Help your kids make a difference in the community by getting them involved in charitable organizations.
It can be hard to know where to start. The best way to get a child interested in a volunteer project is to talk to them about what interests them. Use the Internet together to find a list of charity organizations near you that need help. Go to Idealist.org to browse through a list of organizations and projects that were started by children. Other volunteer web sites such as VolunteerMatch.com also provide lists of nearby organizations. As you go through the list with a child, stop to explain what each organization does and how they help people. Then ask the child if helping out in that way would interest them. If not, keep looking because there are plenty of options out there. Keep in mind that if the child is young, you or another adult will have to accompany them so try to find something you both like; your positive attitude toward the situation will make a big difference.
If nothing you come across online appeals to either one of you, don't throw in the towel on your search.
Food drive
Most cities have an area food bank that happily accepts canned food donations. Talk to them about what they need the most. Start by cleaning out your own cabinets, but don't stop there. Go around to neighbors' houses with the child and help him or her explain that the two of you are going door-to-door collecting food donations that will be turned in to your area food bank. Or ask a manager at a nearby grocery store if you can set up a collection station near the store's main entrance. Set a goal for the number of items you wish to collect before turning in the donations. When you meet or even exceed that goal the child will be amazed at the difference they were able to make.
Donate old clothing
Kids grow up fast and sometimes in the process they outgrow perfectly good clothes before they even get a chance to wear them out. Go around to each closet in the house and collect old clothes, coats and jackets, and shoes and turn them over to a church, shelter or orphanage in the community. Remind the child that each pair of shoes will keep some child's feet safe, and each coat will help save a life on a freezing winter day. That way they won't feel bad about loosing some of their favorite old clothes and they might even want to give up a few things that they are still able to wear.
Adopt a senior
Nursing homes and senior living facilities can be an intimidating place for young children. Some ill residents with failing metal health might act out or say things in a way that could scare a child. Contact the facility before showing up and explain that you and a child would like to volunteer a visit. Explain that the child is young and won't understand the illness of a patient with failing mental health and therefore you would like to be paired with a lonely senior who is able to relate to the child. Ask about bringing puzzles and games, baked goods or candy, or a craft project.
Remember that no matter what you choose to do, reminding the child of all the good they are doing for a person or a community will keep them motivated. If the child wants to take things a step further, help them to do so.
