Service project ideas?

[ScoutTN]

I need some help brainstorming ideas for a group of about 25 girls, ages 6-16. (An AHG troop)

I have found that many local organizations have age restrictions which do not allow volunteers under 18 or which do not have work that younger kids can actually do. We can break our group up by ages or just to make smaller groups, but would rather not unless there is no other way.

 

We have recently visited a food pantry with a donation and helped to sort food and helped with childcare for an ESL/food distribution program.

 

Any ideas, O Hive?

 

[AK_Mom4]

Park cleanup? You can coordinate it here through the park service and there are no age restrictions.

[Bambam]

You can visit nursing homes. We go every summer with a multiple-aged group and sing Patriotic songs. We pass out lyric sheets so the residents can sing with us. You could also set up a game day/night and have the kids play games with the residents.

 

Check for local veterans homes. See about making cards, or lap blankets in the fall/winter (fleece is usually very inexpensive at the end of summer).

 

I saw a video on FB about making weighted stuffed animals (using the no-stuffing dog toy ones and rocks). All ages could make these and donate maybe to someplace that could use them.

 

Check with your local resource that has supplies for foster placements. Sometimes they could use help organizing, stuffing bags.

 

I second park cleanup. Our group actually has the road to the park that we pick up trash and then we finish with playing at the park together. The parks are usually pretty clean around here.

 

If any of your kids sew, you can make some cute easy pillowcases. Usually children's hospitals will take these. There are also super easy dress patterns for girls in Africa. Or making cool-neck wraps for soldiers in hot climates.

 

If anyone has a relative in the service stationed non-US, gather and send a care package.

 

Meet and bake treats for your local Fire and police department. Often when you deliver, they will offer you a tour first. Call to make sure they accept homemade goodies first.

 

 

 

 

[raptor_dad]

I need some help brainstorming ideas for a group of about 25 girls, ages 6-16. (An AHG troop)

I have found that many local organizations have age restrictions which do not allow volunteers under 18 or which do not have work that younger kids can actually do. We can break our group up by ages or just to make smaller groups, but would rather not unless there is no other way.

 

 

Regardless of age restrictions, 25 kids just seems ungainly. Even if it was something simple like an Earth Day cleanup or park cleanup, groups of ~8 would seem to work better. You could do that at the same park.

 

I think it is asking a lot to have expect organizations to handle both large groups and a huge age range.

[Amira]

If you live in an area with a refugee resettlement agency, you could combine a service project with an educational effort about refugees. Contact a local agency to find out what type of donations they need that can easily be purchased new at a store (toiletries, baby supplies, kitchen supplies, etc) and then set up a table outside a convenient store and ask people to buy items from your list while they're shopping and have them drop off the donations on their way out of the store. It's easy for people to donate that way and you get higher-quality donations. Have small slips of paper ready to hand out.

 

For the educational part, you could have information about the refugee entry process so donors can understand it better, or you could have part of the service hours spent teaching the girls about the refugee crisis in an age-appropriate way (I have a number of resources for doing this if you are interested). I think that understanding and advocating is an important part of service.

Edited June 30, 2016 by Amira

[ScoutTN]

Regardless of age restrictions, 25 kids just seems ungainly. Even if it was something simple like an Earth Day cleanup or park cleanup, groups of ~8 would seem to work better. You could do that at the same park.

 

I think it is asking a lot to have expect organizations to handle both large groups and a huge age range.

 

Well, our group size is what it is and for our National Day of Service, the idea is for the troop to serve as a whole. Our girls already do a great deal of community service individually, with their families, their churches and with their units. 

 

At a particular event or location, we often break into smaller groups. That is not an issue. 

 

The logistics of getting to more than one location on the same day are unworkable for our troop families and leadership.

Edited June 30, 2016 by ScoutTN

[ScoutTN]

Checking into the refugee assistance idea. Thanks, Amira! We do indeed live in an area with many refugees and immigrants. I know two or three people who work with specific populations within the refugee community and also one with World Relief. 

 

Park clean-up or litter pick-up was my first idea. Have emails in to 2 counties for more info. That looks promising!

 

We already sew a good bit for Operation Christmas Child boxes in November. We've been to the VA hospital and to an assisted living center relatively recently.

 

We have many girls whose families are on super tight budgets, so we cannot do anything which requires purchasing things for donation. But we can certainly do donation barrels outside of strategic locations. 

 

 

 

 

[aaplank]

The Ronald McDonald House for our children's hospital allow groups with kids to come and make a meal for the families, or make snack bags, and various other projects to help families of kids with serious medical issues.

[mamiof5]

Feed my starving children?

[nd293]

Helping man a table at a fun run is something dd's girl guide group did. Little ones would have to be supervised but could still help.

[Laurel-in-CA]

We've used donated fleece to make tied blankets for Project Linus. Or you could crochet granny squares @ home and then combine them to make blankets or mufflers and hats for the homeless or for foster kids.

 

During camping we've done cleanup for the facility where the event was held. Go on a hike and pick up trash @ a regional park. Ask about maintaining flowers or planters at your charter organization, do bulletin boards for them, etc.

 

We christmas carol yearly (or you could do patriotic songs) for an assisted living facility and the girls make cards ahead of time to give to residents as a way to get them interacting.

 

If people in your area have backyard gardens or fruit trees, you could leave flyers offering to pick produce and deliver to local food ministries; you might offer to do this while they're on vacation as well?????

[EndOfOrdinary]

We have had great success with larger groups. For us, we create action teams of smaller numbers. So for a park clean up you would have an action team in charge of tools (what do you need, where can you get it, are they sized appropriately, how can you get it to the event, how can you get them returned to the correct people), an action team in charge of food and water (how much will we need, is it healthy, how much trash is created, are there special dietary needs, refidgeration), ect.

 

This gives all different people a chance to lead and really be a part. Strengths can be leveraged and weaknesses built up because there is so much going on.

 

Our greatest success in finding projects for younger kids is to do a google search of non-profits in your area and ask kids where their interests lie. You can then contact the non profit about ways you can help. In this way, you can create more than just a "one-off" and really build a relationship.

[LucyStoner]

Organize a surviving the streets event where homeless people can come and pick up new or like new outerwear, socks, tents, sleeping bags etc. Contact a homelessness service organization about hosting and getting the word out to their clients and then the troop can collect items all together. Perhaps assign different items to different age levels. Besides getting donations from individuals, contact outdoor stores to see if they can donate their returned items. I got a ton of raincoats and warm layers from Patagonia that way. If people give cash, negotiate a good price for tents via a sporting goods store.

[DawnM]

Our AHG group is attached to a boy scout troop so they tag along for service projects with them.

 

But they also:

 

Play Bingo or craft night with a retirement home

Do a stream clean up/park clean up

Bake cookies for inmates (there is a group that delivers them, they just make them)

Flag raising at some war memorial every year

 

I know they do more but I haven't finished my first cup of coffee yet, I will come back when I think of some more.

[regentrude]

Stream cleanup. Either participate in larger event or Adopt a stream.