Giving your time and talents to those who need it is a great way to spend time together as a family. It’s a way to teach your kids that you value community service and that a group of people can accomplish more than one person alone.
Do a little family brainstorming to settle on the type of project everyone would enjoy. If you enjoy being outdoors, you might want to help restore a creek or clean up the beach. If it’s snowing outside, cooking and serving dinner at a soup kitchen or sorting donations at your local food bank might be a better option. Once you settle on an area of interest, check these resources to get started:
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Type your ZIP code in the “search” box and find the food bank nearest you.
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This organization’s goal is to connect people to charities through the Internet. The site has a search tool to pinpoint volunteer organizations that welcome children or teens. It also includes a useful list of .
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Idealist, aka Action Without Borders, is a New York-based nonprofit organization that hosts a searchable database with volunteer opportunities across the country and around the world, as well as information about how to start a project.
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Expressly family-focused, Doing Good Together “inspires and helps family volunteer.” The site is filled with ideas on how parents and kids can volunteer and help others, from cleaning up a local park to reading stories together to kids in the hospital.