Melenie Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 I would like to start doing something on a regular basis, possible with other homeschoolers. What do you do as a family or with other families? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 We used to visit a nursing home with a group. It was lots of fun. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momee Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 In our family we do a couple of things, depending on the needs brought before us. Our main ministry as a family is helping with meals at times of need. We have friends that work alot, so we drop dinner by for them at their work - unannounced is very fun! A great friend of mine works seasonally so during really busy times we pop over while she's gone (again, a great friend) and clean her fridge - she hates to do that - and have dinner ready. While I'm doing some of that the kids get to play together. We have a friend who lost his wife, so we have plans to show up in the early evening and make him laugh and eat with him (our food if he hasn't eaten, we'll leave it in the car and eat on the way home if he has so he won't feel put upon). While she was sick we went over to clean (the kids too) and cooked a meal in their kitchen, which made the house feel very homey. Now that she's gone, I will treasure that memory forever! I bake bread so that's just ripe with possiblities of bringing to anyone who needs a pick me up. We are surrounded by old folks and neighbors who keep to themselves. Nothing like bread to make a new friend. My girls LOVE to make cards so they're constantly making a card for those people that bless them. They've made them for strangers on the spot at times. You would not BELIEVE the response we get from people about that. It's spontaneously done by them too. Not bragging but I think it has to do with the joy they've seen from others when we do the other things above. They just want to share it. We are christians and model servanthood, well, at least we try to. I think this is the biggest COMMUNITY :) service we as moms can perform. If the kids learn that concept, their marriages will be stronger, their attitudes will be better, and I think it's sooo important to learn when they're young. Off my soapbox, sorry. Passionate subject :001_smile: for me. I can see the diff between absorbing the task of servanthood and others before self verses not acting in that way, especially in marriages. Good for you for seeking out opportunities. I felt compelled to post that because it's been the little things in the heat of my day that I couldn't have planned and sometimes didn't want to be bothered with that have impacted us the most. Look around, you'll find plenty. I can't believe the needs some days, it's overwhelming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeindeed Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 My children and I visit a local assisted living facility once a week and do a devotion and sing songs. My husband joins us if he's off work that day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VBCaroline Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 We lead BINGO once a month at a local senior center. The kids like to call the numbers and help those whose eyes and ears aren't what they used to be. We also work with an organization called Stop Hunger Now. We go to "food packaging event" at local churches and help to keep things moving. I love this because it's hands-on, the kids can and do help-it's for all ages, and we get to interact with lots of different people. Caroline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melenie Posted May 29, 2009 Author Share Posted May 29, 2009 In our family we do a couple of things, depending on the needs brought before us. Our main ministry as a family is helping with meals at times of need. We have friends that work alot, so we drop dinner by for them at their work - unannounced is very fun! A great friend of mine works seasonally so during really busy times we pop over while she's gone (again, a great friend) and clean her fridge - she hates to do that - and have dinner ready. While I'm doing some of that the kids get to play together. We have a friend who lost his wife, so we have plans to show up in the early evening and make him laugh and eat with him (our food if he hasn't eaten, we'll leave it in the car and eat on the way home if he has so he won't feel put upon). While she was sick we went over to clean (the kids too) and cooked a meal in their kitchen, which made the house feel very homey. Now that she's gone, I will treasure that memory forever! I bake bread so that's just ripe with possiblities of bringing to anyone who needs a pick me up. We are surrounded by old folks and neighbors who keep to themselves. Nothing like bread to make a new friend. My girls LOVE to make cards so they're constantly making a card for those people that bless them. They've made them for strangers on the spot at times. You would not BELIEVE the response we get from people about that. It's spontaneously done by them too. Not bragging but I think it has to do with the joy they've seen from others when we do the other things above. They just want to share it. We are christians and model servanthood, well, at least we try to. I think this is the biggest COMMUNITY :) service we as moms can perform. If the kids learn that concept, their marriages will be stronger, their attitudes will be better, and I think it's sooo important to learn when they're young. Off my soapbox, sorry. Passionate subject :001_smile: for me. I can see the diff between absorbing the task of servanthood and others before self verses not acting in that way, especially in marriages. Good for you for seeking out opportunities. I felt compelled to post that because it's been the little things in the heat of my day that I couldn't have planned and sometimes didn't want to be bothered with that have impacted us the most. Look around, you'll find plenty. I can't believe the needs some days, it's overwhelming! Thanks so much for this post!! This is exactly the reason that I want to do this with the kids. One of the things I am focusing on with the kids right now is to have a servants heart and serve where the need arises. Problem is we are immigrants and although we have been here since before the kids were born we have only now found a church and starting to plant ourselves in the community. Thanks again, your post was very encouraging! