Volunteering & The Family: Kids Not Required

How to volunteer with your kids is a topic we've covered before here in Activista-land.  We've discussed Mercy Kits that kids pick out with you, where to distribute food on Thanksgiving, and how to locate that kid-friendly volunteer opportunity.  And while I like to think I'm the volunteering type (who doesn't?), what am I realistically going to do with two kids under 5 that's actually helpful?  My almost five-year-old son would do well at many volunteer activities, but adding a 21-month old into the mix sure reduces our options.  Which brings me to the recent events in our house.

Nothing new in the fact that we are each motivated to help others in different ways, at different times.  Turns out that disasters really get my husband.  He wants to help the vicitms.  Me not so much.  I've got other issues.  So on Saturday, my husband took a day off work and headed to Vernonia with his pick-up and some waterproof clothes.  When the kids and I returned at the end of the day from our various and sundry "mama day" activities (lunch with the dinosaurs at Laughing Planet, Tuba Christmas, and 5 terrible minutes with 5,000 others at Finnegan's), we parked behind the mud-covered truck.  Needless to say, my 5-year-old son was most interested.

The fact that my husband had used his truck as a garbage truck and ripped cabinets off someone's walls only added to the intrigue.  Although his motivation was 100% unrelated to teaching our children about volunteering (they had no idea till mid-day that he wasn't just at work), this turned out to be a pretty effective way to kickstart a meaningful and interesting multi-day conversation for my son about volunteering. 

Culminating, mind you, in this morning's question to me, right as I was walking out the door for work (natch!): "Mom, why didn't you volunteer for the flood?" Ouch!  What's a mama to say?  I sputtered something about Daddy working for himself, me not having enough leave at work, not being the type to rip cabinets off people's walls.  But what I really felt was how cool that he was so impressed with his Dad for volunteering.  And how great that this topic was on his mind at all (given that he could have been adding items to his Santa list, instead).  Next time, he says, he wants to go, too.  Well done, Dad!

So it turns out that when grown-ups in the house volunteer in an understandable way (thinkin' that grantwriting for his pre-school doesn't count), their example can be powerful.  My Mom volunteered endlessly when I was a kid - with and without me. My most powerful memories of that time stem from my contact with the people who needed the help.  It pushed my boundaries, my comfort level, really drove the message home.  I can still picture  - as if it were yesterday - pulling up in front of a woman's house to deliver a holiday basket through our church.  I was 12.  What amazed me was how very close she lived to us.  Just like Vernonia.

Got a volunteering story to share?  Thoughts on the topic?  'Tis the season.

Comments

[fionnsnana]

I just had a really cool experience delivering food boxes from St. Vincent De Paul on Saturday through St. Andrews church. My just turned 6-yr. old boy was totally into it, and handmade cards for each family we delivered to. The seniors got food only, the families with children got food and wrapped gifts. He was just taking it all in (for him I think he is just now old enough to really absorb the experience.) He had some questions for me that were really hard to answer, only because there are no good answers. My husband and toddler were sick at home, but they'll come next year. We're excited about our new tradition.

[Lea]

You know, volunteering is a family tradition for me as well. I come from a long line of 'do-gooders'. For me, if it had anything to do with art, food, or womans health, I was all over it.
Then, I had a child. Suddenly, her welfare was more important to me than the un-named masses. Even though I felt guilty about it, I didn't feel like I had the time to commit to volunteering.
Then, in the process of trying to help a friend, I came across 'Nursing Mothers Counsel of OR'(maybe on this website?).This is a volunteer based phone line, with mama to mama peer counseling.... the name pretty much describes its' purpose. I saw the word 'volunteer' and decided to check it out.
The great thing about volunteering for NMC is that it is so do-able. I work from the home, answering the phone. They request that I do only one shift per month, as a minimum. And it's so flexible. I only sign up for a shift when I have a couple of free hours. But the best part is the gratitude that comes with helping a new mama find a solution to her problem.
Golly gee, I sound just like an info-mercial! But really, if you want to 'pay it forward', but don't have a lot of free time, the 'Nursing Mothers Counsel' is a great way to go.