Volunteering with Kids and Teens
For as long as I can remember, my parents have been finding ways to give back to their community, from leading food and clothing drives to opening their own home to recently arrived refugees. When we were kids, they made sure to involve me and my brothers in this work whenever possible. My mom helped to start an after-school club at my elementary school called “Roving Readers,” where we would visit nursing homes and read to the seniors there. Each year, we would collect pledges from friends and family to join a CROP Hunger Walk, with the donated money going to fight hunger. Much of our family service work was done through our temple—we would bring tzedakah donations of money and canned goods to religious school each week. We hosted unhoused families at the temple on a rotating basis with other local religious institutions through the Interfaith Hospitality Network (now HOME of Somerset County), and host families would take turns staying at the temple overnight with the guests and serving meals. We got to play with the kids! My parents would also lead an annual “Mitzvah Day” where families could participate in all kinds of service projects.
 |
| The “Roving Readers” group my mom helped to start in the ‘90’s at Community Park School in Princeton reads to residents at a local nursing home |
Now that I am a parent myself, I am eager to pass on this family tradition of giving back. But it can be challenging to find organizations that welcome young children to volunteer. Building these habits when children are little is important—however, finding age-appropriate tasks and teaching them how to help can be a lot of work! Most organizations can’t devote the necessary time and resources, and there can also be liability issues.
Even here at MCLS, we can only accept teens ages 14 and up for our Teen Advisory Board and volunteer programs. As a youth services librarian, I have had lots of parents inquire over the years about volunteer opportunities for younger children and express disappointment at the lack. This is why I decided to start a monthly “Service Sundays” program here at the Lawrence Branch. Every third Sunday of the month at 2pm (or third Saturdays June through August), we work on a different all-ages family service project. So far, we have:
Made pull toys and rice socks for Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center
Made cards and upcycled bags and collected food donations for the Hopewell Valley Mobile Food Pantry
Collected donations and made “first night” hygiene kits and cards for Jersey Cares
Made “garbage gobbler” trash picker monsters for picking up litter
Learned about mosquito habitats and how we can help our communities by engaging in citizen science projects like GLOBE Observer’s Mosquito Habitat Mapper
Wrapped and donated utensils and napkins for the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK)
Families have really enjoyed these projects so far, and kids as young as 2 have participated! One parent writes:
“I think kids naturally want to help. Service Sundays have been a great way for my daughter to learn about work being done in our community and to contribute in a meaningful way to help others. She has brought friends to the events, and they have also enjoyed and gotten something out of it. For caregivers, it’s a low-stress and simple way to encourage kids’ volunteering spirit.”- Elizabeth G.
Check out the flyer below to learn about our upcoming Summer Service Saturdays programs. We’d love to have you join us!
It’s also okay if you can’t make it to the Lawrence Branch to join our service club. Here are some other local organizations with volunteer opportunities for kids and teens:
In addition to wrapping utensils like we did here, there are many projects kids of all ages can do at home for TASK, such as making meal bags and hygiene kits to donate. Find a full list and instructions here. Teens ages 13+ can volunteer in person to serve meals at TASK (ages 13-17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian).
Children younger than 14 can volunteer at the Hopewell Valley Mobile Food Pantry, as long as they are accompanying an adult volunteer and old enough to safely follow directions.
Does your family enjoy gardening together? Do you have some extra produce to share? AmpleHarvest.org is a national nonprofit that connects home gardeners with food pantries that will accept their extra produce. Their searchable database lists dozens of participating local food pantries. This is a great way for even the smallest children to make a real difference (while getting outside and having fun)!
Habitat for Humanity’s Caring Kids program offers lots of lovely, creative ways for children under 14 to do projects from home to welcome new homeowners, such as decorating flowerpots or birdhouses. At the library, we’ll be participating in this program this summer by making welcome home banners and a recipe scrapbook. Teens ages 16+ can also volunteer on their build sites if accompanied by a parent or guardian but may not use power tools.
Families with children of all ages can join the Watershed Institute’s annual stream clean-ups each April to pick up litter and keep our local streams healthy. Teens can find a wide variety of volunteer opportunities at the Watershed year-round, from helping with land stewardship to staffing the welcome desk and much more. Minimum age varies depending on the task; see their volunteer page for details.
Harmony123 is an organization that connects musicians of all ages (including children) with nursing homes and community events where they can volunteer to perform. They also collect handmade birthday cards to distribute to the nursing home residents they visit (there are also many national organizations that collect artwork and letters from children to share with people who could use some cheering up, such as hospitalized children and members of the military. You can find a list of these organizations here).
Animal lovers ages 8-15 can volunteer to read to animals through SAVE’s Paws for Reading program. Teens ages 16+ can help care for cats but must be 18 to work with dogs.
Do your kids ever try to earn money by setting up a lemonade stand or selling their crafts or old toys? Young entrepreneurs who also wish to give back can consider donating some of their profits to an organization of their choice. If they make a sign highlighting the cause, they can raise awareness. They may even attract extra business from customers who share their values!
Do you love to sing? Can you carry a part singing simple harmonies? Every Monday at 4:15 pm, we hold an all-ages round singing program here at the Lawrence Branch, and we could really use some more strong singers as section leaders! While we can only formally accept volunteers ages 14+, younger strong singers who can attend regularly and learn the parts would be performing a very helpful act of service for us. Even if you don’t have any singing experience and/or can only come sporadically, all are welcome to participate!
