Family "Caring" Ideas

National Family Volunteer Day | Nov. 19, 2016

Looking for family volunteer and service ideas for National Family Volunteer Day? Practice kindness and caring with you kids this November with these easy, meaningful ideas from our friends at Create the Good. Check out an excerpt of their guest post below and the entire article over on SignUp.com, click here.

Here are five ideas for ways families can care together to change the world!

Care for your neighbor: Encouraging social responsibility in kids starts close to home, and there are opportunities for even the smallest of kids to help out there. If you have an elderly or infirm neighbor, your family can work together to spruce up her landscaping and lawn. Make a meal and take it to your neighbor. Offer to take your neighbor’s trashcans to the curb. If your neighbor has a dog, offer to take it for a walk twice per week. If your neighbor doesn’t drive, offer to drive him to the grocery store periodically, and take the kids along to help put things in the cart and carry the bags out.
Care for your neighborhood: Enlist the help of other families in your neighborhood for a Care for Our Park or School event, picking up litter and planting bulbs. Community ball fields often need restriping or help with fence or bench maintenance. Younger family members can help with raking leaves and picking up trash. This type of action instills a sense of pride among the people who live there, making your neighborhood less vulnerable to teenage pranks and vandalism.
Care for your caregivers: Does your family know an exceptional caregiver who deserves acknowledgment and thanks? Show that person some love in November by entering them in the "25 Days, 25 Ways to Care" contest and sweepstakes from Create the Good. Submit a 1-minute video that illustrates how your favorite caregiver is making a difference, whether they are caring for an elderly parent, volunteering to take care of animals, or even showing great care for others in their role as a teacher or medical professional. Your caregiver will be entered in a daily gift card drawing, and could even win the grand prize $2,500 donation for their favorite nonprofit. Read the rules and enter now >