Family Service Ideas

30 Simple Service Ideas for your Summer Staycation

Coined for this day & age, “stay-cations” connects the joy of taking time off with the reality of staying in town on a budget. If you are planning an individual or family stay-cation, consider a service project as part of the plan and do GOOD while having fun at home!

Clean out the closet: De-clutter and pass on gently used clothes, shoes, books and toys to a re-store or local shelter.
Community clean up: Tackle the litter in your park, local green space, community garden, trails, or with a non-profit you work with like a church yard, pet shelter or food bank.
Get to Work: Connect with local food bank and find out how you can help sorting, packing boxes, and moving food boxes to help feed the community.
Garden for Good: Plant rows of food in your garden specifically for donation to a local foodbank.
Save Up: Donate a portion of the ‘travel’ money you save by staying in town to a cause your family relates to .
Neighborly Love: Surprise a deserving neighbor, whether elderly or a new mom, with a meal, flowers, free yard work, you name it!
Cards/Care Packages for the Troops: Connect with an organization that can help get your gifts, cards, and goods to the troops - check out HugsforHeroes and SemperFinest.
Support the Arts: Volunteer at a local theatre - see if you can help paint or work on sets, usher, or work the box office or concessions.
Get Active: Run a 5K/Walkathon and talk your friends into joining you!
Go Digital: Become fans of your favorite local orgs on facebook and Twitter and stay updated with their summer events; then ‘share’ with your social network and help get the word out even further.
Sell it: Volunteer for a day at a Habitat Re-store or Salvation Army.
Teach it: Offer lessons or tutoring, talk to friends and neighbors or connect with your local library to see if they have a tutoring time you can jump in on.
Do What You Love: Volunteer your hobbies with these fun service ideas for every hobby!
Block Party: Organize one for your block or neighborhood and help build community where you live!
Yard Sale: Is a local organization, school or faith group looking for donations for a rummage sale? Give it to 'em! Do they need help setting up, selling, and cleaning up? Make a day of it!
Plant a Tree: You can do this symbolically by purchasing a tree to be planted abroad, or by connecting with a local environmental organization and see if there are tree projects happening where you live. Also visit the Arbor Day Foundation for resources and ideas.
Grooming Party: Work with your local animal shelter to provide services for their volunteer needs like grooming, bathing, and travel to adoption events. Kids really love this side of volunteering and it will make for great staycation memories!
Found Art Crafts: Either make and donate to a local children’s shelter, or take the supplies and get those kids involved in the fun!
Book Drive: Volunteer at your local library, help organize your own family's drive, or set up a fun one-time reading-centered event that other family's can join in on.
Get Online: So you have thirty minutes on your hands - why not volunteer online! Check out all the top resources for micro-volunteering!
Have Food on Hand: If you’re out and about your city, prepare a few brown bag lunches with water, sandwiches and snacks to hand out to homeless people; or just have granola bars on hand in your car to give out.
Get in the Spirit: Host a Summer Olympics (or London Olympics party) in your backyard, encourage your kids to plan and execute it for the neighbor kids, volunteering their time while still having a fun vacay!
Christmas in July: Show up to a nursing home and hand out Christmas cards, play Christmas carols on the piano and sing along with them; don't forget small (nut-free) treats for an even sweeter surprise!
Ding Dong Ditch: Choose a different family each night for a week and doorbell ditch their house leaving behind a homemade treat with a poem about friendship.
Carwash Bomb! Surprise a young family by showing up with buckets and sponges to clean their car (minivan) for them. And of course, afterwards, take everyone out for milkshakes!
Say Thanks: Help kids write Thank You notes to leaders and members of the community who volunteer their time or go above and beyond in their leadership role; think Mayor, Sherriff, Policeman/woman, Firefighters, etc.
Recycle, Re-use and Give Back: Gather up soda cans and bottles and recycle them. In states where you receive money back, use the money to donate to an agreed upon charity or purchase an item to donate to the local Foster Care Foundation or animal shelter - check out how one Den Leader Turned a Requirement into Compassionate Service!
Dinner Special: As a family, go through a popular fast food drive through lane for lunch, then pay for the family behind you without them knowing!
Tip Off: Spend a day ‘tipping’ people who don’t expect it, but don’t use cash! Offer your grocery store clerk a pre-written thank you note, surprise the bank teller with a gourmet lollipop and a wink, say hello to three people in the park and offer a compliment and a smile just because; best of all, serve your family up a few extra unexpected tips!
Do Good Jar: Create a family Do-Good Jar for your staycation. Fill with thoughtful ideas: make your sister’s bed, do the dishes before being asked, surprise mom with a cold drink, whisper to dad you love him THIS much!