I’m also working on a brochure to distribute at the library with information about volunteering opportunities for local kids and teens. If you’d like to recommend more organizations for me to include, please reach out at mreinero@mcl.org.
For more information on volunteering with kids, Doing Good Together is an incredible resource. They share tons of project ideas for doing good as a family in every category imaginable, from fighting poverty to healing the Earth. They also offer tools and tips for starting conversations and building empathy, along with plenty of related book lists.
And speaking of book lists, there’s no better place than the library to find books on doing good to share with your children! Here are some great options from our collection:
Picture Books
Can We Help?: Kids Volunteering to Help Their Communities by George Ancona
This is an excellent non-fiction introduction to volunteering for elementary school-aged children. It is full of pictures and descriptions of real kids volunteering with real organizations in many different ways. This is the book I would recommend first to young elementary-aged children who want to know what kinds of volunteer work they might be able to do and what it would look like.
The Quiltmaker’s Gift by Jeff Brumbeau, illustrated by Gail de Marcken
This is one of my favorite picture books! It’s the tale of a magical quiltmaker who only sews quilts for the poor. A king comes to demand a quilt from her, and she says she will make it for him only when he gives away all his possessions and becomes poor himself. I love the exquisite illustrations and the way this book celebrates the joys of creativity and generosity.
Just Help by Sonia Sotomayor, Illustrated by Angela Dominguez
This picture book by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor begins with a young Sonia collecting items for a donation drive. Her project creates a chain reaction in which other kids are inspired to do good deeds and then inspire others in turn. She thinks about how good deeds are like yarn, knitting us all together into a thriving community.
Good People Everywhere by Lynea Gillen, Illustrated by Kristina Swarner
This is a very sweet book for young aspiring do-gooders that helps them appreciate the good people around them do. At the end, they are asked what good they will do today, and a couple of cute kindness appreciation craft projects are suggested.
Kindness is Cooler, Mrs. Ruler by Margery Cuyler, illustrated by Sachiko Yochikawa
This is a story about a teacher who challenges her class to do acts of kindness—first at home, then at school, and then in the community. I love the message that the way we treat those closest to us sets the tone for the impact we will have on the wider world.
Right Now!: Real Kids Speaking Up for Change by Miranda Paul, Illustrated by Bea Jackson
This is a non-fiction picture book with short profiles of young activists from around the world speaking up on a wide variety of issues. Each profile includes a poem about the child; a short description of their work; a quote; and a colorful, wide-eyed illustration that can’t help but fill you with hope for the future. Back matter includes lists of things kids can do to speak up on these issues themselves.
One Can by Lana Button & Eric Walters, illustrated by Isabelle Malenfant
This book erases the divide between givers and receivers of aid and kindness by telling the story of a young boy who participates in a food drive at his school and later realizes that his family is receiving some of the donated food. Even though his family needs some extra help right now, he is still able to be part of the group and find ways to give back.
Middle Grade
Be the Change: Rob Greenfield’s Call to Kids Making a Difference in a Messed-Up World by Rob Greenfield
This is a fantastic book on sustainable living for kids, jam-packed with information shared in an upbeat and digestible way. Greenfield gives background information on many environmental issues, from waste to energy and more. He describes creative things he has done to raise awareness while living more lightly on the earth, and he offers ideas for kids to implement both on their own and in community. Highly recommended!
This Book Will (Help) Cool the Climate: 50 Ways to Cut Pollution and Protect Our Planet by Isabel Thomas
This is a great choice for tweens looking to read in a little more depth about environmental issues and innovative suggestions for what we can do personally and collectively to address them. There’s a lot of information in this book, but infographics and a conversational tone make it accessible for this age group.
Kid President’s Guide to Being Awesome by Brad Montague and Bobby Novak
This is a fun, colorful book from young influencer “Kid President” that reads like a kid’s magazine and is packed with ideas. Topics range from everyday acts of kindness to starting big movements. There are many interviews with kids, celebrities, and other changemakers who share what they have done to make the world a better place.
Make Your Mark, Make a Difference by Joan Marie Galat
This is a guide for young activists who want to learn about a wide range of global issues and how they can make a difference. There are many scaffolds to make activism manageable for tweens such as quizzes, brainstorming guides, and features with small steps you can take right away. There is an emphasis on using your voice to spread the word about the issues. This is a denser book that touches on some heavier topics (such as animal cruelty and human trafficking), and is probably best to share with older middle schoolers.
Young Adult
Generation Brave: the Gen Z Kids Who are Changing the World by Kate Alexander, Illustrated by Jade Orlando
If I Had a Hammer: Building Homes and Hope with Habitat for Humanity by David Rubel
This is a book for teens on the history of Habitat for Humanity and the wonderful work they do around the world. The book is full of inspiring photos and personal stories of the homes they have built and the people they have helped over the years. There is also fascinating information about the process of building a house. Read this book and get inspired to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity right here in Central NJ!
Teen Guide to Volunteering by Stuart A. Kallen
This is a clear, succinct guide with a lot of great ideas for teens who wish to explore some options quickly and dive right into volunteering.
-Molly, Lawrence Branch
Comments
Post a Comment