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SquirrellyMama Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 We do Meals on Wheels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LG Gone Wild Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 I would like to start doing something on a regular basis, possible with other homeschoolers. What do you do as a family or with other families? A lot of the community service we do is through the boy scouts. It's not exactly family but my dd tags along and I do have to drive my son to these things. So far it has been cleaning up parks, cemetaries, graffiti removal, and visiting senior centers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelle in MO Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 Great idea, Melenie! Here are some options: delivering library books to homebound meals for sick/new baby families mowing/mail/garbage/plant-watering for out-of-town friends babysitting for dr. appts./date nights/job interviews for friends sorting items at food bank warehouse volunteering at children's library programs visiting nursing homes to sing, talk, do crafts sorting items at thrift stores delivering leftover bread from Panera donations Lots to choose from! Chelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 We spend Memorial Day Weekend there, working Saturday and Sunday on gardening, small building projects, painting, and generally sprucing the place up for summer camp season. My DD is old enough to babysit on site there, and it's a real help to families who come with younger children. She does not charge for that; it is her volunteer service. As a family we collect gently used clothes and toys for a local ministry that gives them away for free to needy families. DD and I buy bags of food for homeless people if we walk by them on the street. I coordinate collection of new and newish baby clothes and blankets for the local community pregnancy center from two churches, and DD is aware of that. Last year she decided to start her own non-profit, "For a Good Cause," to make more gifts for homeless people. I was really impressed with her heart on this. She collected warm scarves and wrapped them in fancy paper and made personal cards, and we drove all over the place looking for homeless people to give them to. I liked how she wanted to make these gifts personal and beautiful and respectful. She also called up all her friends, boys as well as girls, and asked them to knit more scarves for this. Pretty courageous and good thinking! At Christmas time last year we got a grant from a local fraternal organization to buy food for the downtown ministry mentioned two paragraphs back. We involved another family, had a big joint shopping trip to Costco and Longs, and delivered the fresh food in plenty of time for the big Christmas giveaway. DD lights candles at our church to help with the worship service. I serve on two church committees, chairing one. DD sometimes babysits during these committee meetings. I'm kind of uncomfortable posting this, because I really think that most of this kind of thing should be private, otherwise it sounds like bragging, God forbid. If they still allowed anonymous postings here, that's what this would be. But I'm posting it in the hopes that it might give someone some good ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeindeed Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 I forgot to mention that we serve a meal on Thanksgiving day at a homeless shelter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 We attend a multicultural playgroup, as the token Aussies. A small thing, but I have a toddler and a baby so that's about as advanced as they can do :) I do some other things myself, but the playgroup is our family thing. Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 We box food and toiletry items at our local food bank for needy families. Everybody in our family kind of has their own things they do, but this is our family thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle in AL Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 MY dd has a huge heart for the homeless. We feed them regularly too. Do you have any gift ideas for the homeless in a warm climate that could be made or donated? