6 Ways to Volunteer as a Family

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Is your family's resolution to give back this year? Here are some easy and fun ways to get started!

By Tracy King

Families are busier than ever, but if volunteering is on your list of resolutions, why not jump in and take the kids along for the ride? Studies on family volunteering reveal impressive benefits for kids, including the development of compassion, tolerance and a lifelong commitment to charity.

Volunteering with your kids doesn’t have to be complicated — you can clean up garbage at your local park or bake cookies for a senior’s center. However, if you’re looking to broaden your horizons, here are some ideas.

Staff an event

Special events are often a good opportunity for families to volunteer together. Most take place on evenings or weekends, when kids and parents are free to get involved. Children can help with everything from checking coats to handing out water at a charity run.

Work at home

For families with very young children, often the best approach is to work on a project at home. Ideas include preparing care packages for the local mission or putting together holiday shoe boxes for children in developing countries.

Sort food at the local food bank

Most cities have food banks that offer volunteering options to families. Sorting food in the warehouse is a task typically suitable for kids aged eight years and older, but check with your local organization, as each has its own guidelines.

Share your passion

If you have a passion as a volunteer, share it with your kids. Shannon Phillips, a mom of two, is teaching charity by her own example. Phillips is an enthusiastic volunteer for the Mustard Seed Food Bank in Victoria, B.C. Though her daughters are still young, she already has them involved: “My girls regularly go through their clothes, toys, and shoes and put things aside for the food bank. They know that lots of kids go there, who don't have any toys, and it's a regular part of our discussion."

Start a "family night" tradition

Sometimes starting a tradition makes family volunteering a habit. The Winnipeg Harvest Food Bank offers Family Night, a twice-monthly evening of volunteering for parents with children of all ages. Adair Knock and her 15-year-old son have volunteered at Winnipeg Harvest for more than a year: “There is a job for everyone and it is a great way to spend time with your kids. Very often, we are working alongside people who use the food bank themselves; it is really incredible the diversity of people we have met through volunteering." Knock also points out that busy families can make time for volunteering with their own "family night": “When my kids were little, we baked cinnamon buns and delivered them to local groups building dams during the flood," says Knock.

Get matched

To get inspired, you can visit Volunteer Canada's site, which matches volunteers with opportunities in their community.
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However you get started, family volunteering can be a rewarding experience, one that will leave its mark on your children. Time spent together and the satisfaction of helping out — it all adds up to memories that inspire a new generation of volunteers.