We’re halfway through summer, and you’re probably running out of ideas to keep your kids busy until school starts back.
Instead of letting them sleep until noon again this Saturday, how about encouraging them to change the world?
Even if it’s just half of a day, get your family involved in volunteering and serving in your church or community. And while you’re at it, you can help feed a starving child on the other side of the globe, too!
Find a project and get busy
Saturdays are the perfect time to do some good. And there’s something everyone in your family can do, regardless of age. Sometimes a smile, a kind word, a visit, or delivering a meal can make all the difference in a person’s life.
When you start doing Service Saturdays with your children, make sure you’re the one initiating the projects and that you’re helping out, too. If your kids see you excited about a task, they’ll be enthusiastic as well.
Here are some different projects you can do together as a team:
1. Write letters of encouragement
I love this one because on those ridiculously hot summer days, you can still bring a smile to someone’s face without leaving your house. Gather some notecards and fun pens and write notes of encouragement to elderly neighbors who can’t get out much, to widows from your church, or friends who are sick.
You may even want to write a letter or send a care package overseas to someone in the military or a family friend who moved away. Whatever you choose to do, you’ll be an encouragement to the person who receives your note.
2. Participate in a meal train
Know of parents who just brought home a new baby? An elderly woman or single mom who needs a hand around the house? Are you friends with someone who just underwent surgery?
By dropping off a homecooked meal, you can take one extra thing off their mind, which will be an incredible comfort. Have your family work together to make the meal, and it’ll be a time of bonding in the kitchen. You can even organize time slots for other friends to make and contribute meals, too.
3. Sort food or clothes
Most cities have food banks or clothes closets for homeless people or lower-income families. And those organizations thrive on volunteers. Either donate your own housewares, clothes, and canned food, or volunteer to sort and box the items.
While you’re working together, talk to your kids about how some other families don’t have the same opportunities as your family. It’s the perfect chance to discuss the struggles of impoverished people around the world. Maybe your children will be inspired to help children their own age.
Raise donations to feed a starving child
Have you noticed that some of the best ways to serve others is through food — whether it’s with a meal train, working in a food pantry, or providing food for a starving child?
Hunger and starvation are among the leading causes of childhood deaths around the world. But you can help save the life of a child in need by raising money to provide food while serving your community. All it takes is $40 to feed one boy or girl for an entire year.
On your Service Saturdays, consider collecting donations through different projects like:
• Bake sales
• Car washes
• Mowing lawns
Provide a service that everyone can appreciate and then give the proceeds to a great cause: rescuing a child from starvation.
Once you raise $40, you’ll be able to provide 365 days of food for a starving child. Now, that’s the best Service Saturday of them all.