Sure, if still toddling or in diapers, maybe they are more of a ride-along while you get engaged in service, however, if your kids are the age where following directions is a thing, then volunteering can be a thing, too!
While many organizations don’t start making formal use of energetic volunteers until age 8 or older, you can always search for “family-friendly” opportunities to get involved together. Here are a few places to start an online search for just the right project for you and yours.
- All for Good (allforgood.org) is a digital hub for volunteerism and community engagement. Find youth-engaging projects in your area by zip code.
- Do Something (dosomething.org) will get kids involved with other kids making a difference—millions of young people in a global movement for good.
- Generation On (generationon.org) provides programs, tools, and resources to engage kids and teens in service and volunteering.
- One More Generation (onemoregeneration.org) was created by kids for kids to get kids involved in conservation and endangered species projects.
- Volunteer.gov (www.volunteer.gov) is the federal program for volunteers to find ways to work on cultural and environmental resource projects. Use the “Family” filter in your search.
- VolunteerMatch (volunteermatch.org) is the largest network in the non-profit world. Search for volunteer opportunities by zip code, kind of work, and add the filter “Kids” or “Teens” to get everyone involved.
Change by Doing 