Now is the perfect time to get in the volunteer spirit. Let your kids fall in love with service to others at these local suggestions.
Volunteering is a great way to help children learn about giving, service to others and gratitude.
"Reaching out to the community is part of my everyday life," said South Florida's 14-year-old Jennifer Baez. "I like helping others, and volunteering is one way that I can make a difference."
However, as Weston resident Jonathan Kaufman found out, it is sometimes not easy to find volunteering opportunities for young children.
"My son Nicolas [age 12] wanted to work one-on-one with other kids," Kaufman said. "He wanted to have personal contact with other people rather than just raising money for a cause, which is also honorable, but not his interest. Unfortunately, a lot of places require that you be 14 and up to participate in their volunteer positions due to liability reasons."
With that in mind, I scoured South Florida for various volunteering opportunities, including those for young children. Hopefully the below list will give you some good ideas to help get you and your children working toward a worthy cause.
Have your children donate their new or gently used toys and clothes. Children can also encourage friends, other family members and neighbors to donate. Organizations such as South Florida-based Faith Farm Ministries (www.faithfarm.org) will come right to your door if you schedule a pickup (561-733-7238; 954-763-7787). Soles 4 Souls (www.soles4souls.org; 866-521-SHOE) is a national organization that collects gently used shoes. Shoes for the Soul (not to be confused with Soles 4 Souls) is a Fort Lauderdale-based operation that collects and distributes new shoes to disadvantaged children throughout South Florida (www.shoesforthesoul.org; 866-49-SHOES). Shoes for the Soul can help you coordinate a shoe drive at your school, church, synagogue or other organization.
Call a local charity, and find out about their greatest needs. I spoke with Berne Temple, the director of development at the Broward Partnership for the Homeless in Fort Lauderdale (954-832-7037, 954-779-3990). He had some great advice. "When someone drives up with 100 teddy bears, the generosity is incredible. But unfortunately, we are probably more likely to need underwear and toothpaste. Sometimes we simply don't have the storage to keep all of the items donated. It is really important to call ahead and find out what a charity needs -- I can't stress that enough." Other ideas he suggested were to have children make placemats to liven up a shelter's dining room, have a "penny fundraiser" or host a "hygiene drive" -- collecting toothbrushes, deodorant, diapers, etc. He also mentioned that kids 16 and older can cook or serve a meal at their location, and kids age 12 and older can babysit with an adult accompanying them.
Send a soldier a thank-you letter or package. If you don't know someone who is deployed, ask your friends, neighbors or church for a contact. Another way is to visit www.amillionthanks.org, which is a year-round campaign to help people show their appreciation to U.S. military men and women. Visit the Web site to find out what content is appropriate and where to send mail.
Cleanup. Join a program such as the monthly beach cleanup operated through the local nonprofit organization One Beautiful World (954-864-2314; info@one-beautiful-world.org). You can also conduct your own family or neighborhood cleanup by purchasing gloves and bags. Make it into a game by trying to spot and pick up the things that don't belong in nature.
Visit a nursing home. Talk to or entertain the elderly. Contact a local residence and just ask to visit or join a pre-established group such as One Beautiful World (www.one-beautiful-world.org), which sets up monthly visits in conjunction with the Holiday Project.
Assist other children. Children's museums often offer opportunities for children to help museum visitors while learning about leadership at the same time. If your children like to read, contact your child's teacher, principal or librarian to inquire about reading or tutoring programs. Meryll Cohen, the head of youth services at the West Regional Library said, "All Broward County libraries have slightly different volunteering positions for ages 12 and up. These include everything from shelving books, helping with story time or becoming a reading buddy."
Look to local nonprofit organizations for opportunities. Senior meal programs (visit www.mealcall.org for local listings) are often looking for youth volunteers. Locks of Love, based in West Palm Beach (888-896-1588; www.locksoflove.org), provides hairpieces to disadvantaged children suffering from long-term hair loss. Children can donate their hair if they have 10 inches or more cut off in a ponytail or braid. Food drives are an easy way for children to make a tangible difference to those in need. The Daily Bread Food Bank (www.dailybread.org) accepts food donations at various locations throughout the tri-county area (305-633-9861; 954-486-7226; 561-659-5070).
Lend a hand to a neighbor. Kids can coach an informal neighborhood basketball or soccer team. They can adopt an elderly neighbor by visiting with them, putting put out their trash¸ gardening, grocery shopping, walking their dog or pet-sitting. Older children can offer to baby-sit, and younger children can become parents' helpers.
Help save the world with a click of a button. Visit www.therainforestsite.com, and let your kids click on the six "click to give" buttons. Each click results in a donation to the listed causes and can be done daily. Your children can save square footage of rain forests, help needy children obtain food and health care, attain literacy, pay for mammograms and give bowls of food to rescued animals. Other sites to visit are www.freepoverty.com and www.charitii.com. Both offer free online games that donate to charity with each correct answer.
Teaching our children about giving in ways that are not monetary is a rewarding experience for all involved. Danielle Prieto, teen board member for One Beautiful World, said, "I give a piece of myself and hope it makes someone happy and our world a better place."