Community Service Ideas For the Family!

“This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in.”

Theodore Roosevelt

Look around you right now. What are you sitting on? What meal did you just have? What was the last notification you received on your phone? 

It is incredibly easy to sit down and forget how incredibly fortunate we can be. So many of us are lucky enough only to have to worry about higher-level things, such as a deadline at work instead of worrying about shelter, food, and safety. We can often forget that as citizens of this world, we must help each other out because in the end, we are all human beings trying to be happy!

Community service is an excellent activity for families to do over the weekend. It teaches children that they can have a positive impact, to be grateful, to be empathetic, brings families closer, and the benefits keep going. By participating in this activity together, you set a good example and show what social responsibility looks like. There are many ways for entire families to participate. So what are some ideas?

Examples of Family Community Service Ideas

Start A Drive

A great thing about donation drives is that they can be carried out over weeks. So, get creative with the drive! First, start by doing some research as to what are the needs of your community or select a group you are interested in helping. Once you have done this and before you start, check-in with the organization you are donating to and ask if they are accepting donations and what items they do not accept. 

Then, create a list of various needed items and look around your house. Involve your little one by asking what things they would like to give or what are some essentials. Ask your family, friends, and neighbors to participate for the next few weeks. Encourage your little one to talk about why this is important and what items they need. This way, they will work on leadership, communication, empathy, and self-awareness skills. 

Make sure to bring your child along when you choose to donate so that they can see the impact they had. Talk to the organization’s supervisor!

Volunteer at Your Local Library 

Libraries always love and need volunteers, plus it is a great educational environment for your little one. Your family can help organize books, teach a reading class, lead an arts and crafts project, etc. 

Volunteering at your local library is excellent for children as they will learn to associate a part of their life that they most likely love with the positive feelings of volunteering. This will ultimately encourage them to volunteer later in life. Contact your local library and see how you can help. 

Write Letters

Community service is about lifting people and helping them through what might be a difficult time. Receiving a nice letter can do that! You can write letters to your little one’s teachers, thanking them for everything they have done. Thus, lifting your local community. Additionally, you can write letters to children in foster homes or orphanages with words of encouragement. 

Engage your child by asking them to draw something special, write their name on the card, or write a part of the card. These letters, although small, will make a huge difference in someone’s day.

What are some community service ideas you have?