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 This year, our co-op took on the service projects of our host church (they have a dwindling and aging congregation), so our family helped with a food drive for the local food pantry, and we collected toys, art supplies, items for "day bags" (hat, mittens, chapstick, tissues, snacks, etc.) and other miscellany for a new family shelter that was being hosted by a consortium of area congregations. We were honored to be able to share dinner with the guests one evening. This week, my eight year old will be helping me make some dolls for an effort spearheaded by one of the other co-op moms, to send dolls to an orphanage in Nicaragua. The moms are having a sewing party one evening, but I will be bringing additional dolls that my kids worked on. Over the summer, we all plan to get together and work on a mosaic piece for the local Hospice house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomOfOneFunOne Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 I would like to start doing something on a regular basis, possible with other homeschoolers. What do you do as a family or with other families? The only two things we do as a whole family all together is a thing we do on the Feast of St. Nicholas at a local home for women in crisis pregnancy and take food to the Catholic food bank. For St. Nicholas' feast, my daughter gets as many gold coins in her stocking as I can afford. She always donates every last one and we get socks and fill them with the gold dollars, chocolate coins, and other little things. We do one for each mom and child. My daughter doesnt' know it but I make an anonymous call ahead and warn them that we're coming. Then we sneak over there, run over to the corner, hide, make sure no one is coming, run onto the porch and place the filled socks, KNOCK LOUDLY, and then run around the corner and hide. Someone comes out, looks all around, runs in to get the mommies, they all come out and make over the socks and money as if it's a great deal, look around, pretend not to see us peering around the corner, and go back in scratchng their heads. We wait till they go in and then dash to the car which Dad has a few houses down, running but with all the lights off. This is riotously fun for us and so helpful to the new mommies. We just love doing it. My daughter and I are also on the planning committee for the 40 Days for Life and we are actively involved wth that and the local pro-life group. There are other families involved but we dont' specifically do it with another family. Last year we were very involved with 40 Days but this is our first time to be involved with the planning committee. My daughter really has a heart for the babies and loves planning. She's hoping to get more kid-centered activities going with 40 Days. http://www.40daysforlife.com/splash.cfm The only thing we do with another family is Blue Thumb. We got into it b/c our friend lost her team mate and asked us to fill in till they got her another one. My daughter wanted to do it b/c it is really interesting to her and she likes taking care of the environment and I also love to do it and like for her to be in on such a cool science heavy service project. So, we got signed up and became her official partner. My friend, her two daughters, my daughter and I go to the creek for the observations and sample collection (and play) and then we go back to her or our house for the lab work. My daughter loves the lab as well as the on site stuff. Her girls arent' really ready for that. http://www.ok.gov/conservation/Agency_Divisions/Water_Quality_Division/Blue_Thumb/ We also cook for the funeral committee at out church and help with several other ministries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peek a Boo Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 I think momee's post about servanthood is spot on!! Meals on Wheels is something easy to do as a family --even the little guys like ringing doorbells and carrying food in, and the clients love it. we have volunteered to help sort clothes at a local thrift store, make meals for various families, 4-H and Scout events where family is encouraged to help out, library stuff, and our Crime Watch community. there's other stuff that i consider more citizenship than general community service: door to door flyers for community and political events, voter registration drives, and helping on local political campaigns. I've found it pretty easy to include even the youngest [now 3yo] in most of those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momee Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 I just wanted to say thanks. Sometimes putting yourself out there on the boards is a jump. I was afraid I'd get some flack so I'm so happy it was helpful. I have been thinking about the idea of community service all night and this morning. The cool thing about the way we've been doing this is that 1) it requires nothing preplanned - whatever we can do, we do committing to something with little ones is just a poke in the eye to me, they get sick, you get sick and tired ;) etc 2) it's everywhere - church member or not so think of four neighbors, which of them seems, from your limited outsider perspective lonely are you making dessert for your family? make some extra are you gardening, pick a flower kids drawing or painting, paint them a picture see what I mean - just open up whatever you're involved in to those around you Last night my youngest piano lesson taker far exceeded her practice requirements and we needed something to do that didn't involve video entertainment:tongue_smilie: so I invited her teacher and her husband and a lonely set of elderly neighbors for an ice cream party. We played sherades and had ice cream. EASY. They were surprised and blessed. My kids thanked me for the "party". Whod'a thunk it? Now, it did require me having the house cleaned but I've been working on that one anyway so it was good for me to see the blessing of doing my job :) I need a "paycheck" once in a while, that was it for this week. HTH, not bragging at all, just hoping you see how EASY it is and as christians, we''re commanded to practice hospitality:001_huh: - not necessarily to those who can repay the favor with inviting us back to their house - convicting for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 We were in a homeschool Roots and Shoots group, but that seems to have fallen apart. We do a lot of litter patrolling in parks and our neighborhood. My