Helping Hands
Turning your kids’ “what will I get” perspective into a “how can I give” call to action.
A family is part of a larger community and the holidays are the perfect time to open your children’s eyes to how we interact with and affect one another.
Without realizing it, we depend on our community to offer resources and solutions that are often supported by charities. And with the current state of the economy, non-profits are suffering drastic shortfalls not only financially, but also with volunteers. Now more than ever, it’s important to instill a sense of community in our children. So where do you start?
Get your child psyched to serve by asking these questions:
What does she love to do?
Gauge her personal interests. Does she love school, the outdoors, animals, sports, music, or doing service projects like those held by Girl Scouts or youth groups?
When is the best time for her to volunteer?
Does she have time during the week or is this better served each weekend? Or perhaps her interests are held for special events, like serving food on Thanksgiving morning?
Who does she wish to serve alongside?
With tweens or older, the answer will likely be friends rather than family. Plenty of options offer supervision that can also accommodate her “no parent” preference.
Once you have a better understanding of interests, time available and partners involved, enlist your kid’s help as you start researching opportunities and events right in your backyard. First, make a list of any well-known local organizations that welcome volunteers, such as your children’s schools, parks and recreation department clean-up and beautification days, or nursing homes. Then, get in touch with the volunteer coordinator to see how your child can best serve their organization.
Whether you volunteer together or not, don’t underestimate the power of leading by example. Seeing you out there making a difference can make all the difference in how your child feels about giving back.
Molly Gold is a family time management and home organization expert and the founder of GO MOM! Inc. Visit her website, gomominc.com for more information on her newest service, the GO MOM! Time Management Boot Camp series.
Warm fuzzies served family style.
TheVolunteerFamily.org
A great site founded by a Mom hoping to continue her passion as a volunteer and share it with her family. You’ll find group activities to accommodate any age, which can be the hardest part.
VolunteerSpot.com
Another fabulous mom-founded site, here you can actually coordinate your efforts. If you find yourself leading the pack, this site will quickly become your best friend, making it possible for sign-ups, creating schedules and sending reminders.
CharityGuide.org
Designed to promote environmental education for children, this site offers opportunities by area of interest and great suggestions for how to volunteer in 15 minutes, a few hours or on vacation.
CareCalendar.org
Know someone in the community who could use a little help? This site makes it more than easy to organize meals and other help for families in your community. Think new baby, time of illness or other life changing events and you get the picture. A great example for a family opportunity easily done from home, all ages welcome.
Molly Gold is a family time management and home organization expert and the founder of GO MOM! Inc. Visit her website, gomominc.com for more information on her newest service, the GO MOM! Time Management Boot Camp series.
