Community service... for kids

[Nishu]

What would you suggest if I wanted to get my kids involved in helping the community? They're 4 and 7.

We don't really know many people around here, so helping out an individual person or family really isn't an option until we actually meet someone who needs it, you know?

Most places like the humane society and the food bank would require you to be a certain age in order to help, and then there's this little about me toting around a baby everywhere. It makes volunteering a little difficult. Plus, I want my kids to get first hand experience helping out, not the kind of experience that involves donating food or money and then counting on others to take it from there. I want them to see the good they do.

So any ideas?

Thanks in advance!

[leezza]

They are really young.......I am not sure.....Is there a place in your town that cooks for the homeless???

Maybe they could chop vegi's

Or help put meals together

You know what is there a senior home in your area??? You could call there and see if there is someone who needs a little company every once in a while.....your older one could maybe read them a story, or help write a letter.

Good Luck, really good to teach your children this.

leezza

[shortstack]

This Saturday for 3 hours my dd7 and I are going to ring the bell for The Salvation Army at our local mall. We volunteer to do it for free so that they don't have to pay someone to do it for those hours. The only thing they ask if you bring your child is that he/she does not go up to people and ask for money.

How about calling your local nursing home and asking them if they have people who never get visitors. Have your kids make cards and then visit those people.
When my sister and I were young my mother asked our Dr. if he had any patients who never had any visitors (our Dr. did and still does make house calls) and he matched us up with the sweetest little old lady sisters.

Do you have a local domestic violence shelter? Every year my kids and I buy Chirstmas Candy and books at Christmas and deliver it there to the children. I have a special place in my heart for those kids because I taught for a time at the school that those kids go to.
Andrea

[LuvMyHubby]

Do you have a meals for me type program in your area? The children might be a bit young to work in the dining room but if you have a vehicle and are willing, you and the children might be able to deliver meals to seniors once a week or even just once a month. I think mileage is reimbursed.

Perhaps nursing home residents would love to have visits.

[sunshine]

I second the nursing home idea -- safe, easy and a great way to interact with the older generation.

Other ideas:

pick an area of a road or park and clean up the litter

plant small plants from cuttings or quick growing seeds and deliver to a church for them to take to shut ins, etc.

Ask around for some addresses of deployed soldiers and have them draw pictures or write short notes/pack care packages for them .

[nvmommyx6]

Have you tried the local senior center? We go there for the kids to play board games and puzzles with the seniors and it is a blast for everyone!!

[missyali]

My church prepares a meal 1x/month for a soup kitchen. My daughter has gone (age 2) and passed out the rolled-up silverware or bagged baked goods. We will do this again this year (didn't last year, long story) and my kids are 2.5 and 5.5. We will also gather stuff from the stockpile to donate to the church's food collection. We also gather cleaning and HAB supplies for the local pound. We have a boxing day one of the first days in December and donate all old toys to families at a battered woman's shelter. Lastly, we take names from the church and day care's giving trees. We do these activities as part of our living advent calendar (hats, gloves and such hung on a clothes line in the toy room clipped with "giving" activities ~ later to donate the hats and gloves to my needier kids at school) to do something good for someone or something each day in December. I need to do this year-round, though......

[UUMomof3]

You could try www.spreadthebread.org

or, does your community have full-time fire fighters? Not volunteers, but professionals who stay at the fire station some nights? How about dropping off some baked goods or other care package for them? These folks are community helpers, and showing appreciation for their work is important. You could even make it a holiday deal and drop off home-made goodies on Thanksgiving.

[kmsinsa]

I second the nursing home idea -- safe, easy and a great way to interact with the older generation.

Other ideas:

pick an area of a road or park and clean up the litter

plant small plants from cuttings or quick growing seeds and deliver to a church for them to take to shut ins, etc.

Ask around for some addresses of deployed soldiers and have them draw pictures or write short notes/pack care packages for them .

Sunshine stole my ideas. I have done all of these with my 6 year old daughter.

Ideas I'd like to add:
This year my daughter helped my sister bake cookies and they took them to the local homeless shelters (3-4 dozen at a time).

Local parks or other areas that have flower beds, etc that just need to be cleaned/beautified.

Some local United Way organizations keep a list of local volunteer activities and break it down by age. (at least the on in San Antonio does).

[UUMomof3]

My 9 year old has come up with something. I'll have to help her with research to see if it's feasible.

Yesterday at church we had an elderly member play banjo. The challenge is that he uses a walker, and while the rest of the building is accessible the stage area is not. It was very challenging to help him get up and down into the performance area.

My daughter said "that's not fair, we need a ramp so people with wheelchairs and walkers can perform, too". She wants to find a way to make it happen.