Posts Tagged ‘Family Volunteer Day’

40 Ideas for Family Volunteer Day

Friday, November 18th, 2011

Are you still looking for ideas for volunteer opportunities that you and your family can share tomorrow for family volunteer day?  Why not try one of these?

  1. Organize a one-day adoption fair with your local animal shelter at a convenient in-town location.Volunteer at an animal shelter!
  2. Collect pet food, rags, newspapers, pet toys, washable plastic pet carriers, paper towels, old towels and blankets for your local shelter.
  3. Collect money for the training of Seeing Eye dogs and shelter dogs.  Make an educational flyer to give to donors about these special animals.
  4. Make homemade dog biscuits and sell to earn money for an agency that rescues animals.
  5. Build a dog park on a vacant piece of town land (with permission).
  6. Organize a musical instrument drive and donate the instruments to a local school or community center.
  7. Collect art supplies for kids in shelters or hospitals.
  8. Make coloring books from downloadable web pages and spend a morning coloring or making a mural with homeless kids.
  9. Help newly arrived immigrant children and their families celebrate their “First Thanksgiving” by collecting food, kitchen supplies, toiletries, clothing, school supplies, and toys.
  10. Make backpacks of school supplies or toiletries for children and teens in foster care.
  11. Start a holiday collection of NEW toys for organizations that distribute gifts to children of incarcerated parents.
  12. Organize a collection of prom dresses and accessories for homecomings and proms.
  13. Spiff up children’s rooms at a group home with new pillows and comforters and a coat of paint.
  14. Clean up neighborhood streets, a playground, a beach, or a community garden.
  15. Clean and paint a family housing shelter or community center.
  16. Build barbecue pits, picnic tables or trails at local parks.
  17. Participate in a brush-clearing hiking trip to help keep park trails in good condition.
  18. Buy or collect donated sports equipment for low-income schools, shelters, after school programs, park and recreation programs.
  19. Coordinate a healthy snack food drive for children in shelters or low-income after-school programs.
  20. Organize a dance or a sock hop.  Make the admission a pair of new socks or a healthy snack to give to a shelter.
  21. Collect food for your local soup kitchen or food pantry.
  22. Collect new sneakers, pajamas, underwear and socks, cleaning and paper items or whatever is needed most on your local shelter’s wish list.
  23. Decorate the dining hall or common area at a shelter for the holidays; make centerpieces, bring fresh flowers and fresh fruit and vegetables.
  24. Collect books for low-income schools or after-school tutoring programs.
  25. Donate funds or purchase new books to an underserved school or library.
  26. Create a family story hour and read to children in your neighborhood or to residents of a senior home or group home.  If possible, leave the books with the residents.
  27. Volunteer with a local literacy council to help people learn to read.
  28. Partner with another family to repair or paint the home of an elderly couple or a needy family.
  29. Make cards or a simple crafts and bring to a local nursing home for them to put on their dinner trays.
  30. Play bingo, sing songs or host a birthday party for nursing home residents.
  31. Visit a veteran’s home or senior residence, offer to interview them about their lives, take pictures of them and post on a bulletin board in a common area.
  32. Make meals or buy groceries for a local Ronald McDonald House or Fisher House, homes that support families while their loved ones are being treated in hospitals.
  33. Collect phone cards, new stuffed animals, dolls and toys for chronically ill children in hospitals.
  34. Assemble activity kits for kids in hospitals.
  35. Organize a “quilting bee” – make simple warm and cuddly quilts for sick babies or children.
  36. Buy tickets for a local sporting event (minor leagues) for children in-group homes or families in shelters.
  37. Organize a sports and sporting equipment tag sale.  Use the funds to install basketball hoops or playground equipment for shelters or group homes or neighborhood parks.
  38. Turn a vacant piece of land into a baseball or soccer field.
  39. Volunteer with your local Special Olympics committee or at a Special Olympics event.
  40. Organize a “celebrity game” in your town – i.e. a local radio station squares off with teachers to raise funds for a local need or to improve sporting facilities in your town.
Do you have plans for Family Volunteer Day? Tell us about them in the comments!

Volunteering for Your Favorite Cause as a Family

Wednesday, November 16th, 2011

National Family Volunteer Day is this Saturday, November 19. Family Volunteer Day is a great time to get your family involved in community service. How exactly can your family volunteer as one unit? Our friends at GenerationOn have excellent ideas to get you started this weekend!

