@RyanO45,
I have volunteered for various organizations on and off over the past 40+ years.
I started as a teenager, volunteering in a local hospital. I swore I wasn't going to like it, since it had been my dad's idea that I sign up. Turned out I loved it, as long as they didn't put me into the paediatric ward. That made me a highly desirable volunteer since everyone else wanted to be with the kids. I preferred geriatrics and orthopaedics. As a result , I was often rewarded with shifts working in the gift shop and the coffee shop. Those were primo slots. Not too much shlepping, you got to talk to more people and my experience helped me with part-time work when I was in later high school and then university. I had cashier and service experience that not a lot of others could offer.
I volunteered as an English tutor in university. Ok, but not as much fun as hospital work.
My favourite volunteer gig as an adult has been with the Young People's Theatre. I've helped them run some fundraising events. The best perks there have been opportunities to meet (on a really casual, fun basis) people like Denny Doherty and Mordecai Richler.