Getting little children involved in community/volunteering?

[GoodnightMoogle]

“The finest of all the fine arts is the art of doing good and yet it is the least cultivated.”

I read the above quote today and it reminded me of something important that I want to make part of my homeschool, or maybe even our family lifestyle: being involved in our community. Covid, politics, all of it in the past few years, I think, especially taught me the importance of caring for one’s community. It’s something I want to make a part of my son’s life very early, and part of my own too.

I can think of a lot of ideas for older children, but what are some things I can do in the younger years (like 4/5/6)? Picking up trash in parks comes to mind,  but I was hoping to do more. Have you all done any community or goodwill type of work with your children?

[73349]

My food bank has an occasional Kids' Day in which kids 5+ can help sort produce or fill boxes with a parent.

If you have any Little Free Pantries near you, your family can bring food any time.

If you do a long-term family-to-family sponsorship like The Box Project, kids can definitely get involved in that, sending drawings/notes and helping choose what to send when shopping online. (We're matched with a family with one kid a year older than DS and one a year younger.)

Edited January 27, 2022 by 73349

[73349]

Also, people any age can help plan and carry out a Giving Week. Ideas here. We do one every summer and it's my favorite thing.

[GoodnightMoogle]

Love the Giving Week plans. Thank you!

2 hours ago, 73349 said:

Also, people any age can help plan and carry out a Giving Week. Ideas here. We do one every summer and it's my favorite thing.

 

[ScoutTN]

Food pantry, yes.

Trash pick up, yes. We have also done invasive weed-pulling at a local park. 

Cards to Veterans in a VA hospital (if you have one near you), thanking them for their service. We have also delivered food, homemade cards, and words of appreciation to fire fighters, EMTs, police, and oh so important now, ER staff. 

Cards or meals to people in need: moms with new babies, senior adults, anyone who is ill.

Room in the Inn is a national program and may be happening at a church near you. 

Anyone in your neighborhood with needs? Senior adult living facility nearby?  

We have participated in walk-run fundraiser events for local non profits (literacy program, special needs swim team, counseling center).

My daughter’s scouting organization has made cookies at holidays for inmates at a nearby prison (delivered by a contact who volunteers there). 
 

My kids also help make small bags of food and supplies that we keep in the car to give to homeless people who are asking for food or money. (Quart size ziplocs with a relatively healthy snack, packet of wipes, candy or mints, small giftcard to an inexpensive restaurant etc.) We keep these and water bottles in our car. 

 

[Carol in Cal.]

Fraternal Benefit Societies often have family projects that can involve minor children.  So do the Jane Goodall groups.  

Generally food banks and other big organizations can’t allow children under 14 to volunteer directly, but they can still often make up packages for the clients separately.  One year we did that with gently used toys.

[J-rap]

Our local nursing home often needed volunteers for special events.  So I could go and volunteer, and my children could come along and help pass out napkins or whatever.  They could also come with me if I shoveled a neighbor's sidewalk...  They'd bring a mini shovel and do their best to help.  We made valentines for elderly people, or to deliver to the nursing home.  One year we made cards for soldiers.

Even just accompanying me to visit an elderly relative in a nursing home was a teaching experience.  They'd bring flowers or pictures they colored, etc.  

On May Day, we'd visit elderly people from our church and bring them small bouquets of flowers.  My kids loved that one, especially when they got to ring the doorbell and run!

ETA:  Just remembered another one.  I used to help organize a community walk every year.  It was walking to earn money to buy food for the local food bank, or to donate to families in need.  Our whole family would walk in it then.  (People would sponsor you with a certain number of dollars (or cents) per mile.)   If the kids were very little, they could ride a bike or even ride in a stroller to keep up.  They were still part of the experience of giving to the community and those in need.

Edited January 27, 2022 by J-rap

[Lucy the Valiant]

Kids (even younger ones) can collect books for an African Library Project. 

[HomeAgain]

Young children are often welcome tag-alongs for Meals On Wheels, though I'm not sure about now in covid days.  Before that, though, we would sub for a friend occasionally and the folks were always happy to see my kid and have conversations.  The friend we subbed for always brought her kids along as well.

[ScoutTN]

3 hours ago, Carol in Cal. said:

Fraternal Benefit Societies often have family projects that can involve minor children.  So do the Jane Goodall groups.  

Generally food banks and other big organizations can’t allow children under 14 to volunteer directly, but they can still often make up packages for the clients separately.  One year we did that with gently used toys.

Ime, small, local food pantries do let younger kids help. All the small, faith-based food pantries here do. 

[Carol in Cal.]

3 hours ago, Lucy the Valiant said:

Kids (even younger ones) can collect books for an African Library Project. 

This was founded by a local homeschooling family I know.  

[Lucy the Valiant]

Just now, Carol in Cal. said:

This was founded by a local homeschooling family I know.  

Wow! That is so cool! Our family has done 3 libraries so far. 

[Frances]

My son and I started delivering Meals on Wheels once per week when he was about six or seven. We often took along a preschooler I watched for a friend. He loved the coffee time gathering with the other, mainly retired, volunteers where we picked up our meals and we got to know several of the the regular customers. He would make cards for them for special occasions and at least one woman always had a small piece of candy for him.

[mathmarm]

As a family, we pick up litter. We're not a part of any groups, we just keep work gloves and heavy duty trash bags in the car.
We make the habit of taking grocery store bags with us to the park or on walks and when we see trash, we pick it up.