Online SignUp Blog by SignUp.com

5 Summer Reading Ideas for You AND Your Kids

Books You and Your Kids Will WANT to Read

Summer is here, meaning your kids have more free time than they know what to do with. Why not use that time to read a good book? Better yet, why not use that time to share a book with your kids? We’ve searched high and low for the best books for parents and kids of every age. Check out our faves below . . . 

 ~ ~~

100 Fun and Easy Learning Games for Kids
by Amanda Boyarshinov and Kim Vi

For Ages 3-8

This book is full of fun games to fill your summer, all while teaching important reading, writing, and math skills. Search through this book with your kids and find activities you can do together! You’re sure to have as much fun as your kids do completing these DIY learning games and activities.

 

 ~~~ 

Wonder
by R. J. Palacio

For Ages 9-11

Wonder is the story of a 10-year-old boy born with facial deformities. Told through his perspective, the story covers bullying and feeling like an outsider in a way perfect for your younger children. For parents, you’ll love the book for it’s beautiful story of acceptance.

 ~~~

The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak

For Ages 12+

The Book Thief tells the story of Liesel Meminger, a young girl living in Germany during World War II. Rich with historical context and a beautiful fictional story, this book is sure to be just as interesting for your middle schooler as it is for you.  

 

 ~~~

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
by Mark Haddon

For Ages 15-18 

This book, told through the eyes of a 15-year-old boy with autism, aims to teach readers the importance of perspective in literature and life alike. This book is a perfect though-provoking read for for high schoolers, given the deep discussions it can create.

