Wise Choices for You & Your Family
8 HOO’s INSPIRED
Volunteering is an excellent way to teach
your kids important life skills. In addition,
volunteering during the holidays helps
promote an ‘attitude of gratitude’ in your
household and takes your child’s mind off
their holiday wish list.
Volunteering Is For
the Whole Family
It is not only those who you help that benefit when
you and your family volunteer. When kids volunteer,
they learn important skills, like following directions
and collaborating with others. Your child will also
learn more about her abilities and talents when she
volunteers, including leadership skills. Older kids
may discover they enjoy helping to organize
the volunteer activities and overseeing younger
volunteers. This self-discovery is especially valuable
to teens deciding which career path to select in high
school.
Volunteering builds character by teaching empathy
and compassion. The real world is a harsh place and
it can be tempting to shelter kids from the hard, cold
realities of natural disasters, poverty and illness.
However, by allowing kids to see that others in
the community need help, many times due to
circumstances beyond their control, you allow
them to see that their unique set of skills and
talents are needed by others in their community.
This sense of making a difference
and the opportunity to care for
others can fill your child with a sense
of purpose and an excitement that
they won’t be able to get from a new
toy or video game.
How TO Get Your
Family Involved
in Volunteering
It is important to start teaching
empathy and compassion early,
before the turmoil of the teen years begins. Make
volunteering part of your family’s lifestyle, even
if your kids are very young. If your kids are young,
keep it simple by looking for age-appropriate
opportunities close to home. There are more than
you may realize. Many churches organize meals
for members who have become suddenly ill or
experienced the unexpected loss of a family member.
You may find opportunities at church or your child’s
school to ‘adopt’ a needy family. Your young child
who loves to help grocery shop and cook can help
prepare a meal to donate or can have fun using the
part of her allowance set aside for charity to shop for
toys for a needy child or homeless pets. Another fun
opportunity for young kids is creating art work and
cards for nursing home residents who do not have
anyone visiting them on a regular basis.
As your child approaches the teen years, there will
be more opportunities available to her. Identify
organizations that may have opportunities
that match your child’s interests and visit the
organization’s website to gather information about
how to apply for them. Many organizations require a
background check and a volunteer orientation. Some
may even require you and your child to interview for
a volunteer position.
For a list of volunteer opportunities in the
Chattahoochee Valley, visit our website:
FamilyandKidsGA.com/
Volunteer
/volunteer