3Blessings Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Does anyone do "service events" with their dc? I'm talking about visiting nursing homes, helping in the community, etc. I don't mean talking about such events or praying for those that do missions . . . I am thinking more like going out into the community and committing to doing something service oriented once a week/once a month. Does anyone do this? If so, what do you do? And how often do you do it? I've been living in a place where my family could serve others all the time due the amount of true need and it has been a beautiful thing for all of us. We are headed back to the U.S. and I need some help thinking this through. What can we do that would be meaningful and not just a one-off experience? Thanks for any suggestions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 (edited) . Edited September 6, 2023 by SilverMoon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 We've done a variety of things. For several years we visited an elderly lady weekly and helped around her apartment. We've done caroling at nursing homes at Christmas and also making/delivering valentines cards. We've planted produce for a local food co-op and helped sort food. Raked leaves for a neighbor, or baked cookies to take to neighbors or a pastor or others. Caring for someone's house and yard while they are gone. Shoveling a walk for someone who couldn't do it. There are all kinds of needs and opportunities once you start looking. Pray about it, God will bring needs your way :). Merry :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TengoFive Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 My kids do quite a bit through 4-H, especially my oldest with Junior Leaders. I really like that club. The kids run it, decide what community services to do, arrange, and organize them. I don't control it at all, just chauffeur her to where she needs to be. It's one of the reasons she loves 4H, being able to help others. The younger ones do some community service with our regular 4H club, but not nearly as much as the oldest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cindergretta Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Our dc do a lot of community service type things through Scouts (Girl, Boy, Cub) and our church. Our most regular is volunteering at the food bank. Sometimes while it is "closed" stocking shelves and sometimes while it is "open" helping clients "shop." :001_smile: Oh, and dd15's violin teacher arranges little holiday concerts at retirement homes and assisted living facilities every December. Our whole family goes and the littles all play "rhythm" instruments while the olders and I play our instruments. It is very casual and interactive. We enjoy that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly1730 Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 We try to do a christian (or community) service once a month with our kids' club that meets on Wednesday nights. Last night we planted two flats of flowers around the church. We have also done food bank drives, visited our senior saints in nursing homes and last summer on a very HOT evening we passed free water bottles around at the local parks and ball fields. My boys and I helped out at an organization that makes "goodie bags" for children in hospitals last fall. I hope to that again and do plan a monthly "service" for our family beyond what we do at church. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Does anyone do "service events" with their dc? I'm talking about visiting nursing homes, helping in the community, etc. I don't mean talking about such events or praying for those that do missions . . . I am thinking more like going out into the community and committing to doing something service oriented once a week/once a month. Does anyone do this? If so, what do you do? And how often do you do it? I've been living in a place where my family could serve others all the time due the amount of true need and it has been a beautiful thing for all of us. We are headed back to the U.S. and I need some help thinking this through. What can we do that would be meaningful and not just a one-off experience? Thanks for any suggestions! Yes, I have in the past. Our church has a food pantry in the inner city (well, it actually has all kinds of things they provide at that location) but the girls and I committed to working once a week for a month, two summers in a row in the pantry. Because my children were so young, we worked before they opened, stocking the shelves. We would drive a cart to the supply closet and fill it up. Then we would drive it to the shelves that were low and stock them up. This was easy work for the girls because they could match boxes of mac and cheese to the mac and cheese shelf and fill it up, etc. Last summer I didn't have a car to do it as dh's was on the fritz, and this year we have too many plans to commit like that, but we do one day mission trips with church and scouts several times a year to do the same type of work now. That is just all we are able to do for now. I would like to get back to committing to being there again in the future at some point. We now have a woman in a nursing home that has no family to speak of that goes to our church. We drive her back and forth to church and visit her and take her shopping on her way home on a regular basis. This was not something that we went looking for. The opportunity just kind of came to us when the woman called the church asking for a ride a couple of years ago and we were available that day and made a connection with her. Sometimes I worry that we are not doing enough for her, but we are doing what we can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staceyshoe Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 I've been wanting to do more of this, so I'm very interested in reading this thread. Our children are learning the songs that our church's worship ministry group sings. After they learn them, we will join a group to sing at a nursing home and then visit with the residents. We also live near Matthew 25 Ministries, so we plan to volunteer there as a family. One thing I would like to do in the future is serve meals and visit with people at the Ronald McDonald House, which is adjacent to the Children's Hospital and provides housing for out of town families when their children are receiving medical care. I'm waiting until my youngest is a bit older because I've volunteered there before, and I know he needs more maturity to handle the situations he will see there. In the meantime, we are going to start doing a monthly act of kindness that is easier to fit in our schedule. We'll bake cookies for the fire department, send care packages to soldiers overseas, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmoe Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 We feed the homeless once a month. And we have a lady without any family that we visit. That started out as a service opportunity but now it is like she is a part of our family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByGrace3 Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 So excited to see this thread. As a family we are really big into serving, but have just recently decided we are going to start being more strategic and more intentional about it. Starting in June we will be starting 52.4.Him -- (We are Christians so the theme is 52 weeks, 52 acts of service for God's glory). Our goal will be to do one act of service a week, it can be as simple as bring clothes or food to the clothes closet for food pantry, taking cards to the nursing home or an shut in. But at least once a month we will get out of our house we will join up with others from our church and serve as families together. I am compiling a list of ideas . . . 52 weeks is a long time! ;) and would LOVE LOVE LOVE ideas!