Volunteering with 7 Year Old Daughter

We have an area where homeless people gather. One year we took the Halloween candy my kids received and put it into baggies that we passed out to all the people. It was heartwarming to see how kind and gentle the recipients were to my kids. And so appreciative! So many lessons were learned that day.

Retirement homes are good places to volunteer. The residents love having someone to play a game with or share a plate of cookies with.

Do you have a feed my starving children near you? They will let 7 year old help.

I love the toys for tots party.

Is there a Ronald McDonald house near you? They have dinners that you can volunteer to help with. Great organization that caters to families of children with catastrophic illness or injury.

Do you have 'Meals on Wheels' in your area? You and your daughter could deliver meals to the elderly and visit with them for a few minutes.

Many nursing homes are always looking for caring visitors since some folks don't have any family nearby. This might be a good project for you and your daughter. It would teach about caring for other people that are elderly but still valuable. Our girl scout troop used to make tray favors (little cards/attached to a piece of chocolate) and deliver them to the nursing home patients during meal time. Sometimes the girls would sing a song with them or for them or play bingo with them. You might also check about decorating the door of some of residents for holidays. Those without families do not usually get that much attention.

I am a foster mom and my 14 year old daughter has learned more about poverty and disabilities and bad luck in the last year than she has previously learned in her life. And I've taken her on mission trips and to impoverished countries, as well as working with the "sandwich Sunday" program at our church - where homeless people came and got a bag lunch and a bag of personal care items.

Now, I don't necessarily advocate *everyone* becoming a foster parent/family. But there is SUCH a huge need - right now in my county there are more foster kids than open beds in licensed foster homes. It is REALLY rewarding to integrate a child into your family and watch them grow and watch their families get it together and then reunify.

If you can't be a foster family.... you can still help in a way that is needed and would be visible to your daughter:

1. Provide respite (which would be taking foster kid(s) for a day or weekend each month. Typically foster families are given a day or two a month that they are allowed to have foster kids stay with a licensed respite provider while they take care of personal business, if they need to go out of town, etc.

2. "sponsor" a child - pay for an extra curricular activity or donate a bicycle etc

3. the reimbursement amount that foster families get does not even begin to cover the expenses they incur. You could provide a winter wardrobe, set of books, luggage etc for foster kids in your area.

4. You could volunteer for big brother/big sister. Since you're female and you would be working with your daughter, you would probably get a child who doesn't have a positive female influence in their life. You would do things with that child once or twice a month - take them to dinner, or a movie. Help them with homework etc.

If I ever get my sh*t together I want to start a donation company that provides a duffel bag to every foster child in America (I'll probably start with my county). That would mean that every investigator and police officer would have several duffel bags that could be used when they have to move a child. It's SUCH a stigma that foster kids put their belongings in garbage bags to move from home to home. We took an emergency placement and this 11 year old girl showed up at our house with all of her stuff in walmart bags. literally. she walked in with like 6 walmart bags. Her toothbrush was mixed in with her underwear

So - you could raise money to purchase duffel bags and donate them to your county children's division.

Good luck finding something that you can both do!

Good for you! One of the best ways to battle kids' sense of entitlement and greed is to get involved!

"Less fortunate" doesn't have to mean "poor" - look at senior living centers and nursing homes that would love to have people come in and puzzles, make seasonal decorations out of construction paper, take a walk around the grounds pushing a wheelchair, join in sing-a-longs, etc. Many of these folks have no family or no family close by, and even if they do have someone, they need mental stimulation and entertainment. The staff can screen out those who are so medically or mentally compromised that it would be distressing to your daughter and help you work with higher functioning folks who would love to have a surrogate grandchild!

Look also for centers that help new immigrants - I know there is one in Worcester (too far from you but maybe there is something closer). Many of these places have a food pantry, but also a clothing "pantry", a housewares & toys "pantry", and collection centers for other essentials for people who have come to this country with very little. As they escape poverty, gangs, violence or political unrest, they sell everything they have to afford passage. They may come from warm climates and didn't have warm clothing to begin with. Helping to straighten or sort incoming items, perhaps welcoming customers, sorting toys & their parts, stacking pots & pans in sets, all would be helpful and age-apprpriate activities for a 7 year old.

