| |
       
The following
is a growing list of volunteer opportunities that offer an
individual or group maximum flexibility and creativity. Most
can
be done in any community, although in some instances local
agencies are already identified. Many of the activities can
be accomplished with your family at home or in the community,
on your own time, at your own convenience. There are other
activities that work best for groups or families that coordinate
with other families to make a difference.
With any
of these ideas, think about what agency you would like to
be involved with. In addition to considering local agencies,
think about communities other than your own. Volunteering
is a great way to help your kids make global connection. They
will learn first hand that the world extends far beyond their
own backyard, neighborhood and school. Go to both the Global
Connections
and Resources
pages for ideas of national and international organizations.
Have
an idea for a great "On Your Own" project? We'd
love to hear it!!! E-mail Kids
Connect to let us know about it!
Connect
with Others
Adopt
a grandparent - contact local retirement community or assisted
living facility to see if they have a volunteer program.
Make gifts to give, such as a calendar, sun-catcher, table centerpiece, bird feeder, bookmark, or decorative pot for a plant. Holiday Cards- Each one in the group pick a resident and send holiday cards; birthdays, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas, Easter, etc.
Senior Angels – Connects volunteers to seniors. Through once-a-week chatty letters, friendly cards, uplifting notes and an occasional small gift, your family can encourage and support an elderly person. (Gifts would be in the $2 to $5 range, such as a packet of bath salts, box of tea or bar of scented soap. The website has more ideas.) Senior Angels are a dedicated bunch who are committed to keeping up a weekly correspondence, which the senior naturally comes to rely on. http://www.seniorangels.org/
The Holiday Project – http://www.holiday-project.org/ - ideas, etc. for reaching out to elderly, including - adopt-A-Home Project was designed to support those who work with adolescents either in a school environment or group organization, encouraging them to begin to volunteer at an early age. By using the easy-to-follow check-list, a busy educator, group leader or even kids, can complete all the tasks of the project.
Adopt
a family for the holidays (or for anytime) - check with
local agencies serving low income and poor families to get
connected to a family in need. Often they will provide you
with the ages and wish list of family members. You can take
your kids with you as you shop to gather items for the family.
Visit
someone - If you know of a friend or neighbor who is sick
or home-bound, visit them. Make cards, cook a meal or bake
a treat. Find out what they need (even a run to the grocery
store) and take needed items.
Welcome
neighbors.
Send
care packages or letters to people overseas.
Host
or organize a party or decorate for the holidays at a hospital,
retirement community, or emergency shelter. It can be as
easy and simple as organizing a game day with the residents/patients.
Go carolling
in your neighborhood or at a retirement community or hospital.
Take small crafts with you for the kids to give out (like
a homemade bookmark or ornament).
Habitat
for Humanity International has developed several creative
programs geared towards involving youth ages 5-15 in its
mission and work. Habitat's work is worldwide and offers
a great vehicle for teaching your children about other cultures
and ways to impact the lives of people and kids living lives
very different from their own. Check out www.habitat.org
for more information, including a 55 pg Resource Guide full
of ideas for involving young people in volunteering.
Sponsor a family or individual living in rural poverty in America to become self-sufficient and overcome the cycle of poverty by offering them friendship, education, and material aid. As a sponsor, your family or group writes to your match family, gets to know them better, learns from them, mentors them, and provides friendship. About once a month, you send a box of food, clothing, supplies or other material aid. On average, sponsors allow about $50 per month for their match family. Some are able to do more, some less. Just let The Box Project know how large a family you can assist, and you will be matched accordingly. http://www.boxproject.org/
back
to top
Collect
Things/ Drop off Things/ Sort Things
Local
agencies often are in desparate need of various items to distribute
to clients. Many agencies will help you your efforts to publicize,
gather and move your booty to their offices.
Trick or Treat for UNICEF Collect money along with candy this Halloween. Just visit the website to find out how to get a free orange box or canister wrapper for collecting donations. Then ask for contributions while trick or treating or attending a Halloween party. Amazingly, a $1 donation lets UNICEF immunize a child against polio or measles for life. Make a difference in the lives of children around the world
Operation Iraqi Children - Provide new school supplies to Iraqi children School supply kits, including markers, pencils, pens, glue, calculators, socks, underwear, backpacks, and tissue are sent to Iraqi children. A group could organize a drive and then have an assembling/ packing event. http://www.operationiraqichildren.org/
Donate
toys through the Marine Reserve's Toys for Tots program.
