Many people in your community may be too old to do their own yard work. They may also simply be people who don't enjoy that kind of work and pay others to perform these activities. Save your community members money while making your own with a yard work fundraiser drive. Drive with your junior high student from door to door in your neighborhood. Tell your neighbors that you are having a fundraiser and that you will do all the yard work for around five dollars a student. The students must do all the yard work the neighbor wants, such as cutting the grass, trimming hedges or cleaning sidewalks. The yard work will be done quickly with a few students working. It will also cost a lot less money than professional lawn work and if the students are supervised properly their work can be just as professional looking. This is especially great for students and classes that enjoy hard work outside.
Many people have cans, metal, paper or other trash that they simply throw away or keep in their house. Help take it off their hands with a recycling drive. Go door to door with your students and find out what recyclable goods your neighbors would be willing to give. Make sure you have a vehicle capable of hauling large goods. Bottles are excellent for recycling drives, as they will give you five to ten cents a can, depending on your state. Load up all the recyclable goods and take them to a recycling center. In many places, you will be paid for bringing the goods. This activity is great for the physically active or those who are concerned with improving the state of the environment. It can be used as a teaching tool to illustrate how doing the right thing can have rewards beyond the intangible.
Another great, free way to raise funds is to have a worker auction. Go door to door or print flyers on the school's computers advertising your auction. On the day of the auction, all participating students stand in front of the auctioning group. Each student is bid on and the winning bidder gets to use the student to do work around their house for a week to a weekend, depending on the bid. Sometimes referred to as a "slave" auction in places, this name is not only inappropriate but is inaccurate to a worker auction. The student's should only perform activities that are safe for them to perform. For example, a small junior high student shouldn't move heavy boulders on somebody's property. They can refuse these kinds of activities. All other activities should be performed by the student, who can be brought to and from the house of the winning bidder by his parents.