Family Volunteering: Simple Ways to Give Back with Kids in Minnesot

During the month of November, FFTC tries to call attention to the theme of giving back and tries to provide families with inspiration for getting their kids involved as well. What follows is a collection of ideas gathered from various posts we’ve written over the past few years as we attempt to raise our own children in this spirit:

Giving back to a community

Clean up a park. Get together with another family or two and grab work-gloves and some plastic bags. Head to your nearest park and spruce it up a little. If you bring a rake, you can smooth out woodchips or sand, too. And the littlest ones can play when they are tired for doing good. Many municipalities offer organized clean up dates in April.
Visit a nursing home. The elderly or ill should not be overlooked. They have so much to offer in softening your heart, helping you appreciate them, and enlightening your perspective. Follow the Glenn of Hopkins to get notice of organized intergenerational play times.
Participate in community fundraisers. One of my favorite nights now is Culver’s Night. It’s a fundraiser for school and we head out to Culver’s for supper because I don’t want to cook. And what a great reason to avoid cooking! I always cheer when it’s Culver’s Night.
Support businesses that donate to organizations. This holiday season, shop for Christmas presents at stores that donate to charities. Either financially or with physical items. For instance, even though Creative Kidstuff has closed their physical stores, you can still purchase through their website and contribute to their charity partner, Greater Good.
Be a family advocate for something you strongly support. Get your whole family behind a cause and participate in fundraisers or educational promotions. Our family supports a crisis pregnancy center by participating in fundraisers. We help out in their office together, and we celebrate milestones together. It is great fun doing this together as a family.

Giving Back to Teachers

Whatever your situation, our children’s lives are fuller because another adult has chosen to enhance their lives. We don’t have to wait for a significant time for giving to teachers. These suggestions are just the tip of the iceberg, and some don’t take very much time.

Ask your child to be mail carrier & write an encouraging note. It’s important to encourage teachers. Maintaining a classroom is not for the faint of heart. Whether we like their style of management or not, we can partner with them and let them know we’ve got their backs!
Bring a snack to parent/teacher conference. This may sound like sucking up, but I promise they will be so grateful. I have made it a practice to make cookies or bring a cupcake to at least one conference. Conference days and nights get very long. You will make their day–maybe even their year–because you took a moment to think of them as people with a need.
Volunteer in classroom. Whether it’s to listen to readers, go on field trips, work on their bulletin boards–let them know when you are available. If you aren’t available, volunteer to pick up needed supplies while you are out doing your own errands.
Be the teacher’s advocate. This is something your teacher may not even know you do, but it’s one of the best ways to give back to teachers. When you child comes home complaining about their teacher, help them to see what may be happening from the teacher’s point of view. This is extremely hard. I know. I’ve been there. We have been very fortunate to have amazing teachers for my kids. They listen and care and are great fits for my kids. However, there was a time when Tori had two months in another teacher’s reading group. This teacher did not understand how Tori worked and instead of talking to me about it, she complained to her fellow teachers. It was very difficult to be her advocate without hurting Tori. It was a delicate balance.
Practice listening to teacher with child. Role play with your child as the teacher and what it’s like when the students don’t listen. Come up with strategies for how your child can be a leader and help classmates be effective listeners, too.

Giving back to teachers will benefit your child, your teacher, and your role as the parent. And it’s fun to do together as a family.

Giving Back to Neighbors

Here are some simple ways we have used or want to use to serve our neighbors and give back to them.

Bake Cookies and deliver personally Around Christmastime, my kids and I bake cookies like maniacs. Let me tell you about the time I used iambaker’s sugar cookie recipe (my favorite of all time) and did my math completely wrong to try to double the recipe. I did not double the recipe. I, in fact, did not triple the recipe. I quadrupled the recipe! As in, I made 144 rolled out sugar cookies! That was not a fun day. Funny? Absolutely. But it was not fun! Have you ever frosted 144 sugar cookies with four small children? I don’t recommend it. Let me suggest that you make something simple like banana bread or brownies or chocolate chip cookies. The key is simple so that you don’t spend all day trying to frost dozens of cookies–unless, of course, you want to.
Rake Leaves I haven’t actually done this for my local neighbors, but I have gone out and raked yards for other people in town. If a bunch of people get together, not only does it go faster, it’s a lot more fun! And it’s a great way to get outside and be together.
Have kids draw pictures for those who are stuck inside Maybe your neighbor is recovering from surgery or is just unable to get out. A picture from your children and a note from you saying you care goes a long way. Just think how touched you would be if someone did that for you.
Write a song and sing it to them outside their houses I love to be goofy. I make a scene almost everywhere I go. Just ask my poor, introverted husband. I have learned that it’s even easier to make a scene with children. And it’s usually more widely accepted. So embarrass your neighbors. Write a song and goof off together in front of their house! Will it be embarrassing? Yes! Will it be memorable? Yes!
Invite over for coffee/tea or bring it to them It says a lot about you if you are willing to open your home up to your neighbors. That they are more important than a clean house. That spending time getting to them is worth the effort of inviting them in. If they are unable to make it to your house, you can always bring something to share and sit down and chat. It doesn’t need to be a big deal. Just 20 minutes will go a long way in building that relationship.

-Doing something for your neighbors builds a strong bond in your neighborhood.

Volunteer Match–Why I use it

When I first moved to the Twin Cities, I found it difficult to find volunteer opportunities. I am very shy and its difficult for me to initiate relationships. At the time, I belonged to a larger church and, even when I would force myself to respond to a volunteer request, I wouldn’t get a call back, so I wouldn’t follow up. That’s when I discovered VolunteerMatch. Its the perfect solution for the shy and/or busy.

