I have written several posts about the various activities that our kids do and how it keeps us busy most of the time. These are wonderful activities and our children get a tremendous amount of benefits from their participation in them. As parents, we enjoy watching them perform and succeed and the smiles on their faces. Just last week we got to watch my oldest daughter perform in a dance recital. It was so much fun to see her dancing so gracefully. She was elegant and beautiful. These fun and entertaining activities are great for our kids personally and we will always continue to support them in these endeavours. We also want our kids to be involved in activities that aren’t necessarily for their benefit as well. There is so much learning and value to be gained from becoming involved in things that help others.
Our kids have been involved in volunteer activities at different times throughout their young lives. I think it is really important for them to understand the value of helping others and giving their time without the thought of “what’s in it for me”. The earlier we teach this message to our children the more likely they are to make this a priority in their adult lives as well.
Volunteering is defined as the commitment of time and energy, for the benefit of the society and the community, the environment or individuals outside one's immediate family. It is undertaken freely and by choice, without concern for financial gain.
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We really feel that through having our kids volunteer their time will teach them empathy for others. It allows them to see that there are people in the world that are unable to always provide for themselves or that need assistance due to circumstances. It is so easy for people in society to turn a blind eye to the issues affecting many people in the world. We decided long ago that we didn’t want our children to be those people. We want our kids to stand up and step forward for others. We try to demonstrate these same values for our kids as well. We can’t expect them to adopt a philosophy that they don’t see us demonstrating. The kids see us volunteering all the time at different events. We have been part of helping with school craft shows and book fairs among other things.
The reason I got to this place with my post today is that two of our kids are out there volunteering right now. One of our daughters is out helping with her Navy Cadet group. This group is often involved in the community helping others. Today they are helping the elderly bag groceries and load cars. Other days they are helping with cleaning in the community and they have even been the leaders of all-night vigils held during Remembrance Day ceremonies.
My oldest son is off helping out in the community this morning with the comic book festival. There are many vendors in the area that give out comic books to young people for free. The community is always in need of young people to help hand out comics and give directions and assistance to the families that are walking around town.
Our children have volunteered at camps, helping out with the younger children. They have even been part of creating and running activities during these experiences. These volunteer jobs are actually putting them in situations where they get to learn new skills that will help them afterwards. These are jobs that they might not have learned at their age if it weren’t for volunteering. A really great advantage is that they will even be able to list these skills and experiences on their job resumes. Often in interviews, a potential employer will ask about personal experiences and these volunteer jobs provide great stories to tell. The kids have also been involved helping at the animal shelter, local vet clinics and other school events.
I think it is the most fun when we volunteer as a family. It is a great chance for us all to work together and to enjoy the experience together. We have been part of many community clean-up projects. It is always great to see how many people from the community get involved in this. We have gone to plant trees together as well. The kids really enjoyed this way of helping the environment. A few times a year we will all go through our things and pick out items we can donate to the less fortunate. At first, this was a difficult task for the kids. They had a hard time giving up even the old toys that they never used anymore. After they saw how happy it made another child who has very little in terms of toys they really got into the idea. Now they ask us when it will be time to do a room sweep for donations.
We recently had a discussion with the kids and asked if there was a volunteer activity that they wanted to participate in that we haven’t done yet. They unanimously said that they wanted to help out at the local food bank and shelter. They wanted to help organize food and orders for families as well as hand out food. They have suggested Thanksgiving as a good time to help out at the shelter as they felt it might be a time when they are in need of more help. I was very proud when I heard how enthusiastic they were about this plan.
Several years ago the Ministry of Education in the province of Ontario added a new requirement to graduate from high school. It became a requirement for all Ontario students to complete 40 hours of volunteer service in order to graduate. This was a wonderful addition to to the high school graduation requirements. Students are forced to get out into the community and donate their time. My kids have never had an issue with getting enough volunteer hours. They have actually been lucky enough that they are considered for awards for community service. As a teacher, I see the educational value of this to be just as important as the subjects that they are learning in the classroom.
the benefits of volunteering are enormous to you, your family, and your community. The right match can help you to reduce stress, find friends, reach out to the community, learn new skills, and even advance your career. Giving to others can also help protect your mental and physical health. Learn more about the many benefits of helping others and find tips on getting started.
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Volunteering can be just as beneficial to the person being a volunteer as it is to the people receiving the help. The health benefits are a wonderful perk to doing something that is not about receiving anything at all. My kids are learning these things at a young age and I am so glad that we decided to get them involved. The rewards that I can see in them are priceless and from their want to be more involved I can tell that it will be something that sticks with them for years to come. If you have never been involved as a volunteer, I highly recommend giving it a try. Look up volunteer opportunities in your community. I’m sure you will find that there are lots and you never know, you might just find a new passion in your life.