Another organization you could check out is the Interfaith Hospitality Network. This is usually coordinated by or done in association with a local homelessness & housing agency, or at least you can find the IHN in your area through any housing group. IHN is a coalition of churches and synagogues that take turns hosting homeless families until they can find housing. Usually families go to one house of worship for 2 weeks (with cots and room dividers brought in to give some privacy unless there are individual rooms such as classrooms that can be allocated), and then there is a shuttle van that takes them to the local Y for showers, then takes the kids to school. Remember that homeless kids don't have a "neighborhood" so they don't have pals other than in school. I've volunteered at my synagogue many times - jobs include making box lunches for kids to take to school, playing with visiting children to give them some fun and give the parents a break, keeping them company during dinner, preparing and heating and cleaning up after a group dinner, entertaining a baby so the parents can do something else, helping with homework, joining the group to watch a DVD, etc. We've always used kids of all ages for different things - you sign up for the shift and task(s) that you want. As families find housing, they rotate out and new families rotate in. Al families are highly screened with no red flags or problems. What we found with all the participating kids is that they learned "homeless kids are just like us" and "I'm pretty lucky that I have a home and toys and parents so maybe I shouldn't complain so much about what I DON'T have."

You could also set a goal of a monthly batch of cookies or an apple pie to take to the firefighters and police officers who work holidays and overnight shifts. They aren't exactly "people in need" but they are woefully under appreciated.

I've also seen kids on occasion at the Red Cross blood donation center, just giving donors their clipboard with reading materials/instructions or waiting on the finished donors in the canteen where they have to wait a half hour. I've seen kids (with a parent supervisor) serving the drinks and cookies, writing the departure time on the napkin provided, picking up the wrappers and empty cans for recycling, and handing out whatever giveaways some company has donated (t-shirts, coupons, etc.). It's a way for kids to see there is something vital and lifesaving that good people donate regularly, and to make them less afraid in medical situations.

What I like about all of these is that kids can donate all year round. Yes, toy drives at Christmas are fine - but everyone does that, and then all these needy people are sitting around all year with no one thinking of them! There's also little or no connection with the recipients of the services so it doesn't always make a solid impression on the volunteer children.

Good luck. Hope these help.

It's hard to "officially" volunteer at her age, because most places have a minimum age requirement.
We did a LOT of volunteering and community service through Girl Scouts. We had book, clothing and food drives, collected and donated items to homeless shelters and crisis centers, did a blanket/towel/food drive for the local animal shelter, planted flowers at the church where we met, sang carols and delivered cookies to a senior center at Christmas, made activity boxes for patients at the children's hospital, did a beach clean up, and MORE. All of these things were tied to earning certain badges so the girls learned a lot in the process, not only about serving others but planning, goal setting, fundraising, etc. I think it was pretty meaningful for most of them. I highly recommend checking into Girl Scouts!

You could go to nursing or convalescent homes and do activities with the residents/patients. She would see how much joy a simple smile or kind word can bring to someone. You could also find where homeless people congregate and hand out warm winter clothing.

When she is older she will be able to be more useful.

Soup kitchens have to run just like a restaurant, that means no children in the prep space. Sometimes during the holidays there is a call out for volunteers and they can find ways for your child to help. Remember, these are very busy places, moving at fast speeds to prepare and then serve the food and then clean up within a set time.

At this point you all can help your local food pantry by starting a canned for drive. Many times these places also take in shampoo, soap, deodorant. She could collect these things from your church, her school, the neighborhood.

Collecting toys for tots. Here in Austin there is a huge parade the saturday during the Thanksgiving Weekend. They need volunteers to help gather all of the toys that are being donated by the spectators lining the parade.

We used to go to the Blue Santa and help gift wrap. We collected leftover Christmas wrap, bows and we purchase tape. Our daughter helped hand out books, because every gift includes a book.

There is a place here in town called St. Louis House. It is an apartment complex for single mothers with children. Each apt. is decorated and furnished for this family. once the mother has gone through a parenting program, a professional worker, program budgeting program and have a full time job, they are assisted in finding their own home and all of the furnishings? We used to help them collect items from the leftovers in Garage Sales and estate sales. Mainly basics. Twin beds, Sheets towels, dishes pots and pans. They have a standard that these items must meet.
Once she is in Middle school, there will be opportunities to be more in the "trenches".

My experience is that the services that provide for the families who need the help also try to keep things private for the respect of the needy family.

I understand where you are coming from because you want your daughter to "see" how it helps but think if the person in need. They don't want to be used as an example, a teaching tool or have someone pity them. They also deserve respect and privacy.

We have been involved with our own Community Outreach program, women's shelter, Toys for Tots and the Angel Trees that are set up yearly.

She would be able to "see" work from something like Habitat for Humanity possibly when they build homes for the needy.

Good luck to you.

