Family volunteering can provide a great way for families to grow and give back to their community or the causes they care about. While the benefits are unparalleled, some may find it difficult to begin volunteering with their loved ones. Here are a few tips to get started with.
Tip 1: Consider Everyone’s Strengths
When deciding how to create a family volunteering activity, it’s important to take everyone into consideration. What are everyone’s passions? How can their strengths benefit different causes? Volunteering can also be a great way for family members to gain new skills and hobbies.
Tip 2: Determine the Type of Service Work
Families can give back together in one of four major ways: awareness, service, advocacy and philanthropy. Finding time to volunteer while balancing people’s schedules can be daunting but considering each type of volunteerism can broaden the possibilities.
Tip 3: Pick a Cause Everyone Can Get Involved With
Family volunteering should include the whole family, so picking a cause that everyone can be involved in is key to giving back together. Consider everyone’s ages when trying to volunteer – generations of families that volunteer can create and instill long-lasting morals and values for years to come.
Tip 4: Keep Kids Engaged
When kids are volunteering, it’s crucial to keep them engaged. Think of fun activities to attract younger volunteers and help parents get them involved in community service. Starting children off early with skills like hard work, communication and empathy may help in encouraging children to maintain giving back throughout their lives, building an entire lifestyle that includes volunteerism.
No matter how you decide to give back, giving back together is the most important aspect of family volunteering. A great resource to help families select their cause together can be found in our recent blog “Picking a Service Project: The Beginner’s Guide to Volunteerism."
