Include kids in your community holiday giving
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EmailRemember to include the children in your life when you care for others in the community this holiday season.
The holidays are naturally the time of year when people feel like “giving back.” It’s a time where as the temperatures start to fall, our hearts fill with the warm, giving spirit to help those less fortunate. However you choose to extend yourself this holiday season, remember to include the children in your life as a way to teach them about caring for others.
Some ways Michigan State University Extension suggests you can include children in caring for others during the holidays include:
- Gathering some friends to sing carols at a nursing home or hospital.
- Looking for organized events already taking place in the community where you can contribute, such as a coat, mitten or book drive.
- Contacting a local shelter to see what their needs might be.
- Asking children what’s important to them or what they see as a need in the community and then acting on that.
Remember that taking care of those who need help in our communities doesn’t need to happen only at the holidays. MSU Extension has several resources about community service and service learning projects that you can do on your own or with children. See the following for more information:
- Community Service and Service Learning
- Holidays and giving by Michelle Neff
- What is the difference between community service and service learning? By Roxanne Turner
- Helpful steps to take for successful service learning projects by Roxanne Turner
For more information on engaging youth in decision making:
- Youth-adult partnerships have many levels of youth involvement by Jacklyn Martin
