Why Volunteering Is The Perfect Lesson To Teach Your Kids This Holiday Season
It’s that time of year again, when temperatures drop, leaves fall and magic fills the air! The holidays are a season of giving, a time when friends and neighbors come together to help each other and those in need, making this the perfect time to teach your children about the value of volunteering. Read on to learn more about the research and benefits of volunteering and gratitude.
The Science Behind Volunteering: Why It’s Good for You and Your Family
Volunteering is a great bonding activity that your family can engage in throughout the year. While serving others is a popular way to spread yuletide cheer, it also offers benefits that extend far beyond the holidays. “Volunteering helps improve your mood, makes you feel healthier, increases your sense of purpose and reduces your stress levels. Volunteering can also give us a deep sense of happiness, both immediately and long term,” according to Project Helping. “Giving to others can also help protect your mental and physical health, combat depression and keep you mentally stimulated.”
How Gratitude Shapes Giving: Lessons Your Kids Will Cherish
Gratitude for what we have can help us find joy and contentment. Writing down or sharing what we’re thankful for solidifies and enriches these feelings. It can also create a desire to share with others, a great lesson for children to learn and apply to their friends, classmates and siblings during this festive time of year.
“Gratitude also inspires us to perform kind acts for others. For example, in a 2006 study led by Monica Bartlett and David DeSteno, people who were induced to feel grateful—by receiving help from someone else—later exerted more effort to help their benefactors,” according to Berkeley’s Greater Good Magazine.
“People induced to feel grateful were also more likely to help complete strangers! These findings suggest that feeling grateful not only prompts people to want to pay their benefactor back directly but also to “pay it forward” by helping others. Gratitude, therefore, motivates us not only to improve our own lot in life but also the circumstances of the people around us.”
Family-Friendly Volunteer Opportunities: Get Involved and Give Back
There are many different ways you can give back, during the holidays and all year long! Check out the options below to find a good volunteering opportunity for your family.
Aqua-Tots Donation Drives
Our Aqua-Tots Swim Schools are proud to support the community by hosting donation drives for baby supplies, toys and more throughout the year. To find out about upcoming drives at a swim school near you, simply reach out to your local Aqua-Tots! Give them a call or send an email to ask how you can get involved and make a difference.
Join Feed My Starving Children: Pack Meals, Change Lives
Pack food to be shipped to communities in need across the world at one of Feed My Starving Children’s permanent locations or at one of their MobilePack events across the United States.
Support Your Local Food Pantry: Help Families in Need
Most communities have a local food pantry. These play a pivotal role in providing many families with Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Use the following databases to find a food bank near you.
- Salvation Army (also offers other service opportunities)
Explore Local Volunteer Spots: Where Your Family Can Make a Difference
HelpGuide.org recommends checking with local establishments offering volunteer opportunities, such as:
- Community theaters, museums and monuments
- Libraries or senior centers
- Service organizations such as Lions Clubs or Rotary Clubs
- Local animal shelters, rescue organizations or wildlife centers
- Youth organizations, sports teams and after-school programs
- Historical restorations, national parks and conservation organizations
- Places of worship such as churches or synagogues
Browse Volunteer Projects: Find Opportunities Near You
These online databases list both local and virtual volunteer opportunities.
As you serve this holiday season, make an effort to remember the joy and magic you feel when volunteering with your family. Eventually, the season will come to a close and a new year will be upon us. Continue these traditions of service and gratitude, and you’ll be able to keep the magic of the holidays with you all year long!