So what exactly is this National Family Volunteer Day all about? National Family Volunteer Day was created to mobilize family members young and old within their community. Volunteering together brings family members together for a united cause. Family members can learn more about each other’s passions and interests through volunteering on a project together.

GenerationOn has great topics to get your family involved in various causes.

Volunteering as a family fosters ideas of service within younger family members while empowering older members at the same time.

Follow these tips and show your family that they really can make a difference in their community at any level!

Animal care: Help pets in your local area find loving homes by calling your local shelter or humane society for their volunteering requirements. Raise money for your local guide dog organization. Clean up your local dog park to provide a fun and sanitary environment for your furry friends.

Emergency preparedness: Raise money for those affected by a natural disaster or organization that works with natural disaster victims and clean up. Put together emergency kits for those in need. Organize a supplies drive for areas affected by natural disasters.

Environment: Make and distribute posters in your local community about the importance of being green. Get your family to choose environmentally friendly reusable bags for groceries as opposed to using plastic bags. Host a green thumb party where your family can plant a garden in your neighborhood, school, or retirement home.

Health and Wellness: Visit your local hospital or retirement home to spread holiday cheer to those who need it.

Homelessness: Donate winter clothes and blankets to your local shelter. Contact your local soup kitchen to learn more about how your family can volunteer.

Hunger: Help out at your local food bank by stocking shelves, collecting donations, and serving those who may be in need. Pack lunches for your local homeless shelter, soup kitchen, or food bank so that they may be distributed to other community members.

Literacy: Read to hospitalized children who may be feeling down. Help out with after school tutoring programs. If you are bilingual, help out with a language class.

Military: Send thank you cards to military veterans or active servicemen, put together holiday care packages for those who are still serving overseas, or put flowers on a war memorial close to you. Teaching your children about the military will not only inspire them, but it will also help them feel more tied to the community.

Seniors: Make holiday ornaments for senior homes in your community, spread holiday cheer by singing holiday carols, or send holiday cards to seniors in your area who may not have family to celebrate with.

There are many ways to get your family involved in your community through volunteering. Family volunteer day is an excellent way to begin teaching service to your children through all types of projects. Visit GenerationOn’s website to find more toolkits that will get your started this holiday season. Happy volunteering and share your ideas below!

 

