Good for you! I worked with youth in my younger years, too. I loved being a school mentor and a Big Sister. :) I find it so interesting to meet other conservatives here that are just the opposite of how liberals stereotype us!
I mean, there are so many truly "compassionate conservatives" out there that just want to give people a hand up versus a hand out. Teach people the skills that they need to have a better life and get it together! I meet many conservatives that are concerned about and in turn DO something to improve their local environment (planting trees, recycling, being a Green Freeper, etc.) and those that appreciate nature through hunting and fishing and hiking and camping out, etc.
We really need to work on our PR, don't you think? We get a bum rap way too often.
In my case I just left a job working with the homeless. The politics never came up, but I was surprised at how the managment was very liberal but those of us who worked hands-on in the shelter were not. I found a lot of common ground with the regular staff, while the volunteers (who came in once a month, twice at most) were uniformly liberal.
I was surprised at how backstabbing the staff was, and a friend with lots of experience told me I shouldn't work in that field because too many people are failures interested in being "heroes" than in DOING something. I was pretty bummed out by the complete lack of solidarity among the staff. I covered mistakes two people made, and what'd they do? They went to the boss and told him *I* made the mistakes.
The new job is perfect for me in many ways--I'll be working with teens, and I respect teens without needing to be their "friend", and somehow that makes them like me more. It's also perfect scheduling for my other activities, so I will be glad to stay for the year, at least.
I mention all this only to respond to your good point about how conservatives get a bum rap in terms of community service. In my experience we're as community-minded as anyone, we just want to take part from our own initiative, not because someone demands we do so.