Many People have good intentions to get their kids in the community to volunteer,
but they don't know where to start. Teaching your kids to give and be charitable at a young age could change the world. This is the time to shape them into the kind of adults we hope they'll become.
Donate Your Hair with that Summer Cut
Make Blankets to Donate
Lemonade/Snowcone/Candy/Popcorn Stand for Charity
Earn money for a charity of your choice through selling items. We found that candy actually sells better then the traditional lemonade in our neighborhood.
Car Wash
Raise Money For a Charity Washing Cars
Book Exchange
Have everyone bring their old books, and then they can take a different one.
Uniform Exchange
Hold a uniform exchange for your local school. Set up tables and people can put out their old uniforms and take others.
Make Care Kits for our Military Overseas
You could make kits or even just write letters/draw pictures.
Help a Military family with a Parent Deployed
This could include yard work, childcare, making dinner, call or visit and offer your friendship. Just show you care and they are not alone.
Thank You Signs
Make thank you signs or cards for our service members military, police, fire department, school staff, etc.
Plant Flowers for a Neighbor in Need
Pick Weeds for a park, City, or Neighbor
You might want to get permission
Mow The Lawn for a Neighbor in Need
Visit Grandparents or Nursing Home
Many of our elderly are very lonely and would love a visitor to talk to or play games with.
Feed the homeless/give water/kits/sunscreen
Make kits and distribute them to a local shelter.
Pay for the car behind you at a drive-thru
Random Acts of Kindness
Babysit for a Family in Need
The need could be financial, military deployment, single parent, illness, or maybe they just need a break (we all do from time to time)
Care for a Neighbors Pet
This could be while they are out of town or even just help walk/play with their dog.
Food Drive
Hold a food drive. Our local food pantry likes to have kids decorate cardboard boxes for Christmas for the elderly. Many of which do not have a Christmas tree and use the box as their tree.
Make Cards of Inspiration for local charity groups
Shelter, children's justice center, aftercare programs for human trafficking, children's hospital, nursing homes, etc.
Neighbor Treat
Take a treat to someone you don't know very well, make a new friend.
Make Craft Kits for Children's Hospitals
These are just the kits for the sick kids to make the crafts. We made duct tape flower pen kits.
Run in a Charity Race
If you aren't a runner, you could always volunteer to hand out water.
Stuffed Animal Drive
Many Police and Fire Departments collect stuffed animals to comfort children in the event of an emergency. They usually accept new or very gently used stuffed animals.
Secret Service Mustache
We took our local church group out and all wore mustaches. We walked around our community and just did random acts of kindness when we saw a need. We put newspapers on porches, put away garbage cans that were still on the curb, picked and killed weeds, picked up dog poop, swept the sidewalk, picked up rocks that were in the road, etc. Now our neighborhood is pretty close and we know all our neighbors, so we knew they would be ok with our small acts of kindness. Not everyone appreciates your kindness, so take precautions on what you decide to do.
Volunteer at a Zoo or Museum
Many of these positions look great on a college application.
Find places to volunteer through www.justserve.org
