Volunteerism can teach young children important life-lessons, such as gratitude, compassion, respect, and can instill in them a commitment to their community and the world around them. However, many parents who want to volunteer with their children might find that there are time-limitations, kid-limitations, or criteria with organizations that make it challenging.
As a life-long volunteer devoted to child-centered organizations, Linda Cohen, author of the upcoming inspirational book, 1000 Mitzvahs: How Small Acts of Kindness Can Heal, Inspire, and Change Your Life (Seal Press/ November 2011/ $16.00), provides her top ten tips for volunteering with your children in prep for the holidays:
1. If you child loves being in the car, deliver something. It could be food to seniors, special events like Valentine-o-grams, or picking up perishable foods from a school or restaurant and delivering it to a local food pantry.
2. Have a lemonade stand or bake sale and give the proceeds to a non profit that your kids might know, for example The Humane Society or a local food bank or to help after a natural disaster. There are many great stories of children organizing extraordinary volunteer projects after the Haiti earthquake and the recent earthquake in Japan. If donating locally, they can help deliver the money in person and maybe even get a tour of the place you have donated.
3. Collect cans for a food bank. Even the littlest children can help do this. My kids were 6 and 9 when we took a wagon through a neighborhood near our synagogue to collect cans for a synagogue sponsored event. We discovered it was like trick or treating with a twist and the kids really enjoyed it. You could even let them choose a few items each week at the supermarket to donate.
4. Volunteer to collect children's books. We have an organization called the Children's Book Bank in Portland, maybe there is one in your town that collects children's books and gives them to needy children.
5. Visit a senior center/retirement home. Contact the activities director and see if you can bring the kids in to visit during a meal or a game time.
6. Bake something and give it to someone in need. My daughter loves to bake and I have enlisted her several times now to bake for a Shiva call (the period of Jewish observance after the death of a loved one). Children could also bring something they have baked to elderly neighbors or relatives.
7. Visit someone in the hospital. Do you know of anyone who is in need of a visit? Children can often be the best medicine.
8. Volunteer at school. Often younger siblings can come and help when there are opportunities to volunteer at school. My children have come along to collect auction items, give out fundraising material, set up for a school related event and even to stuff mailers.
9. Pull weeds. We helped at our school garden. My kids loved getting dirty and muddy more than I did. There is probably somewhere in your city that would love your gardening help.
10. Still not sure where to volunteer check out: www.handson.org. If you have this organization in your community, it is a great place to start. Handson.org keeps a calendar of volunteer opportunities and what specific ages can volunteer in hundreds of cities across the US.