This can be very specific to your area. Some areas have shelters for battered women and families-and some don't (ie) since your daughters 7 I would look to churches first. They usually welcome all ages. My kids (youngest is six) helped a friends chuch stuff bags full of food for the homeless. at our chuch we stuffed backpacks, made blankets, had a soup cook off, etc.
Our animal shelter accepts donations of fleece (tied to gather like te blankets) cat beds. She might not be able to see the cats in person, but you could show her pics online and explain that each cat/kitten gets to take the bed to their forever home.
We have a local charity called Rainbow connection that collects toy donations year round. I collected a bunch of toys and when I went to deliver them we were given a tour of the facility complete with pics of kids they helped (kids with terminal illness) grant wishes for.
I signed up for volunteer family.org-but a lot of the charities accept only older kids.

Do you have an animal shelter near you? Ours is always willing to have kids and parents come and love on the animals. Of course it would be really tempting for me.....

I used to help my mom deliver Meals on Wheels when I wasn't in school. I loved doing it. Groups around here have kids make seasonal cards to go to recipients of the meals.

Many nursing homes have bingo nights. Maybe she could help with that.

Is there a daycare center that would like someone to come in and help with crafts or to read with the kids?

There may be opportunities at the public library.

i'd suggest visiting a retirement home, or group home for retarded children or adults. i used to take my boys to the therapeutic riding school to volunteer, which of course wouldn't work for you, but it was attached to a group home so my kids also got to interact with a large number of folks with a variety of disabilities.
khairete
S.

We used to host a Toys for Tots party just before Thanksgiving every year. We would rent out the local theater and provide goody bags and cupcakes to everyone. Each guest was to bring a toy as their "entry fee" and they were welcome to buy popcorn and soda's. It was awesome.

My kids got to see the Marine's huge smiles when we pulled up with 2 huge SUV's full of toys for needy kids. They didn't get to see the kids smile, but they knew.

We also go to Hospice and do a Christmas show for my daughter's dance team, and my boys get to help with the patients as well, as far as giving them drawings, talking to them, etc.

I think if you EXPLAIN to her what her efforts are going to do it will really help. Honestly, we stopped doing the party because of time restraints on our part, but the kids were really young when we started them (3, 1, and not born yet) and we stopped when they were 8, 6, and 4...they always loved it.

See if your food bank has "gleans" and if they allow that age--but I think they have to be older. Formal volunteer opportunities at 7 will be few and far between, I'm afraid. Unless your church has something.

Second meals on wheels. I wasn't able to volunteer with my kids for Ronald McDonald house because of their ages. They had strict guidelines for it.

One thing we were able to do was Christmas eve and day we made goodie bags for people in the hospital. People who weren't restricted with diet were able to enjoy a treat. This year I would like to have two bags. One with treats and another without edibles so if there are diet restrictions they still get a bag. You could always check with your local children's hospital to see if they have opportunities to serve. Nursing homes are great. Also preparing lunch sacks and just handling them out where you know homeless people are.

You will find areas of opportunity and I know you and your sweet child will be a blessing to others and be blessed by others

One of our local gymnastics places has an activity and each child's admission is a new toy. They are supplied with tape and wrapping paper.

The kids sit around on the mats and equipment and wrap their gift labeling it "boy" "girl" and add the age it's for such as "18 months - age 3". Then the owners take all the packages to a local place where they're handed out.

You could do this for sure on a smaller scale. Like a birthday party but kids bring a gift for a child. You can supply paper and bows and labels.

If you have a church or synagogue, they may have a specific program. Our temple has specific days they help out the food bank so if you know early, they are not over loaded with volunteers.

Do you have the time, money and wherewithal to go somewhere second or third world for a 3+ week stint, and while there live with, near or among the people you are trying to "help"? This I think would prove most impactful. The thing is, kids are extremely resilient and resourceful. Most are content with their reality, even if it is a marginal existence, so long as they don't know about living differently. The hardship comes in when the family once had more, but now doesn't (but even then not so much so). The lesson your daughter might learn from this experience might prove - Hey look Juan in the favella is tickled to skip stones and hop in puddles, despite the fact that he hasn't proper shoes, and hasn't seen meat in his plate in the past month. Kids find joy. Maybe she can come away learnign to find more joy.

Best,
F. B.

PS- while I was born and raised state side, three of my grandparents were orphans, and my parents were raised in refugee camps in the middle east. My family, and others who were similarly situated, tend to pity us kids who grew up stateside, and don't know about the joy of having a fresh orange because there is always one on the kitchen counter.

Hi! Cradles to Crayons would be great for your daughter. They are in Brighton. I know they take young children and there is a world of opportunity to help them out. Good luck!