Helping others is a part of our culture. It’s also one of the ways we reinforce the importance of our traditions. Holiday volunteering is especially useful to youngsters; it helps them understand the blessings they have and the blessings they can be.
Your Volunteer Goals
The first positive benefit that family volunteering offers is that it enables a dialogue among family members: How can we serve? What can we do? What are our unique talents? As you plan your volunteering-as-a-family activity, discuss these points:
- What do we care about and what is interesting to us?
- What special skills/talents do we have?
- What kind of volunteering is appropriate for every age in our family?
- Should this be a one-time project or an ongoing activity?
- What do we hope to accomplish?
Family Volunteering Benefits
The generationOn website says volunteering as a family helps your youngsters focus on things larger than themselves. Research confirms there are positive benefits for volunteers too, when they work with their family to help others.
- Values such as caring and empathy are cultivated as well as a commitment to serving our community
- Children – especially teens – feel appreciated and respected when they volunteer, plus they learn new skills that may serve them later.
- Parents are able to act as role models and can use the time to open more channels of communications with their children.
- Connections to the family unit and the community are reinforced while creating a more positive sense of self.
- The age and generation gap becomes smaller as we recognize that each of us can effect change for the better: From grandparents to preschool, we can help.
Maot Chitim: Charity Begins at Home
Call 847-674-3224 or contact Maot Chitim to learn more about how your family can help. We know that your time is truly more valuable than money! If volunteering is not possible, your financial support can be a family project, too. And don’t forget to support our sponsors! We depend on their support and services, as we continue to help those who need us most in the Greater Chicago area.