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Blessings Posted June 1, 2012 Author Share Posted June 1, 2012 So excited to see this thread. As a family we are really big into serving, but have just recently decided we are going to start being more strategic and more intentional about it. Starting in June we will be starting 52.4.Him -- (We are Christians so the theme is 52 weeks, 52 acts of service for God's glory). Our goal will be to do one act of service a week, it can be as simple as bring clothes or food to the clothes closet for food pantry, taking cards to the nursing home or an shut in. But at least once a month we will get out of our house we will join up with others from our church and serve as families together. I am compiling a list of ideas . . . 52 weeks is a long time! ;) and would LOVE LOVE LOVE ideas!!! I'd like to see the list when you are done! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByGrace3 Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 I'd like to see the list when you are done! :) I will update here when I have it done. I have been working on some suggestions and hope to have it up next week. I blogged about the concept today (link in my siggie) :) I am hoping to get the list together and then blog the process, how to contact ministries and organizations, things to ask, things to watch for etc. we are excited about the endeavor! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 Tutoring. Mainly phonics, but some math as well. My main focus is groups of inner city kids, but I also tutor any neighbors who need help. I have detailed instructions about how to teach a group of students on my how to tutor page. Also, in a few weeks our nonprofit will have DVDs available that people could use to teach groups to read, just pop in the movies and pop some popcorn. (They are the same lessons that we have online, just in DVD form.) The DVDs could be followed with more individualized help for those that still need help after watching the movies. For now, my kids mainly help set up and pass out materials and help show how to play the phonics games, but my daughter is getting old enough to teach younger students. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 We do not do things weekly but do visit nursing homes where the kids talk to the residents and play music for them. We also have adopted a bit of road along a pond which we keep clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallory Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 (edited) We do lots of volunteering. Between 10-30 hours most week of my time, the children probably more like 4-8 (although they are usually with me). Our scout troop is somewhat active (but I am a Tiger leader and Scout Chair, so that ups my volunteer time). I also help coach thier soccer teams (which can really be all year if we want). We also help at a food pantry/pregnancy center- the big boys usually carry boxes out to peoples cars, I usually work in the pregnancy center (the little ones sometimes help bag up diapers or help with messages or errands within the building). The same place has a not for profit skating rink we often end up at Friday nights (I work, the kids play). It also runs a free after school program 3 days a week (we usually do one day a week), and summer program 3 days a week (we usually do 3 mornings). The summer program is also our communities summer feeding program location so anyone under 19 can come eat free breakfast and lunch all summer. I am afraid I am going to end up being the cook this summer- not my favorite job..... Finally I run a breastfeeding support group and am trying to start a postpartum support business (that will probably be mostly free). I also have dreams of finishing an apartment in our detached garage and being able to offer a free home to a young mother. We do the food pantry/pregnancy center every Tue and Thur morning. In fact we really just school 3 days a week (with sci and Hist T/Th afternoons). I know this wouldn't work for most familes, but for now this works for us. I feel very blessed to know the owners of the not for profit skating rink/food pantry/pregnancy center/almost finished aquaponics greenhouse. They are amazing people (she is a free midwife, delivered my 4th!). Edited June 1, 2012 by Mallory Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 Blessing Bags Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Blessings Posted June 1, 2012 Author Share Posted June 1, 2012 I will update here when I have it done. I have been working on some suggestions and hope to have it up next week. I blogged about the concept today (link in my siggie) :) I am hoping to get the list together and then blog the process, how to contact ministries and organizations, things to ask, things to watch for etc. we are excited about the endeavor! Thanks! And I loved the Blessing Bags idea. It would have worked here, too. So many great ideas- thanks ladies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByGrace3 Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 Blessing Bags Love this idea! THANKS!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephg Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 I recently saw this book mentioned somewhere. Kids Guide to Service Projects Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heritagelearningacademy Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 (edited) I have always had a passion for volunteering and when I started homeschooling, I had visions of all sort of volunteering with the kids in addition to school. My reality is that school and life has limited some of our opportunities. Now that we are in year 3 of homeschooling and I have a better handle on things, I hope to increase. What I did this past year is schedule a project in as a part of our schooling....one in the fall, one in the spring. We made cards for soldiers and wrote letters. We baked cookies and took to the fire station/police station. We baked cookies and took to the homeless shelter. In addition to this as a part of our homeschooling, we are involved in church volunteering too. Edited June 1, 2012 by heritagelearningacademy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByGrace3 Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 I started blogging about our plans for this year to be intentional about serving. We are calling it 52.4.Him (52 weeks of serving 1X a week). Just wanted to link the posts if anyone was interested. I have added some ideas from here and am super excited for more ideas so keep them coming! 52.4.Him 52.4.Him Part One: Pre-Planning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loudwater School Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 My children help prepare meals at Food Not Bombs to serve to the community in general or for specific activist events. We've also built and donated garden things for individuals at need, and worked in the kitchens for a dinner to benefit for an inner city teen gardening/vacant lot repurposing program. I don't plan one per semester or anything like that. I just try to jump on opportunities when I find them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFJ in IL Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 My kids are 7 & 5 so we haven't done much besides collect food for the local food pantry. Next year will be our first year of homeschooling, though, and we are planning on helping at our local animal shelters on a weekly basis. I also love the idea of making cards for nearby nursing home residents. Great thread, love the wonderful ideas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 Animal shelters. That's one my Cubbies are working on this summer. They're going to collect old, worn-out blankets from churches and neighborhoods for the local animal shelters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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