People often ask us about where to volunteer around town because they know that Patch believes in publicizing opportunities for people to help in our community.

Greater Annapolis Patch reader Stacy Kennedy wrote that her children were excited about helping with food drives at school and church so she wanted to find more opportunities for them to volunteer during the holiday season. While there are many more opportunities for teens, there are still things that children can do with their parents around town.

If you look under the news tab of this site, you will find listings for "volunteers needed" in the announcements section. Note that anyone can post an announcement here and you can even update it with photos.

We recently ran a story on Make a Difference Day, which was Oct. 23 and a national day of community service. To coincide with that event, the Volunteer Center for Anne Arundel County updated its Volunteer Opportunities for Youth Guide for 2011.

The Youth Guide can be downloaded from the Volunteer Center's website or a printed version of the 43-page guide can be ordered for $5 each. To purchase the guide, either stop by or mail checks to the Volunteer Center for Anne Arundel County, 2666 Riva Rd., Suite 130, Annapolis, MD 21401.

Also, the Volunteer Center has produced guidelines for age-appropriate volunteer projects for children as young as kindergarten. These guidelines are attached to this article as a PDF and include ideas such as visiting or making holiday cards for seniors who live in a group home. To learn more, contact the Volunteer Center at 410-897-9207 or e-mail info@volunteerannearundel.org.

The following opportunities in Greater Annapolis can be found in the Youth Guide (please consult the guide for additional information):

Annapolis Middle School Mentoring Program

Minimum age for volunteers: 16

Description: Mentoring and tutoring on site

Anne Arundel Conflict Resolution Center

Minimum age for volunteers: 15

Description: Help with data entry and general office duties

Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks

Minimum age for volunteers: 14

Description: Assist staff in recreation programs

Anne Arundel County Public Library

Minimum age for volunteers: 14; 12 for summer reading program

Description: Cleaning and recasing books, CDs and DVDs; assembling story time projects; copying, data processing or other computer projects; maintaining files

Cats R Us

Minimum age for volunteers: 16; 8 with adult

Description: Help clean the shelters, attend adoption shows at PetSmart, sit and spend time with cats