This post is part of a sponsored campaign for Family Volunteer Day. I received compensation for my participation, but my review and opinions are my own.
Families are busy. I totally get it. In a week when we have had a fire at our farm, in-laws in town visiting, Halloween, and a brief case of the stomach flu, it may seem like there is no room in our lives for another thing. Especially something that seems so involved -- like volunteering!
In truth, volunteering isn't disruptive. It doesn't have to take a big chunk out of your life. And it can be therapeutic for a stressed-out family who may have had their priorities offline for some time.
The upcoming Family Volunteer Day on November 19th is the perfect time to reflect on how you can give back, even in the midst of today's modern, stressed-out life. It is the 26th year for this event, and it's just what this world needs to get together and lend a helping hand. Powered by generationON, the youth division of Points of Light (the largest organization in the world dedicated to volunteer service) and sponsored by The Walt Disney Company, it's sure to change the way we view things today -- especially in light of a kind of stressful season in everyone's life
There are some easy ways for your family to get involved. Some don't take as much time as you would think! They include:
Families are busy. I totally get it. In a week when we have had a fire at our farm, in-laws in town visiting, Halloween, and a brief case of the stomach flu, it may seem like there is no room in our lives for another thing. Especially something that seems so involved -- like volunteering!
In truth, volunteering isn't disruptive. It doesn't have to take a big chunk out of your life. And it can be therapeutic for a stressed-out family who may have had their priorities offline for some time.
The upcoming Family Volunteer Day on November 19th is the perfect time to reflect on how you can give back, even in the midst of today's modern, stressed-out life. It is the 26th year for this event, and it's just what this world needs to get together and lend a helping hand. Powered by generationON, the youth division of Points of Light (the largest organization in the world dedicated to volunteer service) and sponsored by The Walt Disney Company, it's sure to change the way we view things today -- especially in light of a kind of stressful season in everyone's life
There are some easy ways for your family to get involved. Some don't take as much time as you would think! They include:
- Spending time at a local food bank sorting food
- Making cards for our military men and women (something we do!)
- Planting extra in your garden and giving the produce to the food bank
We chose to make cards to give to the sick or lonely, because my kids are creative and love to color! The guide at the generationON site helped me to budget for costs (including stamps) and provided talking points for us to go over with the kids. It was actually a pretty good homeschool lesson when you put it all together!
(We've done other activities in the past that have been OK for younger kids, but not all are appropriate. Be sure that if you have kids younger than 12 involved, you call ahead to the facility you are volunteering at and make sure that they are welcome. Our local food bank, for example, appreciates visits, but likes to know if little ones are going to be coming along. They can sometimes provide age-appropriate activities and make sure certain tasks aren't done where the kids are -- like forklift activity. The picture below shows our little one helping with a can sorting activity!)
Want more ideas? Head over to the generationON website to learn more! You can also follow them on social via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Like this? Sign up for our weekly newsletter and get more of the goodness, plus exclusive giveaway offers!
Comments
Post a Comment