SHOULD CHILDREN BE ACTIVE VOLUNTEERS?

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #78 – January 8, 2010

Have you ever noticed when you are busily working on something at home, like washing the car, or cleaning the windows, many times your child will eagerly come up and ask, “Can I help?”? Perhaps your child has even seen you actively participating in a volunteer capacity such as: cleaning up the local park, bringing cards or gifts to a local senior citizen’s center or dropping off toys during the Toys for Tots Campaign. Children innately like to help.

As a high school teacher, one year I decided to involve my eleventh grade students in a Service Learning Project. This is a project where students volunteer and help their community in some capacity. From personal experience I can tell you, it’s not that easy to find places that will allow unsupervised volunteers under the age of 18. I was lucky to find two local elementary schools that allowed my students to visit their first grade classes and become a “Reading Buddies” to some classes of first graders. The experience was an incredible “win-win” for all.

Many of my students wrote comments in their journals indicating they actually felt they had received more than they had given. As they watched the joy and exuberance displayed by their “buddy”each visit and noted the increased enthusiasm the child had toward reading, they felt pride in the important gift they were able to impart to that child.

Upon recalling this tremendous experience, I was wondering how it would be possible for even younger children to volunteer. After a bit of research, I found the following activities children can do as volunteers:

-Collect canned food and other necessities for people in shelters
-Devise ways to raise money for a charity of their choice (car washes, bake sales, etc.)
-If your child is in a musical group (choir, band, etc.) they can perform at a nursing home
-Drop off baked goods or reading materials at a home or shelter for the needy
-Send letters or greeting cards to our troops overseas
-If your child likes animals, the Humane Society offers programs where children can help care for the animals (with parental supervision)

Here are a few websites that encourage and offer volunteer opportunities for kids and youth:
Volunteerkids.gov, Dosomething.org, Blossom International.org/children.htm, Volunteermatch.com, Artistshelpingchildren.org/wayschildrencanhelp.htm.

The fact is, the significance of children volunteering cannot be easily measured, but its worth is inestimable. When kids volunteer, their self-esteem increases as they build confidence in their ability to assist others. Volunteering also enables children to view themselves as essential to the world as they become aware of the fact they can truly make a difference. Even the youngest children can bring joy to others when they volunteer. Next time a child asks, “Can I help?” realize the full potential of the question. Should children be active volunteers? What do you think?

“To do more for the world than the world does for you - that is success." Henry Ford