Service Project Ideas for kids to get involved in the Community
Michelle from Life is my Lemonade is guest posting today.Today, she shares her reluctant adventures in teaching a child how to be a community leader. Michelle and I met in college where we pledged Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority. Needless to say, we've known each other awhile. Michelle also helps out with Pinterest account management. (Psst... Michelle's a little shy.) Here are some great ideas for service projects for your kids. Enjoy! |
| Race for the Cure 2011 |
What do you do when your child says I’m bored? I decided to take a page out of my family’s book and take her on a new adventure. It started when she was old enough to put groceries away. I took her to the food pantry to help put groceries away on the shelves and explained why we were helping out. Over the years, this evolved into working to bag up the bags for Saturday openings. Then, she asked if she could help out on Saturday’s when the pantry was open. She wanted to be able to work directly with the people that came into the food pantry and help them out to their cars. Aww! That was a great idea so we stepped into the rotation and did a Saturday morning every once in awhile.
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| Helping out at a food pantry doesn't mean just donating items. |
I’m proud of how she stepped up and asked for more time with the people that came in. Her Grandpa would be proud of her. She didn't get to know him because he died from Leukemia a few years before she was born. One of the proudest memories I have is of his funeral, there were so many people there that came up to me and explained how they knew him. He had helped them throughout the years. He gave so many pints of blood I can’t even tell you what level he was at. He also was an EMT for many years, picked up people who needed transportation to doctor’s visits and church. He and my mom both volunteered for numerous committees.
When those people that he has touched came to show respect it made an unbearable day better. I was proud to know that he had done so much for others. Those are the moments I share with my daughter now. I am hoping that she will be able to say that she is proud of me for giving back as well.
Here are some of the things we do or plan to do when she says she is bored:
Race for the Cure –whenever we can to support my Aunt who is a survivor and the friends we have lost. Relay for Life-again whenever we can to remember my dad and find a cure.
Sheltering Wings-This is a local domestic violence shelter that helped me out. We have done many projects from planting flowers around their building, donating money, going to their various fundraising events, donating items for the silent auctions, earrings for the kids to give their Moms on Mother’s Day, numerous sweet treats just because and most recently Megan has written and received grants to help provide pre-school supplies for their new pre-school classroom and make up Birthday boxes for the kids.
Yep, she really did the work on writing the grants. It’s one of the requirements for the grant because it is a Youth as Resources grant from United Way. Parents can assist but the kids are on the ones that write it up and give the presentation. When she was younger I helped out with the grant writing, but now that she is a teen it’s all her and her Girl Scout troop.
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| Pinterest idea turned into a warm welcome treat for Sheltering Wings |
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| Pre-school supplies purchased with Grant monies |
So, while Megan is learning to help out in the community she is having a good time and getting great experience. She donated time at the shelter to babysit and play games with the kids. She learned that she likes to babysit, and she can earn money when she’s not donating her time.
Another bonus to helping out in the community is that she is setting goals:
- Goal #1 earn the Bronze award for Girl Scouts. Happy to say that’s checked off, She earned her bronze award with a book drive and building a bookcase for the shelter.
- Goal #2 the Silver award for The Kid's Guide to Service Projects: Over 500 Service Ideas for Young People Who Want to Make a Difference
. And another check, she earned her silver award with the birthday boxes.
- Goal #3 she is going for the Gold award. She has a list of the different places that she wants to help and a year to wait and plan so we will see what will happen. Top of the list for today is animal shelter, Riley or Peyton Manning children’s hospital, or outdoor area. Whatever she decides to do will be on her to plan from start to finish and raise the money for because this is an individual project. She can get help from the community but she has to put in at least 100 hours of time to meet the goal. I don’t think it will be a problem though because she put in close to that with the Silver award.
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| Going for the Gold Award |
The Kid's Guide to Service Projects: Over 500 Service Ideas for Young People Who Want to Make a Difference
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