This post is part of a sponsored campaign for Family Volunteer Day. I received compensation for my participation, but my review and opinions are my own.
Are you ready for Family Volunteer Day?
Family Volunteer Day is a day of service that demonstrates and celebrates the power of families who volunteer together, supporting their neighbors and neighborhoods.
The past few years, my family and I have been trying to volunteer in different ways. A few years ago, while at a conference, my family and I made care packages for the parents of children who were in the hospital. Some basic necessities that they might not have with them was a simple way to show others that we care.
Last year, we volunteered at school by helping to jumpstart the Food Drive. This was a great way to work together to get things started. Once it was over, we went to the local soup kitchen with all of the boxes to see how our donations would help others during the holiday season. This year, we will be participating again as the Food Drive kicks off next week.
As a family, we wanted to do something else to help others this holiday season. While at a Girl Scout event for my younger daughter, we learned of a local organization that collects gently used clothes from newborn to teens. I love saving clothes so my three savvy ladies can share but I have learned quickly that as they get older, styles change and it would be better to donate some gently used items that hold onto them for a few years in the basement.
Then, we learned of another organization that collects new shampoos, conditioners, lotions, and other personal care products.
Right away, I thought of my samples from various hotel stays and I knew that if we ventured around the house, we could easily fill our trunk with gently used items that people could really use.
I love that my girls love getting into the spirit of giving. At school, we have have already brought in new pajamas and books for Stuff-A-Bus and our next goal is to gather new toys for collection for the local soup kitchen.
By thinking of ways to volunteer as a family, I hope that my girls will continue to think of ways to help others as the get older too. Values such as being kind and working together to help others are important to me and my husband and I want them to be important to my girls too. As I watch them grow, they all make me proud of the choices they make and how they are always thinking of ways that we can help others too!
Family Volunteer Day, held annually on the Saturday before Thanksgiving and now in its 27th year, is a day of service that demonstrates and celebrates the power of families who volunteer together, supporting their neighbors and neighborhoods. Taking place this year on November 18, Family Volunteer Day is powered by generationOn, the youth division of Points of Light, the largest organization in the world dedicated to volunteer service, and sponsored by The Walt Disney Company.
Head to generationOn website to find projects to do as a family on Family Volunteer Day.
What project do you think you would do?
Follow along on Social Media to see how you can get more involved:
Hashtag is #FamilyVolunteerDay
i didn’t know family volunteer day was a thing but its a great idea
I love being able to contribute to my local community!! Its so great to be able to help our neighbors and our area!! I work for an amazing company that gives back each year!
I volunteer at a local food give away site. I try and teach the value of giving back. It isnt about ever seeing those you help, it is giving freely of your time or talent.
Great idea, thanks for sharing! Need to make this a part of my November
I had no idea there was such a thing as family volunteer day – what a great idea.
This really is a good thing. Many kids fortunately really arent aware there are others who dont have hhe things they need- notjust things they ‘ant’ but things needed. I think too giving locally gives kids pride in helping someone in need nearby, it isnt a concept of giving to someone far away. It eaches gratitude, humility, and really instills the spitit of giving.
I volunteer every week. And I thing the thrift store pick-ups have me on speed dial.
I do volunteering. I contribute to the pantries, also made mittens for the mitten drives. I make dresses and baby clothes for moms and babies in disadvantaged countries, also make fabric flower accessories to give to teens and homeless moms in our area. I used to help out the church with service and outreach and cooking meals for the homeless, but I haven’t been able to get there for a long time so doing other things.
When I was a Girl Scout leader we made special efforts to instill the value of giving of ourselves, not just to donate money but to give of our time and energy. It was wonderful to see how the girls enjoyed visiting with the elderly, making gift baskets for a mentally disadvantaged group home and shopping for a holiday dinner for a local family.
I hope all of those girls grew up to be contributors to the community.
Iknow I have commened on this one before, but I think this is one of themore important posts you have written. Parents and kids are so busy looking down into a virtual world, they rarely ‘see’ what is in their own world. They dont have to look far- i is all much nearer than they care to admit.
They say most families are at most 3 paychecks away from homelessness, from not having a meal. and by making kids aware of this quite young, empathy can be instilled. They can become kinder, more thoughtful more reflective.
I think too some bullying would quit. Instead of making fun of someone without nice clothes, perhaps they would realize they have no choice, or someone without the latest toys and gadgets.
It is great to teach children to volunteer when they are young. Thanks for sharing. Volunteering to help others is important.