Volunteering with Kids: Our Experience

One of our Family Goals is to volunteer our in our community at least three times a year. In Austin, volunteering with kids is incredibly easy thanks to an organization called Generation Serve.

We have done a lot of different activities over the years. Playing games and doing arts and crafts at a retirement center is fun. We have made greeting cards for people experiencing homelessness. We have planted tress (through another great organization called TreeFolks).

Recently, Henry and I went to a food pantry. It’s at a local church twice a week. People experiencing homelessness and/or poverty are able to walk through the pantry like a grocery store. Then volunteers help them bag up their groceries. Henry was a “runner” who picked up the hand-held baskets and returned them for other people coming through the store.

I loved having one-on-one time with Henry, and it’s so meaningful to spend time in service of others.

If your community doesn’t have organizations that make it easy to volunteer, you could consider planning your own events. You can continue organizations directly to see what their need for volunteers is. Age is often a barrier at organizations. I highly recommend visiting retirement centers for volunteering with younger kids. You could get a group of friends together and bring supplies for a basic art project, as well as basic games. Even simple coloring sheets and markers can work!