Purple Cord/Community Service

Merced High School offers a Purple Cord Program for students who participate in community service activities.  The Purple Cord is awarded at a luncheon during the student's graduation year to those seniors who have completed a minimum of 250 hours of volunteer service in the community.  The hours can be completed over the course of the student's high school career.  The student is responsible for:
                                                      •Locating a volunteer site 
                                                      •Documenting their time
       •Submitting time sheets before the deadline  

   
DUE MAY 1, 2013 
  NO EXCEPTIONS!
 
  
Community Service Guidelines
 

1.       All students are eligible to participate in the program.

2.     Students may provide volunteer service to the school and/or the community.

3.     Students must perform volunteer service on their own time. Service performed while classes are in session (with the exception of service performed by participants during their lunch period) may not be counted for awards.

4.     Students may not receive academic credit or be paid for service rendered.

5.     Service rendered as a prerequisite for employment will not be counted for awards.

6.     Attendance at self-improvement workshops or conferences will not count.

7.     All service must comply with school board policies.

8.     Participation in performances, festivals or competitions does not count as volunteer service unless:

a.    the performance meets an identified community service need and

b.    there is no admission charge or donation accepted for the performance and

c.    student participation is of a voluntary nature and

d.    the performance does not promote the sponsoring organization and

e.    neither the student organization nor the sponsoring organization receives any form of payment for the performance.

9.     Rehearsal and practice time may never be counted for volunteer service hours.

10.   Fundraising, except for specifically approved non-profit charities, cannot be counted.

11.   Service performed for the student’s own family or for profit-making organizations (except for hospitals and veterinary clinics) may not be counted for awards.

12.   Service performed as a result of disciplinary action cannot be counted.

13.   Participation in varsity or junior varsity athletics does not constitute volunteer service in this program.

14.   Attending meetings as part of a membership requirement cannot be counted.

15.   Students may earn hours toward individual recognition while working on projects that will earn recognition for their club or organization as long as those hours also fit the Student Volunteer Guidelines for individual students.

16.   Volunteer work done to promote a particular religious point of view cannot be counted as volunteer hours in the program.

17.   Participation in Camp Green Meadows will earn 70 hours.

18.   Activities occurring on weekends or school vacations will count for a maximum of 8 hours per day.
 
For more information you can contact
Carol Tippett 

    Guidance Assistant

   (209) 385-6449

 
Here are some places that you might be able to volunteer:
 
   

CITY OF MERCED

RECREATION AND PARKS DEPARTMENT

690 W. 16th Street, Merced, CA 95340
385-6894

Office Hours: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

 (Monday - Friday)
 
Volunteers with the City of Merced Parks and Recreation Department
Volunteer Program have given 31,000 hours to the citizens of Merced. 
If you would like to meet interesting people, build job references, gain
practical experience and help contribute to our community, we encourage
you to volunteer.  Call for more information.  We could use your assistance
in the following programs:  Youth Tutorial, Recreation, Seniors,
Youth Sports, Special Populations, Special Events, After School
Activities and the Zoo. 

 

   

HYLOND HEALTHCARE

& REHABILITATION CENTER

3170 'M' Street

723-1056

Must be 16 years old and take a TB Test.

   

CAMP GREEN MEADOWS
If you are a junior or senior you are able to volunteer your time as a camp counselor
at the Jack L. Boyd Outdoor School.  You will receive 70 hours of volunteer credit
while attending.  Announcements are made through the daily bulletin when students
are needed.  There is not cost to the student.  Your time and effort will make a
difference to students younger than you.

 

If  

MERCY MEDICAL CENTER

564-5000
333 Mercy Avenue
Merced, CA
  

ST. PAUL’S LUTHERAN CHURCH

383-3302

2916 N. McKee Road

Merced, CA

 

THE HAMPSHIRE RETIREMENT RESIDENCE

383-3500
3460 'R' Street
Merced, CA
 

CASTLE AIR MUSEUM

723-2178

Volunteer work that is available:

Restoration, Journalism, Artifacts, Computer Graphics, Special Events and Marketing

 

 

HINDS HOSPICE

410 West Main Street
Merced, CA

383-3123

Various duties include volunteering

at the Valve Burners Car Show at

Lake Yosemite in September.

 

 

FRANSICAN HEALTHCARE CENTER

3169 'M' Street 
Merced, CA
722-6231
Duties may include playing cards or checkers with the residents, or just chatting with
them.  Many of them just need someone to spend time visiting with them.
 

 

PLAYHOUSE MERCED
452 West Main Street
Merced, CA
725-8587 
 
UNITED WAY OF MERCED COUNTY
383-4242
Check out their website for other volunteer ideas or to contact them directly:  http://unitedwaymerced.org/getinvolved.html