 ~~~

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

For Ages 18+

This touching story is about a woman who cares for a quadriplegic man, who she later falls in love with. The story discusses challenging adult issues such as disability and mental health, making it perfect to share with your kids who are all grown up. After finishing the book, take a day to go see the movie, in theatres this summer!

~~~

 

Read More:

DIY Summer Game Ideas for Kids

5 Favorite Kids Book Ideas

5 Summer Volunteering Ideas for Tweens & Teens

Teen Volunteer Ideas

Don't miss these 5 unique volunteering ideas, great for older kids and teenagers, that will have them helping others and picking up a few lessons along the way this summer:

Coach or Mentor

Encourage your young athlete or bookworm to share his or her expertise with kids from your neighborhood, faith group or local children's organization. Teaching free lessons, mentoring or even tutoring is a great way for teens to give back using the skills and knowledge they already have.

Book Drive

Summer months don't always have to be lazy! Encourage your tweens and teens to coordinate a book drive with their friends and neighbors that involves collection, sorting and donating to the local library or children's shelter.

Feeding Others

Summertime for many kids in this country means months without access to meals which were provided by the cafeteria during the school year. Find an organization near your family with a mission to help feed children in the community who would otherwise go hungry and find out how your tween or teen can get involved whether by donating or volunteering their time.

Green Movements

While the warm summer days allow for more outside play, think even greener with volunteer opportunities for your family that help the environment. Whether it's a new recycling or composting initiative in your own house, or a neighborhood project to coordinate a monthly clean sweep of green spaces and the local park, the eco-friendly ideas are on trend for teens and tweens looking to make a difference.

Kindness Scavenger Hunt

Host a kindness scavenger hunt, promoting small acts of kindness in your community! From holding the door for someone to recycling to leaving a friendly note for a neighbor, spreading kindness through this challenge will be fun and thought-provoking. Have your tweens or teens come up with the hunt challenges themselves, or work with fellow parents to design the framework for the adventure.

 

Related Posts:

Using Social Media to Build Volunteer Communities

Meaningful Summer Volunteer Ideas for Kids

Family Volunteering

5 Rainy Day Volunteer Ideas

Make the Most of a Rainy Day | Family Volunteer Ideas

Rainy days don't have to ruin your kid's summer schedule! If you find yourself cooped up inside because it's too wet outside to play, turn your rainy day into a day of doing GOOD for others.

1. Clean your closets. Rainy days are the perfect reason to stay in and get organized. Spend the time to empty and sort your closets, getting rid of old clothes that don’t fit your kids anymore. In the meantime, your kids can sort through toys to get rid of things they don’t play with or have outgrown. At the end of the day, box up your gently used clothes and toys and donate them to a local charity, like the Salvation Army, Goodwill, or St. Judes.

2. Bake sweets for your neighbors. Make the best of a rainy afternoon indoors by baking some sweet treats for your neighbors, be it an elderly neighbor who lives by themselves, a new mom, you name it. Incorporate summer learning math and science lessons by asking kids to help count and measure ingredients, set timers, stir, mix, etc. At the end of the day, keep a few treats for home, and have your kids deliver the rest to neighbors. (See more: 4 Ways to Help Your Elderly Neighbor)

3. Write cards to a nursing home or homeless shelter. Brighten a strangers day with a simple handwritten card! This rainy day volunteer activity is a great boredom buster too, encouraging kids to get creative and use all the arts and crafts supplies at their disposal. When they’re finished, have them seal the cards in envelopes and practice addressing the letters to a local nursing home or children's shelter.

4. Get some shopping done, while doing good. If you're stuck inside and getting some online shopping done anyways, why not give back at the same time? There are a ton of online platforms that support "cause shopping" where by with each purchase you make, you donate to a cause or group you care about. Sites like Amazon Smile and iGive are great example - find these and more in our Shopping for Good blog post. You can get everything you need purchased online, while knowing  you made a difference too.

5. Pack "Blessing Bags". Add a few items to your next grocery list - small toiletries, granola bars, bottles of water, socks, gum, etc. Store somewhere dry for your next rainy day inside with the kids so that you have everything you need to pack "blessings bags." Pack a couple of each item in a gallon size plastic bag with a handwritten note saying "Hi, hope you have a GOOD day!". Next time you're out running errands, hand out these bags to the homeless or other people you see in need on the streets, on the sides of the highways, etc.More ideas for goodies here. 

 

 

Read More: 

Summer Volunteering for Teens and Tweens

DIY Summer Games for Kids

Family Summer Tech Plan

5 Fun Summer Activities for Kids

Outdoor Activities for Kids

Make super special memories this Summer with these unique, FUN game and event ideas kids are sure to love! 

Kids Drive-In Movie via RecipeGirl

***

Marshmallow Shooter via Grandma's Briefs

***

Night Bowling via Jeweled Rose

***

Bubble Wrap Stomp Painting via Mess for Less

***

Sponge Bombs via Inner Child Fun

***

Related Posts:

Creative Games for Kids 

Summer Activities for Kids

Summer Family Fun Ideas

 

Summertime, and the Giving is Easy!

Turn Your Summer Gatherings into Service Projects

With kids out of school and vacation days booked, summer offers a real chance for families to brainstorm, get creative and take action when it comes to giving back. Check out some of our favorite ways for families to incorporate service and acts of kindness into their Summer happenings:

1. Going to a family reunion? While sharing ideas with family members of what activities to do when everyone is together, throw service into the mix. Between trips to the aquarium, zoo or beach, find a local food bank, animal shelter, or other charity around your location where they could use some hands on effort for a couple hours one day. Makes for truly great family memories!

2. Hosting a pool party or neighborhood block party? Ask attendees to bring 2 or 3 non-perishable items for 'admittance.' Collect them in a decorated box at the front door, and donate to a local shelter or foodbank afterwards.