50 Ideas for Family Volunteer Day

Friday, November 19th, 2010
  1. Organize a one-day adoption fair with your local animal shelter at a convenient in-town location.
  2. Collect pet food, rags, newspapers, pet toys, washable plastic pet carriers, paper towels, old towels and blankets for your local shelter.
  3. Collect money for the training of Seeing Eye dogs and shelter dogs.  Make an educational flyer to give to donors about these special animals.
  4. Make homemade dog biscuits and sell to earn money for an agency that rescues animals.
  5. Build a dog park on a vacant piece of town land (with permission).
  6. Perform a puppet show at a local library or senior citizen home.
  7. Organize a sing-along at the children’s hospital, hospice or nursing home.
  8. Organize a musical instrument drive and donate the instruments to a local school or community center.
  9. Collect art supplies for kids in shelters or hospitals.
  10. Make coloring books from downloadable web pages and spend a morning coloring or making a mural with homeless kids.
  11. Help newly arrived immigrant children and their families celebrate their “First Thanksgiving” by collecting food, kitchen supplies, toiletries, clothing, school supplies, and toys.
  12. Make backpacks of school supplies or toiletries for children and teens in foster care.
  13. Start a holiday collection of NEW toys for organizations that distribute gifts to children of incarcerated parents.
  14. Organize a collection of prom dresses and accessories for homecomings and proms.
  15. Spiff up children’s rooms at a group home with new pillows and comforters and a coat of paint.
  16. Clean up neighborhood streets, a playground, a beach, or a community garden.
  17. Clean and paint a family housing shelter or community center.
  18. Build barbecue pits, picnic tables or trails at local parks.
  19. Participate in a brush-clearing hiking trip to help keep park trails in good condition.
  20. Recycle!  Organize a drop off for clothes and coats, cans and bottles, bicycles, cell phones or computers.
  21. Organize a field day or health fair with traditional games about the importance of exercising.
  22. Buy or collect donated sports equipment for low-income schools, shelters, after school programs, park and recreation programs.
  23. Coordinate a healthy snack food drive for children in shelters or low-income after-school programs.
  24. Organize a dance or a sock hop.  Make the admission a pair of new socks or a healthy snack to give to a shelter.
  25. Organize a “beauty day” at a shelter with free haircuts and manicures.
  26. Collect food for your local soup kitchen or food pantry.
  27. Collect new sneakers, pajamas, underwear and socks, cleaning and paper items or whatever is needed most on your local shelter’s wish list.
  28. Decorate the dining hall or common area for the holidays; make centerpieces, bring fresh flowers and fresh fruit and vegetables.
  29. Collect books for low-income schools or after-school tutoring programs.
  30. Organize a used book, videos, DVD, cassette sale.
  31. Donate funds or purchase new books to an underserved school or library.
  32. Create a family story hour and read to children in your neighborhood or to residents of a senior home or group home.  If possible, leave the books with the residents.
  33. Volunteer with a local literacy council to help people learn to read.
  34. Organize a read-a-thon for an afternoon; involve kids from a community center.
  35. Donate funds to a library in need, an organization that promotes literacy, or Heifer International’s Read to Feed program.
  36. Visit the homebound.  Ask if you can garden, clean up the yard, make simple household repairs, or drive them to doctor appointments, to the grocery store or to visit friends.
  37. Partner with another family to repair or paint the home of an elderly couple or a needy family.
  38. Make cards or a simple crafts and bring to a local nursing home for them to put on their dinner trays.
  39. Play bingo, sing songs or host a birthday party for nursing home residents.
  40. Visit a veteran’s home or senior residence, offer to interview them about their lives, take pictures of them and post on a bulletin board in a common area.
  41. Make meals or buy groceries for a local Ronald McDonald House or Fisher House, homes that support families while their loved ones are being treated in hospitals.
  42. Collect phone cards, new stuffed animals, dolls and toys for chronically ill children in hospitals.
  43. Assemble activity kits for kids in hospitals.
  44. Collect new video games, computer games and DVD’s for hospital playrooms.
  45. Organize a “quilting bee” – make simple warm and cuddly quilts for sick babies or children.
  46. Buy tickets for a local sporting event (minor leagues) for children in-group homes or families in shelters.
  47. Organize a sports and sporting equipment tag sale.  Use the funds to install basketball hoops or playground equipment for shelters or group homes or neighborhood parks.
  48. Turn a vacant piece of land into a baseball or soccer field.
  49. Volunteer with your local Special Olympics committee or at a Special Olympics event.
  50. Organize a “celebrity game” in your town – i.e. a local radio station squares off with teachers to raise funds for a local need or to improve sporting facilities in your town.

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Get HandsOn Tag Challenge Update!

Yesterday’s Get HandsOn Tag Master was David Resnick!  David has won a pair of round trip tickets on JetBlue, $25 for himself, and $100 for his favorite charity!

Today’s Celebrity Tag is !  Tag Alicia for swag!

Are YOU up to the challenge?

Family Volunteering and Your Employee Volunteer Program

Friday, November 19th, 2010

National Family Volunteer Day is tomorrow, a day for families to go into the community to work together and make their communities better.  It’s also an opportunity for corporate volunteer programs to bring their employees and their families together to improve the community.  If you work for a company that doesn’t have a employee volunteer program, you can find out how to start program and learn some of the best practices here.

There is a lot to consider when planning a large volunteer event with your company’s families.  Be sure to plan the event carefully, make sure the project design contains tasks for all of the members of the families, and be sure to manage the project attentively.  Don’t forget about risk management when the project is being planned.

Here are some more tips for planning your employee and family volunteer project:

Planning

  • Verify all of the logistical information before sharing the information
  • Be sure to choose a task that doesn’t require any special skills, or plan time to train the employees before the event
  • Communicating with the partner agency is essential to a successful and enjoyable event

Project Design

  • Work with organizations that have projects where employees and their families can see and experience the impact of their work
  • Make sure the project meets a real community need and is seen as a benefit to the community
  • Don’t simply have the employees and their families do a task, turn the project into a learning experience

Management

  • Provide an orientation to the families prior to the project
  • Provide opportunities for the families to interact with one another
  • Explain to your volunteers the mission and goals for the organization and what is hoped to be accomplished as a result of the project

Risk Management

  • Assess the project site before the event for safety
  • Identify any equipment or areas of the project site that may be unsafe or a liability concern
  • Inform family members that they must report any accident or injury and to whom they should report

Most importantly, don’t forget to have fun!

