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Need ideas for service projects/volunteering


FairClaire
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My kiddos are still young (early elementary on down) but dh and I want to find more opportunities to volunteer or do things to help those in our community.  What kind of service projects or volunteering have your children done?  Do you have any ideas for younger kids?  I need either something that I can do on the evenings/weekends with the older kids or something I can make/prepare at home and then deliver.  I think our family would have a hard time committing to something we had to do weekly, but if it was monthly or periodically we might be able to make it work.

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I tried to find community volunteer situations where I could take my kids, and I found that many places didn't want young children on their premises to volunteer. Salvation army did let us come in and restock/organize their food pantry. We put together some baskets for the waiting room at the hospital that included packaged snacks, gum, small puzzle books and devotionals, etc. I did have to get permission from the hospital.

 

If you want something to do at home and deliver, I would check with local nursing homes and assisted living centers. Cards/drawings by the kids would brighten the day of many people in those situations. You could try to make meals for the sick or elderly as well.   

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The animal shelters around here won't let you volunteer unless you're 13 with an adult present...and the big one wants you to be 16 before you can even *think* about touching an animal. :-(

 

My kids are 12 and 10, and they're currently volunteering twice a month for 3 hours in the morning for MOPS, Mothers Of PreschoolerS. They essentially work with the adults to help wrangle all the toddlers. My daughter gets assigned to the play room a lot and my son get assigned to push "The Scream Machine," AKA the six-seat stroller. 

 

My son is doing it to get hours for his Boy Scouts volunteering requirement. My daughter thought the kids would all be sweet and adorable...I think this experience is seriously making her re-think the prospect of being a parent! LOL! (Hey, if it keeps her from getting pregnant as a teenager, I'm good with this!) 

 

The only other things we've been able to do is donate canned goods or collect them through scouts (Cub Scouts has Scouting for Food, and Girl Scouts has April Showers, which collects toiletries and diapers for women's shelters). We were once able to stock food pantry shelves. 

 

Other than that, there doesn't seem to be a lot of volunteer opportunity for the younger kids. 

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  • 10 months later...

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