Community Service Guide

AYLUS Community Service Guide

(click here to download the PDF file)

In this guide, we try to clarify some confusion on which activity will be counted as a volunteering activity by AYLUS.

  1. Community Service placements must be completed at non-profit agencies, institutions, organizations and/or with individuals. Members cannot receive monetary compensation for their service.
  2. Members cannot count time spent on activities for which they received compensation as community service hours. A free meal, t-shirt, or place to stay do not count as compensation.
  3. Please note that time spent traveling to and from the service location cannot be counted as service hours for members, but can be counted for advisers and directors.
  4. Internships are not considered as community service by AYLUS.
  5. Events organized by AYLUS require at least 2 members to participate. For certain activities, even 2 or more members have participated, AYLUS may need certificates from outside organizations during the verification process.
  6. AYLUS welcomes qualified branch advisers, directors, and adult volunteers to apply for the PVSA award.
  7. For students, maximum service time per day is 8 hours.
  8. AYLUS PVSA year: May 1 – April 30
  9. In case of any dispute, the decision of the AYLF Board of Directors shall prevail.

Examples of What Counts and What Does Not Count

  Counts Does Not Count
1 Serving as an ambassador for your school or school event such as school-night.

Campus beautification/improvements under the supervision of a staff member, and provided that it is during lunch, before and/or after school.

Peer tutoring during lunch, before and (or) after school.

Volunteering at the Red Cross, Food Bank, & Senior Citizen Facilities.

Assisting a teacher in their classroom provided that it is done during lunch, before and/or after school.

 Student club/organization activities.

Taking an elective class as a teacher’s assistant (TA) or a mentor.

Class assigned research program.
2 Volunteering with youth groups for community projects (Habitat for Humanity, Operation Sandwich, Room in the Inn, etc.) or participating in service activities through a school club. Being part of a leadership club, student council at school or as a member of youth group/religious school. Meetings do not count.
3 Volunteering at an afterschool program that is not a PVSA Certifying Organization. If this program is a family/friend’s business
4 Peer tutoring on a regular basis under the direction of an AYLUS branch. Helping a friend or classmate with homework or to study for a test.
5 Volunteering for a local business such as an arts studio or restaurant. Working for free at a family/friend’s business

 
6 Volunteering arts or music performance at nursing home or senior center. Practice time to prepare to volunteer and perform at the nursing home does NOT COUNT.
7 Participating in 5K as long as it is for fundraising event either as a runner/walker OR as a volunteer to help out at the event. Participating in a 5K that is not a fundraiser (for example “The Color Run”).
8 Participation in charity events such as Run to Feed the Hungry, Race for the Cure, Relay 4 Life, etc. Participation in contesting events (example: essay, science fair, photography, music, golf, Ping-Pong, etc.)
9 Time spent raising money for a cause (lemonade stand, etc.) also counts towards volunteer hours accrued. Donating money or materials to a cause.
10 Babysitting in a faith-based nursery, daycare, women or men’s shelter, or community center counts. Babysitting for friends or family, or for any compensation.
11 Volunteering (unpaid) for a youth camp. Participating in a training program, learning to be a camp counselor or youth leader.
12 Volunteering with a language club, or other school sponsored clubs – in the community – may count towards the PVSA. Hosting a foreign exchange student is a wonderful thing to do, but does not count as volunteer work.
13 Preparing and delivering food or other necessities to others in need as part of a volunteer position with AYLUS or a community-based organization. Helping a friend, family member, or neighbor in crisis is a wonderful thing to do, and often is the right thing to do; however, this help does not qualify as “volunteer work” in the community.
14 Volunteer work with churches for charity events which are part of a community interfaith programs. Time spent serving with a religious organization on activities that benefit a wider population can be counted as service hours (ex. serving dinner to hungry members of the community through your church). Time spent on activities that only benefit the membership of a religious organization cannot be counted as community service hours. Examples include but are not limited to:

  • Working with youth groups
  • Acting as a host or greeter
  • Creating religious materials
  • Fundraising for a religious organization
15 Time spent promoting or campaigning for a political candidate/party/ideal can be counted as community service hours.  Hours spent campaigning for a relative or family member cannot be counted as community service hours
16 Voter registration drives can be counted as community service.  
17 Serving as an advocate for a social issue can be counted as community service.  
18 Girl Scout and Boy Scout community service activities. Girl Scout and Boy Scout training activities.
19 School and/or community fundraisers that benefit the organization as a whole, not the individual. Fundraisers that benefit an individual
20 All time contributed to AYLUS by AYLUS directors， advisors, and other volunteering adults will be counted. This includes but is not limited to:

1.     Preparing, organizing, directing, and participating in all AYLUS organized activities, including none community service activities.

2.     Registering, organizing, and processing AYLUS member information.

3.     Purchasing and distributing club uniforms, branch banners, prize items.

4.     Managing AYLUS accounts.

5.     Directing and coordinating branch activities.

6.     Selecting the Branch of Month.

7.     Training and mentoring branch activities.

8.     Answering emails and group questions.

9.     Maintaining the AYLUS website.

10.  Organizing, directing, and moderating AYLUS meetings.

11.  Participating in group discussions and information exchanges.

12.  preparing AYLUS documents.

13.  Providing transportation for AYLUS member.

 
21 For AYLUS members, time for organizing activities authorized by AYLUS headquarters counts, which includes but not limited to:

1.     Editing AYLUS TIMES

2.     Working on posters or other promotion materials for the headquarters

3.     Training new branch leaders, etc.

 Time to prepare and organize branch activities by branch leaders does NOT COUNT.

Time to update branch webpage by branch leaders does NOT COUNT.