting to continue with their work, I think it also highlights the importance of continuing the work at whatever pace is sustainable for you.
The best advice I can give is to choose a worthy cause that you are passionate about. Then, focus on making a difference in that one space for a while.
It is so easy to think that you have to be doing everything, but truly, if you put the time, energy, and resources into just one thing, you can make a huge difference in the lives of others. It’s not about doing it all, even if it can feel like it sometimes.
How to Cope with Critics of Your Community Projects for Summer
There may also be critics. Oh, who am I kidding? Often, there will be critics. The best approach I have found to critique is this:
- First, pause and take a step back. It’s easy to let ego get in the way and become reactive when someone criticizes your good intentions
- Second, take an honest look at what the person is saying and where they’re coming from. Sometimes, especially in situations with lots of need, people are hurting, and it comes out as criticism.
- Finally, check in with your core group of volunteers or supporters. Those are the people who can help you figure out when the critique needs to be addressed. They’ll also help with a graceful way to approach the situation. Because sometimes, while our intentions may be great, we still need to look at the impact we are having in the process of carrying out our work.
- Remember that not everything needs a response. Sometimes, it’s just a person looking to be upset or find fault with SOMETHING. And that happens too. If you’ve checked with your team, values, and mission, and everything feels genuinely right, it may not need a reaction.
And sometimes, it’s also okay to take a break and rest if you need to. This makes it all the more important to have a strong network of volunteers to support your cause. It doesn’t have to be dozens of people, but just enough for your cause to be sustainable and supported.
Community Projects for Summer Keep Your Ministries Active
One of the best ways to be taken seriously as a church is to be visible all throughout the year. While we love the buzz of excitement that happens during Advent, there are always needs around us.
When your church is committed to staying active during summer break, whether by spending time at a local senior citizens center, helping a new mom get the support she needs, or doing something fun by taking a day to paint kindness rocks, it shows that you’re truly about serving the community around you.
Summer is a special time to get active, and it’s also a great time to cultivate new relationships. So choose your project, and get started!