New toys will be delivered to children in need for the
holidays. Shop with your kids for toys and go together
to one of many area locations to drop off the toys. Go
to www.toysfortots.org for more information and drop-off
locations.
Organize
a "Drive" among your friends, playgroup, carpool,
neighborhood or any other group or network you are a part
of - the drive can be for a huge variety of things- the
sky's the limit. Make it timely - baby items around Mother's
Day, warm coats or blankets in the winter, school supplies
at the beginning of school year, canned food around the
holidays etc. You can branch out from the traditional
drives - one idea would be to collect the party supplies
or treats for a local shelter to be able to have a Halloween
party for the kids. Consider different agencies to give
to - the local humane society, emergency shelters, children's
hospitals, international relief organizations or schools.
Involve your child in the organizing, collecting and delivering
of the items.
Have
a "giving" party - Ask friends to bring items
(toys, school supplies, food, etc) that will be given
to someone in need to a party that you have hosted. (or
to an activity that you already have planned, like a supper
club, bunco game, etc) . This can be a great alternative
birthday party idea.
Drop
off food in the collection boxes at the entrance of most
grocery stores. Explain to your child what you are doing.
Let them select the items that will go to the folks in
need.
Drop
off food at the pantry.
Check
with local food pantry, emergency shelter, relief agency
or thrift store benefitting low-income clients to see
if they need help sorting and organizing/ stacking donations.
Support
a rescue and relief effort being held in another community.
Find out what specific items are needed and take your
child with you as you shop and drop off items at local
agency hosting the relief effort. Talk with your kids
about the people in other communities and how it's important
to help them, even though we don't see or know them.
Support
a "drive" - Take your kid shopping and let them
pick out what you will be giving.
Box
Tops for Education program - Earn cash for your school
through this program sponsored by General Mills. Save
and collect the box tops from cereal boxes. Go to www.boxtops4education.com
to get more information.
Campbell
Soup Labels for Education - Earn cash and free stuff for
your school by collecting and saving soup labels. Go to
http://www.labelsforeducation.com for more information
on how to get involved.
Church
World Service asks volunteers to assemble baby, health
and school kits for distribution to needy children and
families overseas. It’s fun to buy and pack these small
items (soap, diapers, paper), which make such a big difference
in people’s lives. To find out what to include and how
to send it, visit www.churchworldservice.org/kit or call
1-888-297-2767.
Save
the Children’s Moneyboxes are designed to help create
and reinforce good financial and philanthropic practices.
The Moneybox is composed of three banks – one bank for
spending, one for saving, and one for sharing. The guidebook
will provide information and online resources to help
you teach your child the value of saving and sharing.
Go to www.savethechildren.org to order boxes for your
family or group.
back
to top
Make
Things
Make
blankets for children who need them - and tthe Binky Patrol
can help! The website has patterns for the blankets and
will find recipients (or you can donate them locally to
emergency shelters, etc.) A great project for your family,
small group, classroom. Go to The
Binky Patrol website for details about blanket making/donation
and ideas for other ways to help.
Save
the Children’s Moneyboxes are designed to help create
and reinforce good financial and philanthropic practices.
The Moneybox is composed of three banks – one bank for
spending, one for saving, and one for sharing. The guidebook
will provide information and online resources to help
you teach your child the value of saving and sharing.
Go to www.savethechildren.org to order boxes for your
family or group.
Color-a-smile - collects crayon drawings that are distributed these to Nursing Homes, Meals on Wheels Programs, and Individuals all across the country. Website has color-in sheets, instructions for drawings/ submitting drawings and thank you notes from recipients. http://www.colorasmile.org/
Make “No-sew Fleece Blankets” - Provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer "blanketeers." Project Linus - http://www.projectlinus.org/index.shtml
Create crafts for children in need. Even very young children can paint a tote bag, and older children and parents can make a teddy bear, sew a simple drawstring bag or knit a small backpack. The group Artists Helping Children will then fill your bags with art supplies and cuddly toys and donate them to sick children. For more information and simple patterns, visit website – Artists Helping Children - http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/
Make greeting cards to deliver to ill children who could use some cheering up. Your family can deliver your creations to a nearby hospital or find kids to send mail to via www.makeachildsmile.org or www.hugsandhope.org - two websites that provide photos and information about sick children who are hoping for some happy mail. Together, make and decorate a card for one of the children. Write things like, “Thinking of you,” “You’re special,” or “Hope you’re having a great day.” (Do not include “get well” sentiments because some of the kids will not get well.) Write to the child about what you enjoy doing. Send him/her photos or drawings. You also may wish to enclose something lightweight with your cards, such as stickers, coloring sheets, a postcard or a bookmark.
back
to top
Raise
Money
There
are so many ways to do this. First decide on what agency/
issue you want to raise funds for and how you want to do it.