3. Kids having a sleepover? After the movie and popcorn, break out some craft and construction paper and markers. Encourage kids to make cards for family members, neighbors, or the 'volunteers' in their lives like Scout leaders, youth sport coaches, etc. 

4. Attending a potluck? If you're cooking or baking something for a summer potluck, get the kids involved and make an extra dish or a dozen extra goodies - drop them at an elderly neighbor's or a friend you know could use a pick-me-up act of kindness.

5. Staying active and getting outdoors? If this is on your family's summer bucket list, turn it into a service idea by running or walking in the community 5K or Fun Run where proceeds go to a cause your whole family cares about.

Check out more summer volunteering ideas HERE.

Summer of Service 2012 | Recap

This summer we were honored to share unique and personal perspectives on service, volunteering and citizen philanthropy from leading guest experts and writers in the field.  Summer of Service reminded us that the universal notion of service and giving back knows no boundaries - be it time, age, or motivation -- we would like to THANK each of our guests who made this amazing summer series possible - your contributions were inspiring and are very much appreciated!

Don't miss a single post in this inspiring series:

Shara Lawrence-Weiss of Mommy Perks shared creative family-friendly service ideas for the summer.

Myrdin Thompson of MomCongress gave a moving perspective on the essence of volunteering - what it takes and why it matters.

Kerala Taylor if KaBoom! showed us how volunteering in the digital age can be fun and accessible!

Jennifer Martin of AARP's CreateTheGood illumined inspiring stories of "boomers" in service and how one can make a difference at any age.

Susan Ellis, founder of Energize, Inc, gave us the low down on trending resources for online and micro-volunteering.

Brent Croxton of RealizedWorth moved us with insight into connecting to our fellow human beings through the transformational power of volunteering.

Jen Barth of SchoolHouseSupplies inspired us with  her piece on engaging volunteers through the power of story.

Please join us this summer in celebrating service and volunteering!

Volunteer Engagement | Summer of Service

3 Tips to Engage Volunteers Through The Power of Story

 By: Jen Barth of Schoolhouse Supplies

“Tell me a fact and I’ll learn. Tell me a truth and I’ll believe.
But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.”
— Indian proverb

As the mom of two budding readers  —  my daughters are 5 —my life is full of stories, it seems. Storytelling also plays a key role in my professional and volunteer worlds; as a marketer, I’ve helped organizations create and communicate their stories for over a decade. Stories are also the inspiration behind Books Make it Better, a grassroots early literacy movement I co-founded after learning from Reach Out and Read that 2/3 of America’s children who live in poverty don’t have any books at home. But although we’re exposed to the notion of “story” since before we can read— or even speak — most of us forget the simple power that storytelling can play when it comes to rallying and engaging others to support the causes we champion.

Here are 3 tips to get you started….

1. Don’t Get Stat-Stuck!

When we’re passionate about a cause, it’s easy to get fired up — and caught up — in facts and figures when sharing our message. Unfortunately, most people don’t absorb information this way: a London School of Business study found that 5-10% of people retain information when you share it in a statistic format. If you add a story, 25-30% will retain it. But if you simply tell a story, the number increases to 65-70%.

The UN Foundation’s Shot@Life Campaign does a great job of engaging supporters through storytelling. Their blog shares many stories from the perspectives of moms around the world whose children aren’t surviving childhood due to lack of vaccine access.  As a mom, I can relate to these stories far more than I can to stats — such as Felisa Hilbert’s post, “Safe for a Lifetime” which brings humanity, and a human face, to the growing global health crisis, and connects us all to the idea that we can play a role at giving kids in developing countries a shot at so much more than they are currently experiencing.

2. We Learn In Layers

Great stories are revealed over time, chapter by chapter. Many of us forget this when trying to introduce potential volunteers and supporters, and we try to get our entire message across all at once.  This can be overwhelming, and confusing…and a lot of work! People engage based on a series of touchpoints and impressions —or chapters—that unfold over time.

The Mom Congress on Education & Learning blog is a great example; each week; they share stories from across the country on how to engage in the fight for better schools. As Oregon’s 2011 Delegate, I was honored to share my “chapter,” on “What’s Working in Oregon,”  earlier this year, and I am inspired each week by the diversity that moms from across the country are bringing to local education reform when I read new updates. I share some other related tips in “Learn from me Please: 5 Tips for Social Change from the Branding Trenches, too.

3. Never Underestimate The Power of A Picture.

Don’t forget the role that creative visuals can play in engaging your supporters! Research shows that people pay attention to — and believe — information more when accompanied with visuals. Some good examples include Mashable’s Social Good Ecosystem, Jumpstart’s Infographic of The Early Education Crisis, and Reusethisbag.com’s on the Importance of Recycling.  I also love The Motherhood’s Charter, because it tells far more powerful a story about what this community stands for, and delivers, than a few paragraphs ever could.

Summing It Up…And Onto My Own Next Chapter!

I think Jon Winsor sums it up well in “The Power of Storytelling,”  when he notes, “Stories are efficient. In today’s ADD society it isn’t possible to detail all of the data to scientifically prove your point. A story helps people take the leap of faith necessary to be inspired to take action.” 

Isn’t that what we’re ultimately looking for when we engage current and potential volunteers to align around our mission?

And speaking of taking a leap…I’m thrilled to share that the next chapter in my own “story” is unfolding, too. I recently returned to my non-profit roots in a full-time role as Executive Director of Schoolhouse Supplies, in Portland, Oregon. I’ll be sharing more perspectives from our volunteer-run Free Store for Teachers, in an upcoming post. Stay tuned and until then…keep up your fantastic summers of service!

 

About the Author:

Jen Barth is Executive Director of Schoolhouse Supplies, an award-winning nonprofit in Portland, Oregon that serves classrooms in need by operating a volunteer-run Free Store for Teachers  stocked with supplies donated by the community. 

Prior to her role at Schoolhouse Supplies, Jen founded and ran Big Small Brands, an award-winning small business and nonprofit branding firm, and held senior leadership roles in several agency, corporate, and non-profit organizations.  She also served as Oregon's 2011 delegate for The Mom Congress on Education and Learning, and  founded Books Make it Better, a grassroots, mom-powered early literacy movement in partnership with Parenting Magazine. Jen is a Founding Member of The Mission List, a community of women dedicated to using social media for social good.

Jen is the proud mom of identical —yet nothing alike — twin daughters, who will be entering Kindergarten this Fall. They have been accompanying their mom on volunteer projects since the ripe old age of 2 ½.

Check out Jen on twitter @1OregonMom and @JenUnplugged

And SchoolHouse Supplies on facebook and twitter

 

The Transformational Power of Volunteering

Connecting to Our Fellow Human Beings | Summer of Service

By: Brent Croxton of RealizedWorth

Want to be more healthy, hopeful, confident, calm, and frequently experience a euphoric joy on par with sexual bliss?  Try volunteering.  Seriously!

At Realized Worth, we help companies develop robust employee volunteer programs.  Needless to say, we are very interested in what motivates people to volunteer.  From our work with volunteers and volunteer managers, we have observed a deeply meaningful epiphany that awaits those who set out to make volunteering a regular practice.  Not everyone experiences it, but for those who are ready, it is life altering!

In one way or another, people who volunteer regularly come to a moment when it dawns on them that the most salient description of their experience is how much they are receiving, not how much they are giving.  Don’t take our word for it though.  Trust the research!  

According to a survey of 3,296 of people who volunteer regularly, an immediate euphoric sensation accompanies the act of helping.[1] The high begins with a surge of energy and feelings of physical exhilaration.  This rush is then followed by a longer-lasting, heightened sense of calm and emotional wellbeing.  Participants compared the experience to intoxication, the runner’s high, an energy burst, orgasm, and the serenity following yoga.  Physiologically, the high is a release of endorphins – the body’s natural opiates that relieve pain and foster wellbeing. 

The study also revealed that when volunteering is done frequently, as part of a weekly rhythm, these positive feelings began to endure and induce other health benefits like stress alleviation, pain reduction, strengthened immune function, mood elevation, and heightened self-esteem.  The author of the study, Alan Luks, received reports from volunteers saying they had fewer colds, diminished pain, help with insomnia and depression, quicker recovery from surgery, lessened overeating, fewer migraines, and a cure for stomach aches. 

So, what’s going on here?  What is it about the act of helping that is so powerful to the mind/body connection?  Like meditation, the key seems to be in focusing on a point outside of yourself.  Simply put, human suffering is fueled by isolation and recurring thought patterns that are difficult to quiet. Volunteering interrupts our internal ruminations, draws our attention toward the people we are serving and helps us to make a tender connection.  As Luks insists, “the forming of a genuine bond with another person, however short-lived, is the basis of the good that comes to the helper.”[2]  How much we accomplish in volunteering is less important than whether we feel a connection and a vicarious experience of the other person’s problems.  As we increasingly experience such encounters, the body relaxes and mood-enhancing endorphins are released. 

But, stress reduction is not all.  In Luks’ survey, 57% of the participants experienced a feeling of greatly enhanced self-worth because they had helped someone.  Somehow, the experience of being needed and feeling accepted in solidarity with other people is a powerful boost to one’s self-concept. 

Moreover, part of growing psychologically as a human being is moving beyond drives for power and prestige, and tapping into deeper, spiritual values like meaning, purpose and connectedness.  Somewhere inside of every person is a desire to make a dent in the world’s suffering and feel spiritually connected to our fellow human beings.  Volunteering at its best gives us a taste of living into those deeply held values.  Consequently, we simply like ourselves better when we do it.

About the Author:

Brent Croxton is a Program Developer for RealizedWorth, a leading employee volunteering and CSR consulting firm. Brent provides training and hands-on involvement in the design and implementation of outstanding and sustainable employee volunteer programs for businesses interested in leveraging their CSR engagement and differentiating their corporate culture. Find out more about Realized Worth at www.realizedworth.com. 

Follow RealizedWorth on twitter and facebook

---

[1] Luks, Allan. The Healing Power of Doing Good.  (iUniverse.com, Inc.:  San Jose, 2001) p. 48.

[2] Ibid., p. 180.  

 

Online Volunteering | Summer of Service

Now How about "Micro-Volunteering"?

By:  Susan J. Ellis, President, Energize, Inc.

Did you ever imagine that you could volunteer via your smart phone in tiny chunks of time? Well, you can.  It’s called “micro-volunteering” and it’s developing rapidly thanks to several initiatives and a variety of phone apps.   In the United States, the lead organization is Sparked (http://www.sparked.com/).  Their founders, The Extraordinaries, explained their thinking a while back with this statement:

We expect an explosion of new volunteers, as people are now able to actually fit micro tasks into their hectic lives. We provide a more efficient link between people’s brief spare time and social projects, and as new people get hooked on doing social good, we believe this will lead them to an increased engagement in their communities. Essentially, [micro-volunteering] is the “gateway drug” to traditional volunteering.

Wondering what kind of things can someone actually accomplish remotely in under 30 minutes at a time?  You’d be surprised. 

Some of the projects are examples of traditional “crowdsourcing” through which a huge task is accomplished by spreading the work in small bits among thousands of participants.  These can be scientific in nature, such as asking people to be on the lookout for endangered birds or insects, snap a picture if they see one, and send it to whatever organization is doing a survey.  Or studying blood pressure and stress by having volunteers submit their vital signs over several days, reporting the situations they are in each time.  In the UK, you can go through a photo site of missing persons and help in finding them. One idea under consideration is helping the Library of Congress index a backlog of thousands of historical photos. 