kids are always amazed by what people toss on the ground. We donate to our local food bank and animal shelter, mostly on a monthly basis. We'd like to volunteer at the shelter, but my kids are too young, according to insurance regulations. And, most years, we do an autism walk. I sit on my community's arbitration committee, but that doesn't involve the kids (Thank goodness- people are nuts!) I grew up doing tons of community service through Girl Scouts. Dh volunteered on his local ambulance squad and various activities through his Christian school. We both feel like our kids do so much less than we did, but we're working on it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandellie4 Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Our family volunteers for an animal rescue sanctuary and we volunteer with a couple of other families for Special Olympics. Both have been excellent experiences that has helped teach our children responsibility and commitment to something outside of their own universe. Sandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 MY dd has a huge heart for the homeless. We feed them regularly too. Do you have any gift ideas for the homeless in a warm climate that could be made or donated? I think that sun hats or visors or sunglasses would be really helpful but I don't know of any reasonable way to make them yourself. Normally when we see homeless people when we are walking, we go and buy them something to eat and then bring it back to them. Sometimes it's fast food, especially if it's kind of cold out and we think that warm food would be good. Sometimes is a bag of non-perishable but well balanced groceries, like bananas, cheese spread in a can, crackers to eat it on, and some kind of fruity beverage, like Odwalla. The scarves were DD's idea, and I thought that it was really nice of her to come up with that and be so determined about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle in AL Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Thanks Carol, you've given me some good ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Food is good with small children, also visiting nursing homes or home-bound elderly neighbors who love children. When children are a little older, a lot more options open up. Or, you can combine your efforts with other families and do something with older children with teens and moms watching little children. We've found tutoring friend's children and classes of inner city children very worthwhile, it's amazing to watch the change in their self-confidence as they learn to read. There should be no shortage of children in any state, unfortunately. This year my daughter was old enough to help me pass out pencils and papers in class: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76393 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca in GA Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Toys for Tots (donating, collecting, packing orders at Christmas) Disaster relief (donating, collecting, sorting, packing trucks) Game days at housing authority's elderly/disabled complex Nursing home visits Sponsoring a child through Compassion International Directly supporting children in Nicaragua through our church missions teams Meeting individual needs in our community. We have given away a car to a large family with one vehicle; given grocery and Target gift cards to a single mom whose teenage daughter has two tiny children; given monthly to a fund at my husband's work which supports employees in crisis (house fires, deaths, illnesses, etc.); given cash and an encouraging note toward a mission trip for an at-risk teen; donated items to a backpack program that feeds hungry schoolchildren on the weekends when no school meals are available, etc. Sometimes we're even more on-the-spot, buying lunch for a police officer or the guy who helps us unload our Goodwill donations, or passing along a couple of packets of dog food to a neighbor who adopted a puppy. We encourage the kiddos to offer help at the market by returning buggies, reaching or stooping to get items for older folks or helping someone find an item. We've found that as long as our hearts are open, the possibilities always present themselves. Bless you for caring! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekanamom Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Our 4-H club gives us great community service opportunities. Everything from food, clothing and book donations, to game day at the senior center, to cleaning up parks, creeks and trails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skaterbabs Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 I do a LOT of volunteer work, but the kids so far are really still too young to help; at the moment the "family" contribution is usually paying whatever expenses mom incurs and getting along without her for a while. lol I volunteer whenever possible with www.comfortzonecamp.org, a bereavement camp for children who have lot a parent, sibling or primary caregiver. I also volunteer my time as a CPST; seatchecks & consultations are free, and all my expenses come out of our pocket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katemary63 Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 We participate in three organizations that give us many community service opportunites. 1. 4-H Adopt-a-highway volunteer at community activities and festivals organize community petting zoos St. Jude trail ride Bring pet rabbits to nursing home Many others 2. Church Bottles For Babies (Choices Pregnancy Center) Volunteer at local soup kitchen 3. Homeschool co-op Visit Nursing Home Other Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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