How You Can Get Your Kids Involved in Charitable Works
At Weekend Survival Kits we have witnessed many kids doing charitable works. We are often thrilled, delighted, and even moved to tears by the acts of charity that young people have initiated. It is amazing when we see kids take the lead to do something wonderful to help other kids who may be less fortunate than them.
The popularity of the Weekend Survival Kits evening food kit packing sessions is due in large part because so many families wish to make giving a family affair. Being able to be work together as a family to help our cause is rich with opportunities for teachable moments.
Here are just a few that we have observed:
Kids Activities Parent/Adult Talking Point
| While the kids are having fun stomping on boxes
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These boxes were filled with good nutritious food that will go in the kits we are packing. Isn’t it great that so many hungry kids will have this (name of food item) to fill their tummy? |
| When the kids are having fun lifting heavy bags on to the transport cart | You are so strong! Thank you for using your muscles to help. Aren’t you glad you are so strong because you never have to worry about getting enough to eat? |
| When the kids are working on the packing assembly line with strangers | Isn’t it great to work with new friends to get this important work done? I wonder what school these kits will go to? |
| When kids are helping to clean-up after the session is all done | Did you know that together we packed over 1,000 kits tonight? Thank you for being a helpful volunteer. We did great work together |
| Happy, tired kids on the drive home
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It was great to see you being such a helpful volunteer. I was so proud of you when you: (Call out a specific action you noticed) How do you think we might be able to continue to help some of the kids who need these food kits? |
Benefits for Kids Doing Charitable Works
There are so many ways to instill important values through volunteering. Here are just a few skills/values kids can develop through volunteering and giving:
Initiative and Follow-Through
Communication Skills
Working with Others for a Common Goal
Creative Thinking and Problem-Solving
Personal Sacrifice for a Greater Good
Observation and Helpfulness
Tolerance and Sensitivity
Appreciate the Value of Money and Things
Take Action to Help Your Kids Doing Charitable Works
If your family is interested in volunteering and/or supporting the mission of Weekend Survival Kits, we want to thank you so much for investing time, energy and resources to raise the next generation of helpers. We know that the food kit packing sessions are getting harder to attend because of the high demand for spots, but that doesn’t mean you as a family can’t do something simple together which will benefit Weekend Survival Kits. It is one of the reasons we have established the Promise Keepers giving campaign. It is a campaign in which you as a family can make a pledge to make small gifts consistently to help us keep the promise of giving hope to hungry kids. How you bring that into your family setting is up to you. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- If your children receive an allowance help them understand that Saving and Tithing should be prioritized before personal spending.
- If you regularly have an annual yard/garage sale, encourage your kids to choose personal items or toys to sell with the idea of splitting the proceeds between giving/personal use.
- Make good use of the summer months to encourage your kids to use their initiative to build and run a lemonade stand (See the Sour Boys Blog) or other enterprise. The library has some great books that might help. We were particularly impressed with Kid’s Start Up
for entrepreneurial projects. - With the changing of the seasons come opportunities for kids to earn money by helping with yard work, or snow shoveling in the neighborhood. Perhaps if there are charges for those services, they could let the neighbor know that they are pledging an amount that will go to Weekend Survival Kits.
- On more than one occasion Weekend Survival Kits has been the honored recipient of a child’s birthday money.
At Weekend Survival Kits, we recognize how important it is to be acknowledged and encouraged. If your kids/grand kids are doing projects to support our mission, please share pictures and details if you wish to acknowledge them publicly, or just send the pictures and information to us so that we can send a personal letter of thanks. We can also take time at our packing sessions for brief “award ceremonies” – these should be coordinated with the packing session crew leader listed in the events posts.