There are already well-established advocacy and activism campaigns supporting far-ranging causes, from political to environmental.  They encourage expressing opinions to legislators, the media, and the general public through e-mails, tweets, short survey responses, and even phone calls.  The rather disdainful nickname of “click-tavist” for a volunteer who responds instantly to issues belies the effect of such appeals both on the recipient of the messages and on those who take the minute to send them.

Other micro-volunteering activities require more thought and even training.  TechSoup has created “Donate Your Brain” [SJE1] (DYB) allowing “anyone, anywhere, to help nonprofits and other community organizations with quick answers and suggestions for their Internet, software, and other tech needs.”  The TechSoup staff scans the questions posed and tweets them out to the volunteer consultants, who respond via Twitter (#TechSoupDYB) and LinkedIn so that all can benefit.  

The concept is especially popular in the UK, led by Help from Home (http://helpfromhome.org/), whose tag line is:  “Micro Volunteering - Changing The World In Just Your Pyjamas!”  You can read more about the scope of their work here. [SJE2]  One of their opportunity areas is “letter writing[SJE3] ,” where thirteen different organizations are looking for volunteers willing to drop a cheery note to people ranging from chemotherapy patients to death row prisoners.

British telecommunications company Orange has launched a new phone app, “Do Some Good” (http://dosomegood.orange.co.uk/), to support this model of service.   The Do Some Good blog (http://dosomegood.orange.co.uk/good-news/) reports on a wide variety of quite fascinating projects that will give you some new ideas to try yourself. 

No one believes that micro-volunteering will ever – or should ever – replace onsite, intensive service.  But in a period where everyone feels time deprived, it is a great way to harness the power of new technology to do some good.  Small actions add up.  The multiplier effect of many volunteer micro-tasks can be powerful.  And as with all other types of volunteering, it can become addictive!  If five minutes on a smart phone entices new people to discover service to the community and keep exploring more ways to help, everyone wins.

 

 

Susan J. Ellis is president of Energize, Inc., an international training, consulting and publishing firm specializing in volunteerism.  Based in Philadelphia since 1977, the firm has helped a wide diversity of clients around the world to start or expand volunteer efforts.  Ellis has written 12 books on volunteerism and dozens of articles. She is editor of the international online journal, e-Volunteerism (www.e-volunteerism.com), and dean of faculty for the online volunteer management training program, Everyone Ready^® (www.everyoneready.info).  Browse the 1200+ pages of free volunteer management information on the Energize Web site:  http://www.energizeinc.com.  

 

 

---

 [SJE1]http://forums.techsoup.org/cs/p/dyb.aspx

 [SJE2]http://ivo.org/helpfromhome/posts/micro-volunteering-changing-the-world-in-just-your-pyjamas

 [SJE3]http://helpfromhome.org/category/actions/do-good/people/letter-writing

Volunteering at Any Age | Summer of Service

AARP Supporting Service at Home, Abroad, and at Any Age 

By:  Jen Martin of AARP's CreateTheGood

When Donna Berry, 60, stumbled upon Blackmon Road several years ago, she was stunned. She found a neighborhood teeming with children that had no running water, electricity or sewage. Outsiders had taken to calling it “Trash Pile Road.”

Donna was astonished that minutes outside of her own neighborhood in North Carolina people were living in such dire conditions. She immediately took it upon herself to make a difference. Eleven years later, the organization she started, A Place for Hope, is now a thriving community center and under her guidance, it has brought water and sewer systems, paved roads, educational programs for children and adults, job skills training, recreational facilities and more.

 Far, far away from Blackmon Road in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, military service members are struggling in dangerously hot climates. Like Donna, another intrepid volunteer Karen Stark, 63, was motivated to do more when she learned of the sacrifices of service members overseas. She reached beyond her community in Oklahoma to establish The HUGS Project, along with her husband, a veteran.

 A “hug” is a cooling tie that can be worn around the neck. In the hottest temperatures, it can be a lifesaver, helping the troops avoid heat stroke as they battle extreme heat in heavy uniforms and gear. With donations coming from every state, and even from other countries, Karen’s group has sent more than 1.3 million cooling ties, 250,000 helmet coolers and more than 400 tons of care package items to troops overseas since 2004. Her goal: to let every American serving in harm’s way know that they are loved and appreciated and that they’re not forgotten.

Karen Stark

Donna and Karen are not alone. Baby boomers across the country are giving back to their communities in remarkable ways. According to the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) 18.7 million older adults contributed on average more than three billion hours of volunteer service between 2008 and 2010.

 This service adds up to more than just “feel good” opportunities—CNCS estimates this volunteer work has provided more than $64 billion in annual economic benefits to the U.S. At AARP we know the intrinsic value of volunteerism all too well. Not only is it a way to do good and feel good, the volunteer experience is a meaningful way to provide support while connecting people and communities on a very personal level. This is why the majority of older adults give back to their communities, and four out of ten boomers have told AARP they want to volunteer more.

That’s why AARP established Create The Good a place for older adults to learn about service opportunities and share their experiences with others. It is a unique effort by AARP to help people 50+ find simple ways to give back to their community, whether they have five minutes, five hours or five days.

 Create The Good provides how-to guides on anything from organizing back-to-school drives to creating community gardens, and allows individuals and organizations to post volunteer opportunities that are searchable by zip code.