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Get HandsOn Tag Challenge Update!

Yesterday’s Get HandsOn Tag Master was David Resnick!  David has won a pair of round trip tickets on JetBlue, $25 for himself, and $100 for his favorite charity!

Today’s Celebrity Tag is !  Tag Alicia for swag!

Are YOU up to the challenge?

10 Kid-Friendly Service Projects

Thursday, November 18th, 2010

Today’s post comes from Karen Bantuveris, founder and CEO of Volunteer Spot.  It originally appeared November 15, 2010 on the Volunteer Spot blog.

As the frenzy of the holiday getting season is ramping up and nonprofits and volunteer leaders are deep into the service season, National Family Volunteer Day presents the perfect opportunity to carve out quality family time and focus on Giving Back together in a very personal way.  This Saturday, November 20th, families across the country are encouraged to engage their children in service activities and support causes they care about in any way they choose.

Why involve the whole family?
Volunteering together as a family helps kids learn that they can make a positive difference in the lives of others – and that feels downright inspiring and good.  Family service also cultivates empathy and helps children learn to recognize their personal good fortune and blessings.  Volunteering together fosters positive communication and strengthens bonds in ways no other activity can.  As an added holiday bonus, family memories and traditions made while volunteering together will last long after their shiny new toys have passed into recycle bins.

Ready to get started?  Check in with your local HandsOnNetwork Volunteer Center to see volunteering activities planned for Saturday, November 20th.  Or start your own family service project and include friends and neighbors, too!

10 Simple service activities for kids of all ages:

Younger Kids

  • Decorate reusable grocery bags and fill them with their favorite non-perishable food items.  Feeding America offers a  , searchable by zip code.
  • Stuff new, warm socks with water bottles and granola bars to give to homeless men and women you pass on street corners.
  • Decorate holiday cards for soldiers overseas. Red Cross-sponsored Holiday Mail for Heroes will deliver letters postmarked before Dec. 10, 2010.
  • Box up their gently used clothing to donate to your local family shelter, refugee center or charity thrift store.

Older Kids

  • Donate their gently used books and DVDs to a local children’s hospital.
  • Make holiday decorations and cards and then sing carols for nursing home residents.  Call ahead to schedule a visit.
  • Engage a team of secret friends to clandestinely rake leaves or shovel snow for an elderly neighbor for a whole month.
  • Collect used towels and pet toys for the local animal shelter.
  • Host a hot chocolate or cider stand and donate the proceeds to a charity of their choosing.
  • Adopt a family for the Holidays through a local business or faith group, and have your kids help shop for that family.

Making it a Habit

Volunteering as a family while kids are young develops a positive service habit that sticks long into adulthood.  Use the following four tips to help ensure your kids understand the impact of their good deeds.

  • Celebrate your service!
  • If donating goods or money to a local charity, deliver the items with your kids in person so they can better internalize how they helped make a difference.
  • Be sure to talk about your family’s service experience.  Discuss what you did, why you did it, how it felt, and what you learned.
  • Build on your kids’ enthusiasm and right then choose your next service project together.

More Ways to Give Back

Family Friendly Volunteering: Ideas from A-Z — a free eBook by VolunteerSpot

GenerationOn — resources for kids, teens, parents and teachers.

Doing Good Together — project ideas for home and in the community.

Karen Bantuveris - VolunteerSpot CEOKaren Bantuveris is the founder & CEO of VolunteerSpot, a time and sanity-saving online coordination tool that empowers busy parents, teachers and grassroots community leaders by making it easier get involved.  VolunteerSpot’s free sign up sheets can be used for organizing anything – classroom volunteers, snack schedules, charity fun-runs, tournaments, community potlucks, holiday parties, Giving Trees and more.  Karen is passionate about increasing parent participation in schools, engaging parents to fund education technology, and using new media tools to inspire social action in the ‘real’ world.  Karen lives in Austin, TX with her husband and daughter.

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Get HandsOn Tag Challenge Update!

Yesterday’s Get HandsOn Tag Master was the Chicago Chapter of AmeriCorps Alums!  They’ve won a pair of round trip tickets on JetBlue, $25 for themselves, and $100 for their favorite charity!

