If you care about our country and its future, service is a major part of our involvement. Putting the human face on poverty by meeting someone who is in need, a kid who is homeless, makes volunteering more concrete for kids. That's exactly what Amanda Barnard did. She visited St. Francis House soup kitchen recently with Alachua County 4-Hers dropping off food drive donations, and said she enjoyed meeting the people. I liked seeing their expressions and how grateful they are for the help.
Parents can tailor volunteer activities to meet their family's interest.
For nearly any interest, there's an opportunity to serve that captures it, said Rutledge. He advises families to talk to volunteer agencies about their needs. Prepare your kids before you take them to the activity. Rutledge said kids can be brutally honest and parents will want to prepare children, especially if they are younger, for what they will see at a place such as a soup kitchen. Having a child point at someone who is homeless and say they smell can be embarrassing.