 Through Create The Good, we have heard hundreds of inspirational stories of service from older volunteers. Like Donna and Karen, each volunteer’s dedication, courage and conviction has profoundly affected the communities in which they have served.

 We are grateful for all of the volunteers who give so tirelessly of themselves to make this world a better place, and encourage you to join us online and in your neighborhood. Whether someone needs help at the community center, a “hug,” or even just five minutes of your time—start at www.createthegood.org!  

 

About the Author: 

Jen Martin is the manager of social communications for Create the Good, AARP Foundation and Drive to End Hunger at AARP. You can follow her on twitter at @iheartrocknroll.

Connect on Twitter:

CreatetheGood - @createthegood

Drive to End Hunger - @Drive2endHunger

AARP Foundation - @AARPCares

Micro-Volunteering | Summer of Service

Volunteering in the Digital Age: Making Service Accessible and Fun

By Kerala Taylor of Kaboom!

Say “community service” and most people think of waking up early on a Saturday morning to do hard labor with other well-meaning, early-rising folks. In fact, a few times a week, hundreds of volunteers converge in the wee hours of the morning to build playgrounds with the national nonprofit KaBOOM!. Over the course of six hours, they haul mulch, mix concrete, and assemble equipment to transform a deserted lot into vibrant place to play.

We at KaBOOM! love these old-fashioned “barn-raising” events, which have proven transformative both for the people who participate and for the community in which they live. But in a fast-changing digital era, we’ve also started to experiment with leveraging online and mobile tools to achieve our vision of a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America.

Much ado has been made over the rise of “micro-volunteering”—that is, volunteering you can do in small increments from your phone or computer. We love the concept, but one question we’ve struggled with is, how can we make micro-volunteering not only valuable but fun?

At a typical playground build, we play music, dance, and eat good food. At the end of the day, volunteers are rewarded by the sight of a tangible, gleaming playground. How can we reward our micro-volunteers? Often the tasks we ask them to do are just a small piece of a much larger, more complex, and intangible puzzle.  

The answer, we believe, lies in the marriage of micro-volunteering and gamification, of offline and online actions, of service and self-service.

Our Summer Playground Challenge is a perfect case in point. To determine where more playgrounds need to be built, we first need to determine where playgrounds exist and what condition they’re in. To do this, we’re asking playground-goers to map and review the playgrounds they visit using our Tag! mobile app and/or online Map of Play.

But what’s in it for them? For one, we’re making it fun. The Summer Playground Challenge asks parents to visit as many playgrounds as they can this summer. They not only challenge themselves but also compete against their fellow participants. We’re also extending micro-volunteering beyond the computer. This isn’t just about sitting in your house and entering playgrounds on a map; it’s also about getting outside and playing with your family.

Lastly we’re offering rewards. Maybe our volunteers won’t get to see a playground that they helped build with their own hands, but the more playgrounds they visit, the more entries they get in our weekly drawings for gift certificates and other prizes. And as they map playgrounds, they earn points and badges that cumulate in a Grand Prize—a weeklong trip for two to DC.

At the end of the day, we get more playgrounds on our map and parents get a summer full of play. Can anyone argue with that?

 

Our Summer Playground Challenge kicks off on July 3! Want to join?

 

Photo Courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

Kerala Taylor manages online content and outreach for KaBOOM!. She is also co-founder of Glimpse.org, author of How Things Break, and a blogger for BabyCenter.com. A proud new mama, she'll be making sure her daughter gets plenty of healthy, unstructured, outdoor play.

Volunteering | Summer of Service

Why Volunteer? A First Person Perspective of What It Takes & Why It Counts

By:  Myrdin Thompson, Mom Congress Delegate

Yesterday when I checked the mail I received a lovely thank you card from a group that I have been discussing working as a mentor with. Enclosed was a gift card to a local coffee shop and the wording in the card said "thanks a latte!" While I was genuinely appreciative of the gift, I also felt that I hadn't earned it. After all I hadn't officially started volunteering as my paperwork was still being processed. So I contacted the organization and said, thank you, but...and was told, no, thank you. Thank you for being willing to volunteer, for being patient during the background check process, and for supporting the mission and vision by sharing information about what we do with others in the community.

Wow!

Because you see, volunteering is something so many of us do not because of the coffee shop gift card or seeing our name in a newsletter. And while volunteering may get us as seat across the table from the President of the United States (which is an incredible honor to be certain), we would volunteer even if that moment never were to happen. 

I certainly have been fortunate in these last nine years to meet incredible volunteers in my own community as well as across the United States. Volunteers in our schools who spend their Friday's popping popcorn and helping tutor students. Volunteers who fill backpacks with food so children don't go hungry on the weekends. Volunteers who speak up at school board meetings or who attend rallies at their State capitols. I've meet volunteers who create book drive programs, apps for cell phones to increase family engagement opportunities, write blogs or articles about how to create successful home to school connections. And while these volunteers are not called Champions of Change they all are certainly worthy and deserving of that title. 

It is unfortunately easy to measure the value and importance of one volunteer by looking at the actions of another. We should do our very best to not compare one's actions and activities in our communities with others who we know. We all have something to give and contribute. For example:

• Time: There are a finite number of hours in the day. We can spend them watching funny youtube videos and re-posting them on facebook or we can search the web to find information about a cause we feel passionate about and share that on our facebook page. And as a matter of fact, there is actually enough time in the day to do both. 