Today’s Celebrity Tag is !  Tag Demi for swag!

Are YOU up to the challenge?

Family Volunteer Ideas

Thursday, November 18th, 2010

National Family Volunteer Day happens every year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. This year, it will take place on November 20, 2010. Now would be a good time to get ready for it by planning a project for your family. The following ideas for volunteering as a family come from our Tampa Bay affiliate, HandsOn Tampa Bay.

National Family Volunteer Day was created to inspire families with children young and old to give back, in any way they choose; volunteering with a local nonprofit, helping neighbors in need, or picking up litter at the local playground.

The growing movement makes it easy to nurture a tradition of family service and shows children that they can make a difference!

Think about organizing your own family volunteer project.

HandsOn Tampa Bay offers a few easy project ideas that can be done your own home or neighborhood since visiting an agency with small children can sometimes be overwhelming (for you and for them!)

  • Donate Clothes for School Age Children Contact friends and family about your project and set a date and time to collect clean, wearable clothing for children and teenagers of all sizes. Supplies needed: boxes to hold the clothes. Time needed: 10 hours to plan, promote, accept and deliver donations.
  • Knit Hats for the Homeless For ages 8-99. Supplies needed are: yarn. Time needed is up to you. Knit hats for people living in shelters or on the street.
  • Create Snack Packs for Ronald McDonald House Residents For ages 6-99. Supplies needed are 1-gallon food storage bags, snack items like fruit cups, granola bars, trail mix, chewing gum. Maybe add a puzzle book and a pen. Time needed is shopping time and 2 hours to assemble and deliver. Parents of children in the hospital spend their days at the hospital. Having a snack pack with them saves them a trip to the vending machine or cafeteria.
  • Toiletries for the Homeless For ages 6-99. Supplies needed are 1or 2-gallon size food storage bags, soap, washcloth, toothpaste, toothbrush, comb, emery board, safety pins, shampoo, lotion, sewing kit, razor, etc. Set up an assembly line to fill the bags and have each child place each item in the bags. Time needed is shopping time and 2 hours to assemble and deliver.
  • Conduct a School Supply Drive For ages 5-99. Supplies needed are backpacks, notebooks, pencils, folders, crayons, etc. Time needed is shopping, collecting, delivery time, (approximately 10 hours). Contact friends and family about your project and set a date and time to collect supplies.
  • Host a Pet Food/Pet Toy Drive For ages 5-99. Set up a collection point, promote with family and friends.
  • Create Greeting Cards For ages 5-99. Supplies needed are paper, markers, stickers, envelopes. Time needed is 2-3 hours to make cards and deliver to nursing homes, VA hospitals, Shriners.
  • Pick Up Litter at Your Neighborhood Park For ages 8-99 Supplies needed are trash bags, gloves, rakes. Time needed is 2 hours. Leave your tied, filled bags near trash receptacle at park.
  • “Adopt” a Neighborhood Senior or Disabled Person Help them with yard work, errands and meals.  For ages 10-99 Supplies needed are yard tools. Time needed is 1-3 hours.
  • Book Drive Gather new or gently used books for children staying in shelters For ages 5-99. Time needed is 10 hours.
  • Welcome to the Neighborhood When a new family moves into the neighborhood make a welcome card, list of fun places locally, school calendar, and library information. For ages 5-99. Supplies needed are construction paper, markers. Time needed is 3 hours. Deliver to your new neighbor.

8 Tips for a Successful Family Volunteering Day

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

Family Volunteer Day 2010 will be celebrated November 20th.  Commemorated annually on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, Family Volunteer Day kicks off the holiday season with the spirit of giving and service.

Volunteering as a family provides a fun way for families to make memories together while making significant contributions to their communities.

It also teaches children the values of kindness and giving back, ideas which complement the gift giving season.

Family members use their talents to work on an issue they feel passionate about.

Serving together builds problem solving skills and strengthens communication within the whole family.

Make your volunteering experience a success!

Check out these tips:

  1. Find a volunteer activity that fits your family’s interests, schedules and that the kids can help plan.
  2. Start small.  Consider a one-time event such as or a short-term activity, such as Family Volunteer Day, before making a long-term commitment.
  3. Find out what’s expected.   Ask about age requirements, safety considerations, and appropriate dress.  Attend orientation or training sessions if offered.
  4. Show up on time.  Be ready to do what is needed.
  5. Be patient with small children and keep them involved by praising their efforts.
  6. Talk about the experience on your drive home or during a family meal. Discuss what you did, why you did it, how it felt, and what you learned.  Celebrate your efforts.
  7. Get input from all family members in planning future activities.
  8. Encourage other families to participate with you.

