Family First

It Takes a Family to Raise a Village

Getting Involved Through Community Service

 

It Takes a Family to Raise a Village

 

It’s easy to get lost in the daily grind. Typically, parents juggle working and managing the household, while children soak up knowledge and experience between home and school. As a family grows, coming together for some quality time gets more challenging. However, the options for a meaningful activity that can bring the family closer expands, as well. While playing games, travelling, and eating together is fun, there is an initiative that nourishes the soul while easing the burden of others — community service.

Volunteering for community service projects is not just enjoyable. It can provide satisfaction and pride that stem from the ability to be a guiding light for others. Volunteering also makes a community a lot stronger, and if a place is doing well, it raises the quality of life for those who are living within its borders. Lastly, community service, when done as a family, can fortify the ties that bind each member. Working together for the greater good is not only fun, but also a productive way of utilizing the talents that everyone has been blessed with.

Volunteerism may be a way of giving back, but there is a lot to be taken away from this, as well. Here are some of the things that kids can learn from volunteering:

 

  1. The Value of Commitment. In taking on volunteer projects, children assume a responsibility to see them through. In a way, it is making a promise to do their best and being able to stand behind the product of their efforts, no matter the result.
  2. The Ability to Make a Difference. When it comes to kindness, there are no big or small acts. There is nothing more empowering than being able to see a positive change that you were able to do by lending assistance to those in need.
  3. The Meaning of Sacrifice. Giving up money to donate to charity or passing up on a meeting or other engagements to attend fundraisers are forms of sacrifice that one can make for more important things. This can lead to greater appreciation of those that may seem expendable or mundane.
  4. A Better Worldview. Volunteering will expose children to people with different backgrounds, abilities, ethnicities, and ages. This is a great opportunity for them to learn how to be more inclusive and respectful towards a diverse group of individuals.
  5. An Insight Into the Future. Community service can pave the way for children to ponder on future careers. Depending on the type of project that they are more attuned to, it might be easier for them to figure out their strengths and use them in achieving their goals.