• Talent: I cannot sew. I cannot cook. I cannot tap dance. However I can write, pick up a phone and make a call, I can run in a 5k, and I can sing karaoke for a fundraiser. And I have friends who can sew, cook, and even tap dance. We all have talents that are unique and specific to us. In this world someone, somewhere needs your "uniqueness" to help their cause. 

• Energy: I have a crazy metabolism and can convert the smallest amount of food into an incredible level of energy. I also drink coffee (as if it is the sweet elixir of life) and need very little sleep. Thus I can write a blog post at 2 am and still be ready for the first load of laundry at 6 am. My point? We all have obligations and commitments that take up certain amounts of our energy. But many volunteer organizations might need you to contact local officials (or State, or national leaders) and you can do that, via email, at all hours of the day and still have enough energy left over to run a 5k or run your kids to soccer. 

• Effort: it matters. The truth is, in volunteering the thought doesn't count. You can think all the good thoughts you want about wanting to change the world, but if you don't get up off your couch and actually do something, anything, then nothing will ever change. Your effort doesn't have to be Herculean, it just has to be. 

 

We can be heroes, if just for one day!

 

There is a saying "I'm drinking from my saucer for my cup has overflowed." There are days where I may not like the taste of what is in the cup, but I still have something in my cup, and in my saucer. I have a supportive and encouraging family who help me pack my bags when I have to head to DC for another Department of Education meeting or a Mom Congress event. I have volunteer support via VolunteerSpot which helps me organize all myendeavors. I have over 150 fellow Mom Congress delegates, UN Foundation Shot@Life champions, and close friends in my community who I have friends who inspire me with their stories of heroism and advocacy. I have children who make each day worth the living and for whom I selfishly want the very best of everything. 

And I have a coffee shop gift card that says I made a difference by just wanting to make a difference. 

And that makes me want to be the volunteer they believe me to be, today. 

 

 

About the Author:

Myrdin Thompson has been a Louisville public school parent, volunteer & advocate since 2002 and is the Regional Director (Central States) for the National Family Engagement Alliance. She also is a volunteer advocate for the United Nations Foundation Shot@Life program, an alumni volunteer advocate for KaBOOM!, and a contributor to Parent Involvement Matters (about education policy and parent engagement). She was recognized in April 2011 by the White House as a "Champion of Change" and was the 2010 Kentucky Delegate for Parenting magazine's Mom Congress.  Check her our at Roots & Wings and on Twitter!

Read more from Myrdin including a write-up from when she met the President!

 

Family Service | Summer of Service

10 Summer Volunteer & Charity Ideas: Get your kids involved this summer!

By Shara Lawrence-Weiss: Owner of Mommy Perks, mother of four.

My parents taught their four daughters to volunteer and help others. We volunteered year-round at various locations or helped those in need through our church. It’s easy to find volunteer opportunities during the winter time – everyone promotes their charity group during the holiday season! However, there are plenty of charitable opportunities to be found during the summer months, also.

Here are ten ideas:

1. Water, please!

Most homeless shelters (especially those in hot locations like Phoenix, Arizona) need water bottles during the summer months. Consider helping your children collect water bottles to donate. Ask your neighbors, co-workers, church friends, family, etc. Even if they donate just a few bottles each the count will add up quickly.

2. Walk a mile in their shoes

Our local shelters are always looking for shoe donations – for moms, dads, seniors and kids. Run a donation drive for shoes and get your kids involved. We often take for granted just how nice it is to have a decent pair of shoes; a shoe drive will give your kiddos a better understanding of the simple blessings in life.

3. Town fundraisers

Does your town host summer fundraisers? Our small town hosts numerous fundraisers every summer to benefit the fire fighters, our public school, the hiking trail maintenance association and more. We always need volunteers to help out. Check your local news website for volunteer opportunities or ask a local church if they have leads.

4. Furry Friends

Do you have a pet shelter or humane society near by? Your children might enjoy volunteering with a few furry friends. Contact the pet shelter and ask if they welcome shelter volunteers or volunteer dog walkers. The humane society offers volunteer opportunities at events, in the emergency shelter, at their care center and more. They can also put you in touch with pet owners who need assistance.

5. Snail Mail at your service

Have your kids and their friends (if their parents agree) write cards for shut-ins. Many shut-ins are lonely and would love to receive a nice colorful card. This costs you nothing but a little time and a stamp. Search online for a legitimate charity website that puts you in contact with shut-ins.

6. Start your own mock charity

Here’s a fun idea: have your kids come up with a mock charity that they would start if they had the means and know-how. What charity would they launch? What would they name it? Who would they help? Why? Have them write down their ideas (or you help them with this if they are not yet writing) and save the papers inside a hope chest or memory box. Later in life, they’ll have fun looking back and reading about their ideas!

7. Pennies of love

Place a container on your counter or windowsill for pennies and change. Decide as a family what charity to support. During the summer have everyone drop their change into the container and at the end of the summer break donate to your charity of choosing.

8. Highway helpers (for older kids) 

Contact your local transportation department and ask to be put in touch with organizations that pick up trash. Jump in with another group of volunteers and spend the day helping along the highway. With so many program cutbacks these days, highways are counting more and more on personal volunteers.

9. Soups up!

No doubt you have a soup kitchen in your area. If you do, consider volunteering with your children serving meals to the homeless/low income. These locations have an abundance of volunteers during the holiday months but after that, their volunteer rates plummet. Charity can be a year-round endeavor. It need not be saved up and dispensed only during the Christmas season.

10. Boxtops and Campbells Soup labels

