Inspire Compassionate Change-Makers: A Guide to Volunteering with Kids

Get ready to embark on a fun-filled adventure of volunteering with kids!​​​​​​​

Research on child volunteerism indicates that participating in meaningful volunteer work can not only help the individuals being served, but also contributes to the development of empathy, compassion, and pro-social behavior in children.​​​​​​​

Dr. Rick Weissbourd, the director of the Making Caring Common project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, is an expert on this topic.  According to Dr. Weissbourd, "When young people engage in volunteer work that is meaningful to them, they are more likely to develop a sense of purpose and responsibility, and to become more caring and compassionate individuals." That is an excellent goal, but finding age-appropriate volunteer opportunities can be tough! Keep reading for tips and ideas for volunteering with your kids!

 Make it Fun!

• Go with their interests: Look for opportunities that align with your children's interests and passions. Do they like cooking? Science? The outdoors? Start there.
• Make volunteering an event: Consider inviting friends and/or family to join you. It might be even more fun, and having a larger group sometimes leads to new or different volunteer opportunities. 
• Celebrate the wins: Keep track of your family’s volunteer hours and accomplishments and celebrate progress along the way.

Consider Your Options!

•  Help Out at a Local Soup Kitchen or Food Pantry: Many soup kitchens and food pantries need volunteers to help prepare and serve meals for people. You and your kids may be able to help sort and pack food, deliver meals, or organize a food drive. Visit Feeding America to find a food bank near you.
•  Get Your Hands Dirty at a Community Garden or Urban Farm: This is a great way for kids to learn about growing their own food while also giving back to the community. Tasks may include planting, weeding, or watering garden plots, or harvesting fruits and vegetables. To find a garden near you, check with nearby schools, food pantries, or the American Community Garden Association which maintains a directory of community gardens all over the world.
• Support a Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program: CSAs are an excellent way for children to learn where food comes from. CSAs are typically very family-friendly, and volunteering is often expected of members. Duties can range from gardening tasks to sorting and divvying up harvested fruits and vegetables. To find a CSA in your area, visit LocalHarvest.org and enter your zip code or city and state. 
• Bee the Change! Bees and other pollinators are under a lot of strain due to climate change, pesticides use, pollution, and loss of habitat & plant diversity. They need our help and there are interesting ways to get involved! Opportunities range from maintaining a pollinator garden to participating in a bee- and pollinator-focused citizen science project. The Bee Conservancy has lots of ideas for how to help bees! ​​​​​​​
• Advocate for Food Justice: Food justice is about ensuring that everyone has access to healthy, nutritious food, regardless of income or geographic location. You can participate in local events and marches and older kids can write letters to elected officials.
• ​​​​​​​Support Clean Water: Participate in clean-up efforts at local rivers or beaches to help keep waterways clean and free of pollution. If you have none in your area, kids can write letters to elected officials. ​​​​​​​
• Participate in a Citizen Science Project: Scientists appreciate our help gathering data to answer questions about the world around us. There are projects about bees, birds, plants, and butterflies, to name just a few. National Geographic has loads of ideas for kids in grades 3 and up!
•  Host a Bake Sale for Charity: A bake sale is a fun way for kids to learn about giving back and helping others, while also honing their baking skills. Friends are usually very willing to help! Parental involvement will depend on kids’ ages and abilities, but even very young kids enjoy having a say in what to make and what kind of cause to raise money for (pets are popular!). 

Take Time to Reflect!

Research shows that reflecting on volunteer experiences makes the activities more meaningful and rewarding. So, taking a few minutes to talk with your kids about what you did together makes the experience even more valuable. Ask questions! Did anything surprise them about the activity? Did they feel helpful? Would they like to volunteer in this way again or would they rather try something different? Take time to explore these questions with your kids; besides making the activities more meaningful, the dialogue might just inspire a lifelong habit of community service!

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