As much as possible, involve your kids in making these decisions.
Many agencies will help with supplies, sponsorship forms,
ideas for fundraising. There are lots of ways to involve your
kids in many, if not all, aspects of what you are doing. And
it is key to talk with them about where the money is going
and who will benefit from their hard work.
- Lemonade
stands
- Bake
sales
- Yard
work - encourage your kid to donate all or a part of money
they earn through family chores or performing work for
neighbors to a non-profit of their choice.
- Yard
sales - in addition to what you make you can donate the
unsold items to a local charity
- Collect
pennies
back
to top
Protect
the Environment/ Beautify Your Community
Recycle.
It can be as simple as involving your kids in your family's
system for recycling. If you notice that your local community
center, pool, or other similar site are not recycling,
get involved to talk to the folks there about setting
up bins. Or, organize a drop off for a party or event
you are involved with. Then, donate the money from the
recycled cans to a local service agency.
Participate
in National Public Lands Day - Saturday, September 30,
2006 - 13th Annual National Public Lands Day is the nation’s
largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance
the public lands American’s enjoy. In 2005, nearly 90,000
volunteers built trails and bridges, planted trees and
plants, and removed trash and invasive plants. For more
info and to find events close to you - http://www.publiclandsday.org.
Participate
in NC Big Sweep - The 2006 North Carolina Big Sweep is
the the North Carolina component of the International
Coastal Cleanup--an event in which volunteers from all
100 counties in the State and approximately 90 countries
worldwide come together to clean up our watersheds. Educational
events are held throughout the year to prepare for the
series of cleanups held in the Fall .
http://www.ncbigsweep.org/
Find
your local Rails to Trails Group and inquire about helping
with efforts to maintain existing or create new trails.
They may have not considered allowing supervised kids
to participate. A great activity for a group.
www.railstotrails.org
Organize
a park clean up at your neighborhood park or greenway.
Or, contact your local Parks and Recreation Department
- many will have programs for volunteers as well as being
open to help. They may have a list of projects that are
"open" for groups to take on and some even will
help with funding the activity.
Open
your eyes to nature - go on hikes, pick up trash along
the way. Talk to your kids about why keeping natural areas
clean and protected is important.
Plant
trees where you live. The National Arbor Day Foundation
(www.arborday.org)
will provide 10 trees as well as lots of great educational
materials.
Learn
more about the Tree Muskateers - the nation’s first youth
environmental organization–a nonprofit charity where kids
are boss! While taking action to help the planet, kids
teach other kids to become active citizens and community
leaders. Neighborhood by neighborhood, kids can rescue
Earth! Lots of ideas and resources for activities that
you can do locally - including designing and planting
a tree grove! www.treemuskateers.org
Advocate
for Something You Care About
Attend
a rally or march and take your kids with you. Involve
your kids with any prep that you do - like making signs,
etc.
Help
a local organization working on a campaign that you care
about. InInvolve your kids by taking them with you to
events, helping out with mailings and other support work.
back
to top
Support
Sustainability Efforts and Fair Trade Product
Support
local recycling efforts - talk to your child about what
you are doing and why
Volunteer
at local recyling program (either area non-profit or local
college or university)- they are often in need of volunteers
for special events, especially collegiate events
Buy
Fair Trade products when shopping. Look for the Fair Trade
symbol when shopping. Coffee is one just item that has a
growing base of vendors for fair trade products.
Support
local stores that offer fair trade products/ goods.
Support
Fair Trade Sports - when you are shopping for sports balls
- shop at Fair Trade Sports. All of their balls are certified
to be stiched by adult workers paid fair wages and ensured
healthy working conditions. !00% of after tax profits go
to children's charities. www.fairtradesports.com
back
to top
Civic
Engagement
VOTE - and take your kid with you!
See
if your city or county has a Youth Council or Youth Board
and get involved. (typically for middle to high school aged
kids)
See
if your city or county participates in a Kids Vote program.
You can volunteer to help with the program and/or register
and vote.
Get
involved in a political campaign for a candidate or issue
(like a bond referendum) that you support. Involve your
kids by taking them with you to events, helping out with
mailings and other support work.
Get
more information regarding civic engagement and education
programs at the UNC School of Government's Civic Education
Consortium website -
http://www.sog.unc.edu/programs/civiced/index.html
back
to top
|
|
