Where You Live!

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Family Adventure

GOAL:   Teach children the joy and rewards of service

 

 

The ADVENTURE:   

 

This Adventure has three parts to it:

 

Part 1:   Register to participate in the Seasons of Service, a statewide initiative that is focused on helping families in their efforts to serve, and encouraging local non-profit organizations to be intentional in designing volunteer opportunities that the entire families can participate in together. After all, what better way to build bonds and strengthen relationships than serving together-- mom and dad, the teenagers, the kids, and even the littles! You can learn more at MyDiscoveryDestination.com/sos

 

 

Part 2: Choose 2-3 of your favorite organizations and let them know about JustServe.org and the opportunity available to them to let people looking for volunteer opportunities to know what they need. You can do this in person, by sending them an email or text, or even contacting them via their website. The point is to make sure they know about, and encourage them, to post their volunteer opportunities on JustServe.org so that local volunteers can find it.

 

Part 3: Choose a local volunteer opportunity (preferably from JustServe.org) and enjoy it together as a family.

 

Most importantly, Have FUN! 

 

TIPS (Teaching Important Parenting Strategies):

 

Honestly, the best reward for service usually comes naturally from seeing the results of your work. Perhaps the best way to reward your child's service activities is to make sure that they 'see' or understand the impact their work has had. You can help them with this by saying things like:

 

 

Did you see the smile on their faces? That was so cool. You really made their day!

 

Did you hear when they said that because of your work they would be able to ______?

 

How do you feel right now? (Wait for response)

 

Let them know that what they did has also impacted you in a positive way. You could say something like "I feel so good right now. I'm glad I was able to be a part of that project with you" or "My favorite part was _____. This project really made my day!" Kids will be rewarded by knowing that they made life better for someone else, whether it's the people they serve or the people they helped provide an opportunity to do the service for.

 

 

 

 

Of course, other ways to reward service include:

 

 

 

Acknowledge the work that they did. "Wow! You really worked hard on that."

 

Support the child's future efforts on the cause. Many times a service project will jumpstart future projects or an interest in that area.

 

Let the child talk about the experience and give them your full attention. Really be there for them. Hear them!

 

Support their efforts! Participate with them on the service project.

 

Let them choose the next project.

 

Continue to acknowledge what they did. For example, if they help clean up a dilapidated neighborhood take time to drive through the area 3 months (or 3 years!) later and comment on how awesome the work they did was.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Building unity through community service.

 

 

We may not solve world hunger immediately, but by serving with our families in our local communities, we pave the way for much broader changes. Individual efforts don't need to be huge—a little bit of change here, a few hours there—but even small efforts quickly add up to make a real difference.

 

As you work side-by-side and learn from each other, mutual understanding increases, misconceptions can be corrected, and new friendships are built.

 

Another benefit of participating in volunteer efforts as a family is that children who serve with their families and children are more likely to volunteer in the community as adults. This will not only improve the communities that they live in, but research has shown that those who serve tend to be happier, and even wealthier. Teaching children to serve is a wonderful gift to them.

 

JustServe.org is a website where the volunteer needs of organizations can be posted so that volunteers can find places to serve in their community, providing opportunities to help those in need and enhance the quality of life in the community.

 

 

 

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TIPS  TO KEEP IN MIND

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Find an opportunity that will be meaningful and rewarding for your family.

 

Include the whole family in choosing the project.

 

Involve everyone. Make sure that each member of the family has a role to play in your service.

 

Let the kids take the lead . . . after all, they will be the future leaders

 

 

Pre-K Adventure

Keep in mind that it's never to young to start teaching kids to serve. Even the littlest of the little ones will love:

  Taking a plate of goodies to a neighbor

 

Helping surprise someone by doing their chore (okay-- someone else will probably do the real work, but the littles LOVE to help and feel like they were a part of it!)

 

Rake leaves (and jump in them, of course!)

 

The little ones may not be much help when it gets right down to it, but never under estimate the importance of letting them jump in and get involved. It's one of the greatest gifts you can give them!

 

 

Community Engagement Adventure

Super Achievers will want to take their service to the next level and organize a neighborhood service project. Whether it's organizing a neighborhood wide food drive, or organizing a small group of friends to serve elderly neighbors--

 

WHAT you do isn't as important as the DOING! Make service a habit~

 

 

Teen Adventure

Teens have unique skills and ability, and plenty of opportunities to serve.

 

Whether it's an official 'service project' or as simple as looking for, and being a friend to someone at school that looks lonely, use this time in your life to make a positive impact!

 

 

 

Photo Location

Take a selfie of you and your family serving and post it to your social media sites with the hashtags #JustServe, MyDiscoveryDestination and #Wattson

by JustServe.org

  At JustServe, we believe that nothing should get in the way of organizations and volunteers coming together to do good things for the community, so we help make this happen for free.