Homeschool Community Service Ideas
Homeschooling Volunteers and Community Outreach Projects
Nov 11, 2008
Participating in volunteer community service projects, either as a family or as individuals, or with other groups like the Girl Scouts, offers homeschoolers real-life opportunities to participate in a larger teamwork effort, to work with a higher purpose and to have a positive impact on their community. Homeschool support groups enjoy being involved with community outreach projects that improve the lives of citizens.
Volunteer Service
Volunteer service, donating one's time and labor, is not a new practice. People helping people could arguably be the only reason the human race has survived for so long. Even primitive human cultures have a habit of banding together to improve each other's lives by building homes for those who can not build them, caring for the elderly and the ill, and working together to make everyone's lives better.
Community Service
In many areas, the words “community service” conjures up images of roadside labor, court-appointed community service projects often used as a barter to get out of paying traffic tickets. While highway litter control is an important issue, real community service projects can have an impact far larger than meets the eye.
Community Service Projects
Many people are intimidated by the idea of creating community service projects for their homeschool support group or finding projects to participate in as a family or individual. The local newspaper might be a solution. Sometimes the local newspaper will have a weekly or even daily column designed to post volunteer opportunities for the benefit of the community. Participating as a family can be a challenge, since many organizations aren't insured to allow minors to volunteer. Rest assured, though, in most communities there are ways for children to help and with a little creative thinking and teamwork, the entire family can be involved in community service projects. Even the smallest children can bag clothing for donation or ride in a parade float.
Community Service Ideas
Start at your local chamber of commerce and pick up a list of nonprofit organizations. Create a record for your family or homeschool support group by speaking with a representative from each group about what they do. Ask if these organizations have volunteer opportunities, if they have a “wish list”, what their annual events are, if they accept donations (and what they like people to donate.)
Some ways to help are repairing church and public buildings and landscaping, collecting donations of food and goods for resale, holding a bake sale of other fundraising event, like a car wash or a fair. Knitting or sewing blankets for the homeless or for premature babies, donating car seats or stuffed animals for domestic violence victims. Closer to the group, raising money for a member's mission trip is also a great way to volunteer.
Brainstorm ways to help. A room full of homeschoolers can come up with thousands of ideas for community service. Decide if the group would like to choose one or several, handle scheduling concerns, and create a plan that works best for the people being helped.
Community Outreach Projects
Sometimes, a nonprofit organization will hold outreach events to let the public know that it is available to help. Community health organizations and women's shelters need to let the community know that they're available. Community outreach projects often involve sitting at a booth and passing out advertising material for the organization. Volunteers for community outreach programs are often helping to educate the public.
One reason many families cite for homeschooling is that they have the ability to use the world as their classroom. Volunteering for community service projects is a fantastic way to become involved in the community through useful and positive socialization. Giving one's own time and energy to help others is simply part of being human. How many reading this will volunteer to coordinate a community service project for their homeschool support group?
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