By Katelyn King and Melody Bergman
Now that school is coming to an end, many parents are trying to find good ways to keep their children busy. Family vacations, pool days, getting outside and camps are usually on the list. But why not try something different this year?
We can also use summertime to teach our kids to serve others. As children serve, they will learn to show love for others, see the world from a new perspective, appreciate their blessings, and gain empathy for others. Best of all, we can show them that service can be fun!
Some examples of good service opportunities might include volunteering at a soup kitchen, donating clothes, organizing a food drive, having a bake sale or car wash for charity, or writing letters to soldiers. If you search the web, you can find idea lists like this one with hundreds of ways to serve.
Many organizations, like the ones listed below, have built-in search engines to help you locate service opportunities specific to your area, interests, and specific needs. You can also search for great ideas on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. .
Check out these organizations for great service opportunities:
Points of Light helps distribute nonprofit donations and can also help you find volunteer opportunities. Their search tool allows you to browse service opportunities in your area, and you can even select the distance you are willing to travel and type of service. Other search options include different age groups (children, teens, seniors, etc.), group service opportunities, and specific interests like the environment or helping animals.
Facebook: @beapointoflight
Twitter: @PointsofLight
Website: www.pointsoflight.org
Each month, All for Good hosts 150,000 local volunteer listings from feeds in major cities around the world. You don’t need to create an account to find ways to volunteer. You can simply click the “Find Ways to Volunteer” tab at the top of the page, and then type in your city and state or zip code to see what is going on around you. However, if you do decide to create an account, you can also start projects and look for volunteers in your area.
Facebook: @allforgood
Twitter: @All_for_Good
Website: www.allforgood.org
Volunteer Match makes it easy for people and good causes to connect. When you log on, you can see what people are posting on their pages and visit their website. You can also enter your zipcode to see what is happening in your local community. You can even narrow down your search to include issues you are interested in, such as advocacy and human rights, art and culture, and children and youth.
Facebook: @VolunteerMatch
Instagram: @VolunteerMatch
Twitter: @VolunteerMatch
Website: www.volunteermatch.org
United Way has great information on donation opportunities. The goal of the organization is to “fight for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in every community.” Their facebook page keeps up with current struggles and disasters and includes a link to their website where you can find local opportunities to help. They often share articles and opportunities that you can share or participate in with just one click. Although the main social media pages tend to focus on global donations and issues, many local chapters have set up social media accounts as well. We recommend finding and following the page created for a major city near you.
Facebook: @unitedway
Instagram: @unitedway
Twitter: @UnitedWay
Website: www.unitedway.org
(There are also local United Way pages.)
A fairly new volunteer website geared toward teens and young adults, Golden encourages people to download their app which can make finding local volunteer opportunities especially easy. A great feature on their website and app is that you can add volunteer needs that you know of in your area.
Facebook: @goldenappla
Instagram: @goldenapp
Twitter: @goldenapp
Website: www.goldenvolunteer.com
Once you have found a volunteering opportunity you are interested in, you can use social media to share it with others! Here are a few ways to share:
- Post about service opportunities on your personal pages to let your friends know about them. Keep in mind that if you want more volunteers, you need to invite–not just inform..
- Send personal messages inviting friends to contribute to a cause, and encourage them to share with friends they might feel might be interested.
- Post on community pages and private groups to help spread the word.
This summer, our families can use social media for more than selfies and family vacations. We can teach our kids to use tech for good. We can use it to make a difference and pay it forward.
For more ideas on teaching kids to #UseTech4Good, check out our children’s book, . Join Noah as he learns how his actions with technology can cause a ripple effect for everyone around him–for good or for bad. We have the power to choose!
Great story, great discussions!
Katelyn King is a wife and mother of three children. She is a Brigham Young University-Idaho graduate, with a Bachelor’s degree in Marriage and Family Studies, and she is an advocate for parent child relationships.
Melody Harrison Bergman is a mother and step-mom of three awesome boys, founder of Media Savvy Mamas, and a member of the Safeguard Alliance for the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. She has a bachelor’s degree in communications and has been writing and editing since 2002. Her mission is to motivate leaders and community members to educate and protect children and families.
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