Looking for an opportunity or project ideas?

Visit these websites:

  • generationOn can help you find project ideas for kids and families.
  • Kids Care Clubs show you how you can start a service club with your children and their peers.
  • Doing Good Together inspires, encourages and equips families to volunteer together.
  • Find a HandsOn Action Center for volunteer activities and other resources for family volunteering.

Check out Volunteer Spot‘s list of family-friendly volunteering ideas!

Related Posts

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Get HandsOn Tag Challenge Update!

Today’s Celebrity Tag is Matt Damon!  Tag Matt for swag!

Matt Damon

Are YOU up to the challenge?

Everything Changes When You Volunteer with Your Kids

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

Maureen Byrne, Director, Youth and Family Engagement, generationOn

I love to be around babies.  Coming from a family of nine children, I spent a good amount of time taking caring of babies and became a sought after babysitter in my neighborhood because of my experience.   My daughter developed a similar love for babies holding and cuddling her 16 cousins.   Later, in middle school, my daughter became a certified Red Cross babysitter.  She quickly whipped up a resume, and made flyers announcing her passion, experience and availability but she was too young to take care of babies on her own and had no customers.  By high school, all of her cousins had grown up and she routinely lamented the fact that there were no more babies to hold.

When she found out that we could volunteer at a home that helps homeless teen moms with newborns, she jumped at the chance.  It was a shared interest and the time worked for both of us — early evening.  It was not too far away.  As a working mom, I can always use more opportunities to spend “quality time” with my teenage daughter.   For two hours each week, we held and fed the teen mom’s babies.  Unlike me, my daughter liked changing diapers!  At the end of the evening, she reported to the moms how “it” went and they appreciated her comments about their adorable and well-behaved babies.

By volunteering together, my daughter learned more than what it means to care for a newborn.  She learned how helping others can be transformative.  She developed confidence in herself and her abilities.  She encouraged a few of her friends to join her and demonstrated leadership by advising the other teen sitters.  I appreciated the interaction she had with the older teen moms from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.  I noticed the way my daughter felt needed, that her efforts were valued.    Volunteering together and knowing it provided a meaningful service for the moms, who had to go to class or work as a requirement to live at the home brought us closer together.  Our discussions about the babies, their moms, their parenting styles and the difficulties of being a teen mom made me feel closer to my daughter.

Our experience made me realize that volunteering with your kids has big benefits.  It teaches children the values of kindness, compassion, tolerance and community responsibility.  Family members use their talents to work on an issue they feel passionate about and feel valued for their contributions.  It strengthens communication and allows family members to be role models.  It builds shared memories.   It helps your community. ( and it is fun!)

To make the most out of volunteering as a family, check out these tips:

  • Find a volunteer activity that fits your family’s interests, schedules and that the kids can help plan.
  • Start small.  Consider a one-time event such as Family Volunteer Day or a short-term activity, before making a long-term commitment.
  • Find out what’s expected.   Ask about age requirements, safety considerations, and appropriate dress.  Attend orientation or training sessions if offered.
  • Show up on time.  Be ready to do what is needed.
  • Be patient with small children and keep them involved by praising their efforts.
  • Afterwards, talk about the experience on your drive home or during a family meal. Talk about what you did, why you did it, how it felt, and what you learned.  Celebrate your efforts. It will make all of you feel like doing it again.
  • Keep a family-volunteering scrapbook or create a family volunteering calendar. Get input from all family members in planning future activities.
  • Encourage other families you know to participate with you.

The experience of spending time with my daughter doing something we both enjoyed, worked well for both of us.

And now, she has more babysitting offers than her teenage social life permits!

Want to try family volunteering?

  • Call your department of social services to learn about your community’s needs.
  • Check out FamilyCares for family friendly project ideas.
  • Go to Kids Care Clubs learn how you can start a service club with your children and their peers.
  • Check out Doing Good Together’s family service ideas.
  • Find a HandsOn Action Center near you for volunteer activities and other resources for family volunteering .

This post was originally published as a guest post on Blogher.com.