Service Ideas

Service Ideas to Get You Started

Looking for inspiration? You’re in the right place.

The ideas on this page are simply starting points, meant to spark creativity and help you imagine the many ways service can look. There’s no single “right” way to serve. Whether your act of service is planned or spontaneous, done solo or with a group, it counts.

If you see an idea that fits your skills, schedule, or passions, jump in. If you feel inspired to do something completely different, go for it. Acts of service don’t have to be big or complicated to make a meaningful impact.

Every kind act—no matter the size—helps Idaho move closer to 250,000 acts of service for America’s 250th birthday.

For even more volunteer opportunities across Idaho, you can also visit JustServe, where you’ll find service ideas, local needs, and ways to connect with organizations in your community.

However you choose to serve, thank you for being part of Idaho’s history in the making.

  • Pick up trash at a playground

  • Paint kindness rocks

  • Write thank-you notes to teachers

  • Donate toys

  • Make cards for seniors

  • Help a neighbor with yard work

  • Donate books

  • Create care packages

  • Draw pictures for hospitals

  • Make bird feeders

  • Donate diapers

  • Sort food at a food bank

  • Help clean a park

  • Donate gently used clothes

  • Make thank-you signs for first responders

  • Leave kind notes in library books

  • Help rake leaves

  • Donate school supplies

  • Set up a lemonade stand for charity

  • Make blankets to donate

For Kids & Families

  • Volunteer at a food pantry

  • Help coach younger kids

  • Tutor a student

  • Organize a neighborhood cleanup

  • Volunteer at an animal shelter

  • Write letters to veterans

  • Serve at a community event

  • Assemble hygiene kits

  • Organize a donation drive

  • Help at a senior center

  • Plant trees

  • Assist at a library

  • Volunteer at a community garden

  • Build care kits for shelters

  • Help with recycling events

  • Offer tutoring to people in your class

  • Help with technology for seniors

  • Serve meals

  • Organize a charity fundraiser

For Youth & Teens

For Adults & Individuals

  • Deliver meals

  • Help a neighbor move

  • Offer free professional skills

  • Mentor someone

  • Donate household items

  • Volunteer at shelters

  • Help with disaster preparedness

  • Serve on a nonprofit board

  • Teach a workshop

  • Organize community classes

  • Help fix bicycles

  • Offer childcare support

  • Volunteer at hospitals

  • Donate books to schools

  • Write grants for nonprofits

  • Help clean community spaces

  • Assist with home repairs

  • Donate blood

  • Help refugees settle

  • Provide transportation assistance

For Communities & Neighborhoods

  • Host a block cleanup

  • Organize food drives

  • Build community pantries

  • Host family events

  • Plant flowers in public spaces

  • Paint murals

  • Repair public benches

  • Clean trails

  • Install little free libraries

  • Organize clothing swaps

For Veterans & First Responders

  • Write thank-you cards

  • Assemble care packages

  • Volunteer at veteran events

  • Help with home repairs

  • Donate comfort items

  • Host appreciation meals

  • Assist veteran organizations

  • Provide transportation

  • Organize recognition events

  • Help with yard maintenance

For Environment & Outdoors

  • Trail cleanups

  • River cleanups

  • Tree planting

  • Recycling drives

  • Compost education

  • Wildlife habitat restoration

  • Community gardens

  • Invasive species removal

  • Waterway monitoring

  • Park beautification

For Health & Wellness

  • Donate blood

  • Organize wellness walks

  • Volunteer at health clinics

  • Mental health support events

  • Meal prep for families

  • Support caregivers

  • Fitness classes for seniors

  • Health education workshops

  • Assemble first aid kits

  • Donate medical supplies

  • Perform music at care facilities

  • Create art for hospitals

  • Teach art classes

  • Host craft nights

  • Design flyers for nonprofits

  • Photography for charities

  • Write newsletters

  • Create social media content

  • Build websites

  • Create logos

Creative Service Ideas

For Faith & Service Groups

  • Community service days

  • Interfaith projects

  • Food pantry support

  • Clothing closets

  • Emergency kits

  • Service marathons

  • Community dinners

  • Refugee support

  • Shelter volunteering

  • Mission outreach

Acts of Everyday Kindness

  • Pay for someone’s coffee

  • Help carry groceries

  • Hold doors

  • Compliment strangers

  • Write encouraging notes

  • Leave thank-you notes

  • Help someone change a tire

  • Offer directions

  • Share resources

  • Listen to someone who needs it

Seasonal & Event-Based

  • Toys for Tots

  • Easter basket drives

  • School backpack drives

  • Holiday meal boxes

  • Coat drives

  • Back-to-school events

  • Community parades

  • Pumpkin carving events

  • Winter warming stations

  • Summer youth camps

Skilled Trades & Building

  • Build ramps

  • Repair fences

  • Install smoke detectors

  • Build benches

  • Fix playground equipment

  • Home safety checks

  • Paint community spaces

  • Assemble furniture

  • Repair bikes

  • Build garden beds

Business & Workplace

  • Company service days

  • Pro bono services

  • Donation matching

  • Community sponsorships

  • Volunteer time off

  • Skill-sharing workshops

  • Internship mentoring

  • Fundraisers

  • Community cleanups

  • School partnerships

Simple Acts of Service

Service doesn’t have to look one specific way—and it doesn’t stop with a single act.

Yes, picking up trash, donating supplies, or volunteering your time makes a difference. But so does sharing this initiative, inviting a neighbor to serve with you, encouraging your classroom or workplace to get involved, or simply spreading the word about the America 250 in Idaho Service Challenge. When you talk about service, it inspires more service.

You can help by giving your time, donating resources, offering skills, supporting local organizations, or continuing to show up in ways that feel meaningful to you. Some acts take minutes. Others take planning. All of them matter.

If it helps someone else, strengthens your community, or encourages others to serve—it counts.

And if you’re looking for even more ways to get involved, explore volunteer opportunities and service ideas through JustServe, where you’ll find ongoing needs and opportunities across Idaho.

However you choose to serve or share, thank you for helping Idaho make history.