Volunteer ...... Help Others..... Help Yourself

Have you ever considered volunteering with your family?? The benefits are enormous and are for the entire family from toddler and preschoolers to grand-parents. Lessons learned include empathy, tolerance, gratitude and community responsibility. Children who volunteer are the ones that most likely will volunteer as adults. The small things that we can all do make large differences in our family, community, town, state and world.

There are lots of volunteer jobs perfect for families. What will you do?? Do you want to volunteer just one time or would you rather volunteer on a long term commitment. There are many volunteer opportunities that you can find by contacting your church. When you decide what volunteer opportunity your family will participate in talk about it with your family and if your children have questions be sure to answer them. The most important thing is that you make sure you have fun There are many great ways that you can create family memories while helping other. Here is a short list

• Do a bit of shopping whether in your own pantry or at the store. Get a bagful of items to donate to a food pantry
• Take a walk to fight disease, this week in our area there are 2 great walks one for MS and the other from arthritis
• Decorate shoe boxes and fill them with a deck of cards, small games and puzzle books to donate to local shelters and hospitals. 
• Visit a nursing home, your family can find one special person to adopt as a "grandparent" or you can make a weekly visit to see many
• pick up litter at a local park or while you take a walk in your own neighborhood. While doing this activity you may want to make sure your child wears work gloves
• volunteer for a local charity that delivers meals. Not only will you bring them some thing filling but you can also provide companship
• provide rides to elderly people or patients with AIDS or cancer to dr appointments. 
• have your child practice their reading skills by reading to children in the hospital. 
• Volunteer at an animal shelpter and help care for abandoned dogs or cats. 

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