When you sign up for for this free online service, you are given options for the types of volunteer work you are interested in. You choose the distance you are willing to travel and you can add your skills if you want. From there you get a weekly e-mail of possible matches. If you find a volunteer opportunity you are interested in, VolunteerMatch connects you to the right person to volunteer. It’s so simple.

I no longer lack volunteer opportunities. It’s ironic that when I was in a double-income, no-kids situation, I needed a service like VolunteerMatch. Now that I am overwhelmed by the mobile destruction machines I call my children, I have all sorts of “mandatory volunteer opportunities”. I assume most parents are in the same boat. So why do I recommend VolunteerMatch?

Active Parenthood is a temporary state. There will be a time, again, when I will be looking for ways to connect with the world outside of my household.
These volunteer activities take you outside of your current circles. You get to meet new people and try new activities if you want.
These are volunteer situations aligning with your own passions. Most of them turn out to be a lot of fun.
You can make “kid-friendly” one of your criteria; or you can choose adult activites and feel good about employing a babysitter.
I believe whole-heartedly in “proactive giving”. Everyone wants your money and your time, so why not decide how much you have available to give and then decide for yourself who you want to give it to. That way when well meaning people come around looking for volunteers, you can honestly say you are giving to the max right now.
I have a theory that there are a lot of people out there like myself, 10 years ago. If they were all matched up with the amount of volunteer work they wanted and could handle, it might take the load off of those of us in a parenting state. (I can dream a little here). I highly recommend sharing volunteer match with your friends and siblings who are not raising families. Volunteering is fun when you choose your own situations; it’s a great place to meet other single people with similar values; and it is just a great way to give back.

I recommend signing up for volunteer match now, even though you are already overwhelmed. I have to be honest, I haven’t responded to a volunteer position since I became a parent. No one is going to harass you if you don’t. However, I still read my weekly e-mails and, in a couple years when my youngest is out of diapers, I hope to be able to do more again. It keeps me excited about the world outside of my own.

originally published Nov 7, 2013 by Joy Peters

Ideas for Volunteering with Kids in the Twin Cities

Volunteer with Kids Through The United Way

The United Way has locations in Minneapolis & St Paul

Age requirement: Varies by opportunity
Description: The United Way’s mission is to bring people together to help our community reach its full potential.
Opportunities: Families can find volunteer opportunities like the Home for Good project where families with kids ages 10+ can helped assemble kits to welcome families transitioning out of a shelter into their new homes.

To find more volunteer opportunities within the United Way network, consider using their free volunteer match search tool.

Program: Meals on Wheels
Age requirement: Kids can help their adults in a variety of ways, mainly in their own homes.
Description: Meals on Wheels helps seniors and the disabled by serving fresh, nutritious meals to them in their home. Here are some great ways kids can help volunteer: decorate lunch bags, create no-sew fleece blankets, assemble “We Care” packages, deliver meals with an adult, decorate oven mitts for delivery drivers, and create greeting or birthday cards.

Program: Mano a Mano, St Paul
Age requirement: Sorting jobs are appropriate for kindergartners & up
Description: Volunteer opportunities are available for individuals, families and groups to re-package and sort medical supplies to be distributed to those in need in Bolivia. Most of the work is easy enough for kids to join in on.

Volunteer With Doing Good Together

Doing Good Together (DGT) finds volunteer opportunities specifically geared toward families with children.

Age requirement: All ages!
Description: We love DGT and their subscription program, The Big-Hearted Families Membership Circle. You can read why it is a great program for families here.
Opportunities: One of our favorite annual events is DGT’s National Family Volunteer Day Service Fair at Midtown Global Market. Families have a chance to sample different organizations and non-profits around the metro all in one place, but DGT offers volunteer fairs and opportunities year round.

The best way to stay up-to-date with DGT is to subscribe to their newsletter or join the membership circle.

GIVING BACK TO THOSE IN NEED

Ring Bells at Salvation Army’s Red Kettles – If possible, take an hour out of your day with your kids and go ring some bells to raise money for those in need. People love seeing kids participate–there is something extremely heart-warming when a child cheers for their donation.

Donate gently used coats to a coat drive – Life in Minnesota can be frigid. If you have coats your kids have grown out that are still in good condition, donate them. The Salvation Army can help you find new homes for them.

Bring children with to a food shelf to donate – This summer, we went to our local food shelf to donate extra produce from our garden. In November, KARE 11 will host their Annual Food Fight. Bring your kids to your favorite anchor’s location, donate, and help them win!

Collect loose change together and donate it – Bring your loose coins into a local TCF Bank. Use the coin machine and when the counter has produced a receipt, give it to the teller with the name of a charity partner you want to support.
Make a meal for a family in need – Contact your local church or Salvation Army. They will give you the necessary information you need if you tell them you would like to feed those who are hungry. Starting a Meal Train for a family that could use some extra help is also a great option and you can get the kids involved in preparing the food.

GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY WITH THESE FAMILY VOLUNTEERING IDEAS:

Clean up your kids’ favorite park – grab work gloves, plastic bags and a few friends. Head to your nearest park and spruce it up a little.
Visit a nursing home – the elderly or ill should not be overlooked. They have so much to offer in enlightening your perspective.
Support businesses that donate to organizations – this holiday season, bring the kids to shop for Christmas presents at stores that donate to charities.

This colorful Random Acts of Kindness for Kids printout was created by Sara from Happiness is Here. You could use it now or save it for December as a holiday countdown!

HELPFUL WEBSITES

Doing Good Together has some awesome ideas for us as well that don’t include going anywhere. These work for any family, any budget and any time frame you have.

Volunteer Match connects you with volunteer opportunities based on your interests.

Homeless families bags
Follow the example of one little 6 year old who wanted to make a difference for each person she meets. Evie is going to change the world!

Family Volunteering: Simple Ways to Give Back with Kids