There is no better way to occupy your children and contribute to society as the same time, than encouraging them to take on volunteer work. Take the advice of 14-year old Sondra Clark, who is the author of five books. Her latest book ‘You Can Change Your World’ takes you through 150 volunteer projects, which are simple and easy to follow. Here are a few of them:
Bedtime Snack Sacks – children in homeless shelters almost never get snacks, let alone bedtime snacks. Take a few lunch bags, decorate them with colored markers, sequins, and glitter paint. Fill each bag with a juice tetra pack and nonperishable items such as granola bars, packaged crackers and even dried fruit. To make the snack sack even more interesting, drop in a little toy as a surprise. Drop them off at a women’s shelter, and they will do the needful.
Dog Walking Fun – A few local humane societies look out for volunteers to walk their dogs. If you feel that you have the time to contribute, simple walk in and register your family as dog walkers. Your children can also help collect old towels and newspapers, which you can give to animal shelters.
Fancy Flowers – if your school or local charity has flowers growing around its entrance, why not offer to water and weed the flowers every month?
Outdoor Clean-up – if you and your children are into gardening, perhaps you could contact the local Parks and Recreation Department and check if they need any help on trail cleanups. Your children can even volunteer to help staff pick up litter and help preserve park facilities.
Entertainment – if your children have dramatic or musical talents, encourage them to round up a few friends and put together a skit, song or even a little concert, which you could present as a benefit show for a local charity.