• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Family Focus Blog Header

Family Focus Blog

Top family blog by Nashville mom blogger

  • Crafts & Activities
  • Home Decor
  • Green Living
  • Family Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Parenting
  • Family Travel
You are here: Home / Activities & Crafts / 5 Benefits Of Volunteering And Family Volunteer Opportunities

5 Benefits Of Volunteering And Family Volunteer Opportunities

December 18, 2020 by Scarlet

174 shares
  • Share164
  • Tweet4
  • Yummly

Walking? Check. Talking? Check. Reading? Check.  New parents carefully track their kids’ milestones, keeping an eye on recommended timelines and breathing a quiet sigh of relief when things appear to be going as planned. When it comes to their kids (or themselves), ticking off a goal or working their way through a list assures them that they’re doing a good job.  If your kids aren’t already involved in community service, after reading the below benefits of volunteering you’ll want to encourage family volunteering by adding it to your checklist. There are just so many important reasons to volunteer. I’ll also share some great ideas for family volunteer opportunities.

5 Reasons to Encourage Volunteering In Your Family

benefits of volunteering

1. Personal Growth

Volunteering teaches valuable qualities like:

a) Empathy: no matter your child’s age, working with the less fortunate will broaden their concept of poverty and privilege. When you encourage volunteering, you take the first step to creating a more caring and socially active next generation.

b) Confidence: interacting with strangers (under parental supervision at first) and in strange places will show your child how much they are capable of accomplishing. With practice, shyness will fade away and your child will be able to feel comfortable in any environment.

c) Leadership: many volunteer organizations are looking for people to take charge in different ways. Whether it’s deciding where to put up flyers at age 8 or planning a fundraiser at age 18, volunteering gives kids the opportunity to become leaders.

2. Job Experience

Even if your child is still in elementary school and the days of summer jobs seem a lifetime away, it’s never too early to start getting ready. As we can all remember, getting hired as a teenager without previous experience or recommendations (or connections) is next to impossible. Luckily, volunteering positions are happy to take on kids of almost any age and skill level. Not only does “junior event planner” or “volunteer cashier” sound great on a resume, but time spent working with money and people can only help your teen after they finally land the job. This is one of the most tangibly useful benefits of volunteering for teens before they apply to jobs, colleges, or career positions.

3. An Edge in College Applications

We know, we know- college applications are even further in the future than summer jobs. Regardless, applying for post-secondary education is a big deal, and when it eventually comes time to write those college essays, your kid will be grateful for all their community service. Colleges are only getting more selective as years go by, and in a close decision between two similar applicants, the teen with the most leadership and volunteer experience will have an edge.  If you encourage volunteering as early as possible, your kids will thank you when senior year comes around.

4. Scholarship Money

A huge number of scholarships are awarded on the basis of community service, so the “unpaid” hours your child puts in now could end up helping pay for their education. Encourage your child to start looking for scholarships as soon as they hit high school- not all awards are limited to Grade 12 students.

5. Helping Your Community

The most obvious benefits of volunteering? The welfare of your community and how good it feels to help. It is, after all, the place where your family is growing up. Where would we be without soup kitchens, women’s refuges, or animal shelters? Give back to the city or town where you’ve spent so many happy days, and get your kids volunteering. It will feel great to do good and get involved with your community at the same time.

family volunteer opportunities
Family volunteering at community gardens is always a fun fun way to get involved.

Family Volunteer Ideas

I’m going to list a few family volunteer opportunities and family volunteer projects here just to give you some ideas of what may be needed in your community. If you don’t find existing projects, you may even be inspired to start your own.

Alzheimer’s & Dementia “Buddies”.
Community Garden Workers.
Assist At Events For The Blind.
Teach Immigrants & Refugees English.
Special Olympics Helpers (help with handling field results and medals).
Volunteer Reading Day (read to elderly or to struggling readers).
United Way Volunteers.
Volunteer Tutor.
Big Brother/ Big Sister Program.
Food Bank Volunteer.

There are many more family volunteer opportunities and projects. You can start looking into community service opportunities at All For Good, a digital hub for volunteerism and community engagement.

Did you know there were so many benefits of benefits of volunteering?It is a great way to give back but you get something out of it- an excellent experience to feel good about. Volunteering with your children is one of many fun activities to do with kids, especially over the summer when they have plenty of time. Do you encourage volunteering? What are your favorite reasons to volunteer?  Comment below!

Related Posts:

3 Ways You Can Volunteer To Help Seniors This Holiday Season

5 Fun Activities for the Non Athletic Child

174 shares
  • Share164
  • Tweet4
  • Yummly

Filed Under: Activities & Crafts Tagged With: philanthropy

Primary Sidebar

Let's Be Friends!

Welcome To Family Focus Blog

Family Blogger
Thanks for reading Family Focus Blog, which has been named a top family blog for parenting resources. It was created in 2010 by Nashville mom blogger, Scarlet Paolicchi. She shares tips for better family life, parenting, family fun activities, eco-friendly lifestyle, family food ideas, family travel, and home decor. Family Focus Blog has been named #3 in Cision PR’s 50 U.S. Top Mom Blog list. Scarlet Paolicchi is the author of four books.

Affiliate Link To My Book On Amazon

Gratitude Journal For Teens

Footer

Popular Posts

Importance of Family In Society
Benefits Of Spending Time With Family
Family Oriented Meaning
Bible Verses About Parenting Responsibilities
Qualities Of A Role Model
Jello Chocolate Pudding Pie Recipe

Disclosure

Family Focus Blog is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. We also accept forms of cash advertising and sponsorship. We disclose material relationships and share honest opinions.
Privacy Policy

Copyright

© Scarlet Paolicchi and Family Focus Blog, 2010-2023. Short excerpts of this family blog may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Family Focus Blog with link back to the original content. Duplicating a whole post is strictly prohibited.

Copyright © 2023