3 Places To Volunteer As A Family
My kids may not have everything that they want, but they absolutely have everything that they need.
They have a roof over their head, food on the table, and clothes on their backs.
And often, I think we all take it for granted.
I mean, prices seem to keep creeping up on everything, and I know that there are people who are not in the same circumstances that we are in. For some people, it is much worse than what is happening within my 4 walls.
Sometimes we forget just how good we have it, even when we don’t have everything that we want.
One of the ways that helps my family keep our perspective and a heart of gratitude is to serve in our community.
Knowing when and where to serve can be a challenge.
How do you find the best opportunities for your family?
There are many places in your local area that can provide your family – no matter the ages or stages – with a place to make the world a better place. (Please do check with them before you go, though, because there are some places that do have specific age requirements!)
Find a Local Nonprofit
For my family, we love serving with the Gifting Grace Project! There are various events in Acadiana throughout the year, and one of my girls’ favorites is Pack the Backpack!
We kind of geek out about school supplies as it is, and it is so cool for us to see all of those laid out and organized. Each volunteer (or pair of a parent and child) gets to walk through with a backpack and fill it with supplies to be given to a homeless student in Acadiana. Last year, they were able to fill over 1,000 backpacks for students, and my family is thrilled that we were able to be a part of that.
You can check out their website HERE for more projects or find another local organization you’d love to join!
Find a Place of Worship
My family is pretty musical.
We enjoy singing and playing music together, and that is something that we get to do at our church!
You may not be musical, but there are plenty of other areas that would benefit from your service!
When my kids were babies, I absolutely loved that I could drop my littles off to someone who would love on them for an hour while I sat kid-free! When my kids approached the teen years, I volunteered in the nursery. It was a great way to hold little babies for a while (and then hand them back) as well as give some moms a kid-free hour.
A church is a great place to show your kids how to volunteer and serve while you are meeting a need and building community! The people that we serve alongside on Sundays have become some of our closest friends.
Find a Nursing Home
Nursing homes are great opportunities to show some love and care to others. This can be collecting items that are needed, such as blankets, socks, or hygiene products and delivering them there. Or it can be spending time there and playing board games or bingo with the residents. These people will be so grateful for the gift of your time!
When we volunteer, we are giving out of our resources of time, effort, and/or money (but it doesn’t always have to be financial). It may not make you feel like it, but you can know that you are working to make the world a better place, and you are showing your children how to do that, too.
