Skip to content

Volunteering · Gwinnett County, Georgia

Volunteer opportunities for teens in Gwinnett County.

Where high school students in Gwinnett County can volunteer, with each place’s age rules, the Northside summer program, and a youth council with scholarships.

By Lokesh Pampatti, founder of Clarity Prep · Updated October 18, 2026

This list covers Lawrenceville, Duluth, Suwanee, Snellville, Lilburn and the rest of Gwinnett County, plus two places just outside it. We read every age rule on the organization’s own site, last checked October 18, 2026. Rules change, so confirm on the link before you go. Pick your age to see what you can do now.

7 places on this list.

Food banks and meals

  • Atlanta Community Food Bank8+ with an adult

    The Community Food Center in Stone Mountain, just south of Gwinnett, plus the Hunger Action Center

    Ages
    Ages 8 and up at most ongoing projects. Anyone under 18 volunteers with an adult chaperone who works the whole shift with them. Special events can have different rules.
    What you do
    Sort and pack food that goes to pantries across metro Atlanta.
    How to start
    Sign up for a shift online, then email the food bank to add the teen to the registration.

Hospitals and health

  • MedShareOn your own at 14+

    Decatur, in DeKalb County

    Ages
    Ages 10 to 17 with a signed parental permission form. Ages 10 to 13 come with a parent; ages 14 to 17 can come on their own once the form is in.
    What you do
    Sort and package surplus medical supplies that go to underserved communities in the U.S. and abroad.
    How to start
    Register for a volunteer session on MedShare’s volunteer page. Groups of more than five use the group request form.
  • Northside Hospital Gwinnett, Summer VolunTeen ProgramOn your own at 16+

    Northside Hospital Gwinnett

    Ages
    Ages 16 to 18 by June 1, with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
    What you do
    A summer program from early June to late July: one four-hour shift a week on the same weekday, Monday to Thursday.
    How to start
    Apply online. The window closes on the last Friday in March or after the first 100 applications, whichever comes first.
    Apply
    Opens the first Monday in March

Libraries

  • Gwinnett County Public LibraryOn your own at 13+

    Branches across Gwinnett County

    Ages
    Ages 13 and up, with parental permission under 18.
    What you do
    Help at a branch, or join the Teen Advisory Council, which meets monthly to plan teen programs. Volunteers commit to 40 hours over 6 to 12 months.
    How to start
    Apply online on the library’s volunteer page. Applications stay on file for six months.

Building homes

  • Gwinnett/Walton Habitat for Humanity, youth projectsAges 5 to 14, at home

    At home, for future Habitat families in Gwinnett and Walton counties

    Ages
    At-home youth projects: a scavenger hunt for ages 5 to 10 and a wish list project for ages 10 to 14.
    What you do
    Shop for items on a future homeowner’s wish list and put them in a basket with a note to the family. Each finished project earns an official letter of service.
    How to start
    Follow the steps on Habitat’s youth page, take photos as you go, and send them to the volunteer coordinator.

Youth councils and leadership

  • Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful, Green Youth Advisory CouncilHigh school students

    Gwinnett County

    Ages
    High school students. Freshmen through seniors have served.
    What you do
    Help design and run environmental projects that get young people into community service, and act as an ambassador at school. Members earn service hours and a recommendation letter, and seniors are considered for two $2,000 scholarships.
    How to start
    Apply on the council’s page when applications open for the next school year.
    Apply
    Applications open each summer

Find more projects

  • Hands On AtlantaAges vary by project

    Projects across metro Atlanta

    Ages
    Age rules vary by project. Some are family-friendly; others require volunteers to be 16 or 18. Each listing shows its rules before you register.
    What you do
    One searchable calendar of volunteer projects with local nonprofits.
    How to start
    Search the project calendar, open a listing to check its age rule, and register.

When the teen programs take applications

The most sought-after teen programs take applications once a year, months before they start. Put these on your calendar.

More Georgia guides

How to make it count

  • Pick one or two places and stay. A year at one food bank says more than ten one-day events. Ask for more responsibility as you go, like training new volunteers or running a drive.
  • Keep a log from day one: the date, hours, what you did, and a supervisor’s name and email. Schools, clubs and scholarships ask for it, and it is hard to rebuild later.
  • Ask your school what counts. National Honor Society, Beta Club and similar clubs set their own hour rules, and some only accept certain kinds of service.
  • Write about what changed. On the Common App you get 150 characters per activity. Lead with what you did and what came of it, not the hour count. See how many volunteer hours you need for college.

Know a place in Gwinnett County that takes teen volunteers and should be here? Email sessions@joinclarityprep.com with a link to its volunteer page.

Questions

Where can a 13-year-old volunteer in Gwinnett County?

On their own, with a parent’s permission: Gwinnett County Public Library. With a parent or another adult along: Atlanta Community Food Bank and MedShare.

Where can a 14-year-old volunteer in Gwinnett County without a parent?

MedShare and Gwinnett County Public Library. Atlanta Community Food Bank needs an adult along until 18.

Can teens volunteer at a hospital in Gwinnett County?

Yes, through summer teen programs that start at age 16: Northside Hospital Gwinnett. They are competitive, usually ask for vaccine records and a counselor form or interview, and take applications in March for that summer.

Do colleges care where I volunteer?

They care more about what you did and how long you stuck with it than about the place or the hour count. 68% of colleges consider volunteer work, and 18% rate it important or very important, according to their own Common Data Sets.

Want help turning service into a stronger application?

Clarity Prep pairs high school students with a mentor who has been through it, plus an app that keeps the plan, the college list and every essay in one place. You get a weekly call and a check-in every Monday.

Get startedBook a free call