Be sure to continue collecting these items during the summer time for your local school. When school starts back up, have your child drop the boxtops or labels to the office. Be sure to explain the purpose: these items help the school earn money which can then be used to buy things that the school needs.

 

 

  Shara Lawrence-Weiss is the owner of Mommy Perks, Kids Perks, Personal Child Stories and Early Childhood News & Resources. She runs her businesses from home and is actively involved in local charity work helping children and seniors. She is the mother of four and the wife of one.

Summer of Service 2012

June has arrived and we are thrilled to commence Summer of Service 2012! In its third year running, our Summer of Service blog series connects and engages a community of DoGooders with fantastic thought-provoking and inspiring guest posts that capture the idea of service from many different perspectives.

Starting Tuesdays in June, we'll be bringing you new voices and insights on service and volunteering from inspiring leaders in the field.  If you're a volunteer leader, or someone who cares about making a difference in your community and world, you won't want to miss Summer of Service 2012!

Check out our starting line-up with more to come:

Shara Lawrence-Weiss of Mommy Perks is sharing family-friendly service ideas for the summer.

Michael Nealis of Points of Light Institute is bringing us the latest scoop in service from the National Conference on Volunteering and Service.

Myrdin Thompson of MomCongress imparts a moving perspective on education advocacy and parent engagement.

Jen Barth of BigSmallBrands offers insight into involving children in service, especially in the literacy realm with the amazing iniative, BooksMakeItBetter.

Chris Jarvis of RealizedWorth brings us news in corporate social responsiblity and what is really working with employee volunteer programs.

Kelly Whalen of The Centsible Life  engages us in a view of service when it comes to organizing a kids' nonprofit.

Susan Ellis, founder of Energize, Inc, gives us the low down on trending resources for professional volunteer leadership development in the digital age.

Jennifer Martin of AARP's CreateTheGood illumines inspiring stories of "boomers" in service and how making a difference never gets old.

Please join us this summer in celebrating service and volunteering!

VolunteerSpot Blog | Best of 2011

Blog Series, Guest Regulars and Wonderful Readers Made 2011 our Best Year Yet!

We want to celebrate and thank our guest contributors for a great year of all things service and giving back.  From insightful perspectives on school parent involvement,  non-profit success and benefit auction how-to's, to volunteer management and social media tips, teacher appreciation and fun class party ideas, employee volunteering and corporate responsibility news, faith group and community-building concepts and so much more - our blog proved to be an ever-evolving foundation for sharing timely and desired content.  

 
A favorite summer blog series, Teacher Tuesdays, was a thrilling opportunity to feature guest posts focusing on parent engagement in education from a teacher's perspective.  

 

Our Summer of Service feature gave us the privilege of featuring leading guest bloggers who shared their unique and personal perspectives on service, volunteering and citizen philanthropy.  Topics ranged from volunteering for kids and volunteer management, to the power of story-telling, employee service, supporting military families and so much more! 

 

The My School My Way campaign brought together over 30 bloggers sharing the highs and lows of parent volunteering, and how they did it their way in their school.  From humourous anecdotes to heart-warming insights, our My School My Way blog campaign had something for everyone, and we were honored to share these wonderful parents and writers with our readers.  Wrap-up and roll call.

_______________________________________________________________

April Welch, our resident Mental Clutter Coach, joined us week after week for Tidy Thursday - bringing fresh ideas and bright new ways to approach organizing our lives!

Worship Wednesday guest posts from Sue Brage were a true blessing.  From a faith-based perspective, her thoughts and words shed light on growing one's faith group and the interpretation of service in doing so.

 

 

Sherry Truhlar of Red Apple Auctions LLC brought us countless helpful tips, ideas and strategies when it came to running a successful auction.  From publicitiy, to gathering volunteers, legal refreshers, and best practices, expert advice made auction fundraisers less of a dream and more of a reality for many readers.

 

___________________________________________________________________ 

VolunteerSpotlights gave us a chance to shine a light on the amazing individuals and organizations who use VolunteerSpot to make a difference in their community.  From school parent leaders to festival organizers, conference coordinators to humane societies, congregational volunteer leaders to regional homeless shelter organizers - the willingness to do good was colorful and widespread and we were honored to share each and every story.

Additional Guest Regulars included:

Chris Jarvis of Realized Worth brought us insights into workplace volunteering, corporate social responsibility, and employee volunteer programs.

Andrea Patten of What Kids Need to Succeed illumined top tips, best practices, fun stories and helpful hints when it comes to running a successful nonprofit.

Myrdin Thompson of RootsandWings Library and MomCongress provided a keen and astute perspective from everything grant-writing, to literacy promotion, and advocating for more school involvement.

Susan Wells of SteveSpanglerScience joined us to share super creative and much-needed ideas incorporating science into the classroom, whether for a class party, school science fair, or the "dreaded science project."

A variety of incredibly talented and knowledgable contributors made our array of free e-books available as a highly sought-after resource for countless volunteers, organizers, teachers, team moms, and room parents!  From healthy snack ideas, to parent-teacher conference, class party, volunteer recognition, bake sale, school carnival, fundraising, talent show, and family volunteering ideas and tips, our e-books continue to be a fun and helpful resource for our readers and we are thrilled to be able to share them on our blog.

Family Friendly Volunteering: Service Project Ideas from A-Z

View more presentations from VolunteerSpot

There are so many more favorite posts and contributors in addition to these listed and we hope you take the time to look around.  Of course, our blog would be nowhere without our amazing readers and those who help promote and share our posts.  2011 was an incredible year and we are sure 2012 will prove to be even better - many thanks and here's to a New Year!