There comes a time when you may want to get your family involved with volunteering and getting involved with their local community. It’s great to start teaching your children the benefits of giving back early on. If you are unsure on how to get started or what you can do to begin volunteering, there are a few ways to get your family involved:
Donate to a Food Bank
This can be done without leaving the house. Gather your kids down to the kitchen to find any spare food can you may have to donate to a local shelter, food bank or church. If you can’t find anything, take your kids on a special shopping trip. Kids love picking out food when out shopping and having them pick out their favorite nonperishable goods is a great activity to do together.
Help Local Seniors
Another way to get your children involved with volunteering is helping out their local seniors. There are a lot of ways you can do this. First would be to call your local senior center or nursing home, and see if they’re in need of any new volunteers. You can potentially help serve food for them, bring them cards, or simply just talking with them could brighten up their day. If it’s around the holidays, consider taking your family to sing them Christmas carols.
Baking and Cooking
This is a really fun and delicious way to volunteer together as a family. Gather your kids together for a morning filled with baking and cooking up tasty recipes. After you guys have made a batch of cookies or even a casserole, take it to a police station, fire station or hospital. Not only are you giving back to your local community, but also cooking as a family is a great way to spend quality time together.
Donate Toys
A great way to get your family involved in the community and declutter your home at the same time is to donate old toys. There are always toys kids stop playing with or forget about that a child in need would love. Together you can help them sort through their toys and find the ones they’d like to give away. The holidays are the perfect time of the year to donate their toys and give to families who are unable to afford to give their children presents.
Volunteer at a Shelter
This is a very popular way to volunteer around the holidays. There are a lot of ways for you and your family to volunteer at a shelter. You can gather food to donate, help serve the homeless food, and donating warm clothing. The best way know exactly what your local shelter needs is to call to see if they’re looking for any volunteers. Even if you hand out food or warm to the homeless that aren’t in a shelter can be a good idea.
There are many benefits of getting your family involved with volunteering. It can teach them about teamwork, empathy, and how to make an impact. It can help them understand and appreciate what they have.