Saturday, August 2, 2008

Volunteering for Homeschool Families

Volunteering for Homeschool Families

It's easy to see the benefits of volunteering, but a little harder to find a place for you and your family, especially if you have small ones. Here area few ideas to sort through with your kids!

Volunteering with Little Ones

Keep it short! Very few under fives will have the patience to put pencils in boxes for displaced kids for more than a half hour or so - if that! So plan on a quick activity!
Make and take food to a family who's had a new baby, or an illness or death in the family
Work with a group like Meals on Wheels and deliver food to shut-ins
Deliver flowers and mail to those in nursing homes
Make a game out of helping assemble toiletry kits for victims of disasters, toys for displaced children, etc. Sing, do silly steps around the table...make it fun!
Take a bag with you on walks and pick up trash

Suggestions for Family Volunteer Work

Train for a complete a fundraising walk for your favorite charity DeClutter your house (!) and sell the excess at a garage sale, or on eBay, or give it to a thrift store. (It's one way to motivate your children to get rid of some of their old toys!) Raise a dog for a handicapped person. Look at Leaderdog or Canine Companions for more information Participate in local Park Clean-up Days Plant a tree, or make your backyard more friendly to wildlife Help out at a food bank, or grow extra garden produce and give it to a food bank or homeless shelter

Volunteer Work for Older Children and Teens

Volunteer at the library: reshelve books, pull out reserves, lead a story time, help with book sales
Help out at an animal shelter Tutor children at a homeless shelter or drop-in center Write letters to support people whose rights are being denied. Try Amnesty International for Kids

USA

Around the World:

Volunteering England Do-it UK Volunteer Canada Go Volunteer Canada Australian Volunteer Search Go Volunteer Australia Idealist.org Worldwide

No comments: