Your Family @ Home

Many families have a timely and memorable holiday ritual they adhere to, as tradition holds a special place in everyone’s hearts. This year, start a new tradition with your family – volunteer! Aside from the charitable benefits, community service helps with a child’s development.

     “Kids are never too young to help out,” says Kristin Bush, a spokeswoman for Orange County United Way. “If they start out when they’re little, then they will always be involved in their community. A child who is 3 or 4 years old can put things into a bag. Not only will they be helping someone else, they’ll be fine-tuning coordination skills.”

    Right now, there are dozens of kid-friendly volunteer opportunities available right near your home:

> Boys & Girls Clubs of America offers after-school programs for children. Little ones can help with crafts and ground maintenance, such as painting. Older kids can help with homework or coach sports teams. (Go to bgca.org, and click on “Find a Club” for a branch near you.)

> Second Harvest Food Bank collects, packages and redistributes food to organizations that serve the hungry. (Food banks do not work directly with the homeless and they are safe for children.) Second Harvest grows its own fruits and vegetables. Young kids can help plant and pick food from the fields. And older children can help label and package the food.
(secondharvest.org)

> Toys for Tots, run by the U.S. Marine Corps, collects donated toys and distributes them to families in need. Go shopping with your kids and have them each pick out a toy to donate. (Go to toysfortots.org and click on “Toy Drop Locations” for a site, or a Marine, near you.)

Where can you find other volunteer opportunities?
   
Visit the website for VolunteerMatch
(volunteermatch.org), a national, nonprofit organization that will direct you to a volunteer organization close to your home. Just type in your zip code and up comes a number of volunteer options. Your kids can read stories to homeless children, raise funds for wildlife conservation, deliver hot meals to house-bound seniors, create encouraging cards for people with life-threatening illnesses and more.

    Sign-up, via email, on the spot. VolunteerMatch offers a huge database of volunteer opportunities, with more than 36,000 listings from approximately 35,000 national, regional and local organizations. And because organizations can post their needs at a moment’s notice, enthusiastic volunteers can be identified quickly – often the same day. No computer? The nice folks at VolunteerMatch will be glad to help you find your perfect match. Call 415.241.6868.

    There’s no better way to teach a child that the gift of his time, and his heart, is one that will be most welcome in any season.

    Kathy Sena is a freelance journalist. Visit Kathy’s “Parent Talk” blog at parenttalk.typepad.com.

    Kathleen Crain is a staff writer for Churm Media.


Tips for volunteering wisely

The USA Freedom Corp Volunteer Network (usafreedomcorps.gov), along with parents who have successfully volunteered with their kids, suggest the following tips for a more successful volunteer experience:

> Think about the causes or issues important to you. Your family might already be giving money to an organization. It might be a good place to begin.
>  Consider the skills your family has to offer. Are your kids old enough to take on the challenges of the volunteer position you’re considering?
> Combine your goals. Look for volunteer opportunities that will also help your family achieve other goals. For example, if you want to stay fit, volunteer for something active, such as cleaning a park.
> Don’t overcommit your schedule. Make sure the volunteer hours fit into your hectic life, so you don’t frustrate your family, exhaust yourself or shortchange the organization.