There are many ways to volunteer and help others in your school, community or city. Random Acts of Kindness day could be a stepping stone down a path of making people smile everyday.
If you have seen Official Kids Mag, you may have seen our Kid Hero stories where we feature kids who do kind things for others like raising money for the animal shelter, or making blessing bags or coming up with ways to recycle more.
Official Kids Mag did some thinking to come up with volunteer opportunities you can do with your family, friends and classmates. I bet you have even more ideas, and if you want to share how you are growing your heart, TELL US ABOUT IT. Have your adult email krice@officialkidsmag.com.
We want to share what you are doing!
• Tutoring or helping other kids. If you are great at math, or history or some other subject, volunteer to offer to help kids just like you by tutoring them in the subjects you are good at.
• Write letters to soldiers far away from home or other members of the military who may need to see a cheerful note.
There are many opportunities to write letters to deployed troops currently overseas in harm’s way, veterans who have served our country, new recruits who will be shipping out far away from family soon, or wounded heroes who were injured in the line of duty. This a cool way to thank them for their service. You and your adult can get more information at www.operationgratitude.com/ if you want to volunteer to write to our military service members and soldiers.
• Make cards or send letters to kids or other people in the hospital. Cards you decorate or draw for people who are in the hospital is a welcome piece of art or message when they are trying to get well. You could work with your class and send cards to different areas of the hospital, like the cardiac patients, or the children’s hospital. What a great way to let people you want them to get well and you are thinking of them.
• Have a food drive or volunteer at a food bank. There are many kids who get one good meal a day at lunchtime. You can work with the school and volunteer at a local food bank to get donations. The food banks need help all year to make sure everyone has enough food.
• Create a school garden or participate in a community garden. Playing in the dirt can’t get any better when you are doing it for your community. Make sure to check with the principal to see if you and your class can build a school garden.
• Have a school supply drive. Students and classrooms are always in need of supplies, especially at the beginning of the school year. You could collect school supplies to donate to kids who aren’t able to get everything they need to be successful at school.
• Volunteer to visit animals in a shelter or raise money for their food and supplies. How much fun is it to find a new furry friend and play for a little while. The animals in shelters will benefit from interacting with you and it will help get them ready for a new family. Animal shelters can always use help with food, blankets and other pet supplies. You and your adult can call the shelter to see what they need most and how you can volunteer.
• Get to know some seniors. Retirement and nursing homes are full of people who may not get out much due to their age or health. Bring some games or a jigsaw puzzle and volunteer to get to know some of these senior citizens. You just might learn something from the stories they have from when they were kids.
• Books can be read over and over. Gather up the books you no longer read and donate them to a library, or church. Most hospitals only take new book donations due to germs, but there are plenty of other places like Salvation Army or Goodwill store.