I know a lot of you, like me, want your children to recognize that the holidays are about more than receiving gifts. There are plenty of ways to give back during this season, and whether your children are preschoolers or teens, I’ve got options for family-friendly opportunities to support our local community, and hopefully help your children remember how good it feels to help others.
Salvation Army Richmond
From serving as a bell ringer to adopting an angel, Salvation Army Richmond offers families with many service opportunities. My family has experience working at the Angel Tree Drop-Off at the nearby shopping mall, which is a simple but fulfilling job I’d recommend for ages 6+.
This year, we adopted an angel, and shopped for the child. I loved how thoughtful my kids were about every item we purchased for our angel. Find a list of opportunities, and register online.
Ronald McDonald House
It can be hard discussing illness with your kids, but if you can explain in a gentle and loving way that some children are missing holidays at home because they’re sick, there are many ways you can support these families. My daughter and I worked together to make a no-sew blanket for Ronald McDonald House. It gave her a sense of purpose, and we enjoyed working on it together. Another idea with older children is to volunteer your time to be with siblings of children receiving medical care.
Cards for Hospitalized Kids
While this is not a Richmond-based organization (it’s nationwide), Cards for Hospitalized Kids is a great way for kids who love being creative, or love to write to send a card to a child in the hospital.
I love the idea of putting out some supplies and having friends over to work on this service project together. There are restrictions on what can be mailed with the cards – no glitter for example – so read the instructions before getting to work.
Worthdays
Worthdays is an organization that supports Richmond-area children in foster care. You could choose a child to shop for, purchase a gift from Worthdays’ Amazon Wishlist, or drop off donations at Kline’s Dairy Bar – Chesterfield. Kline’s is collecting: toys for ages 0-4, books and hygiene kits for teens. As a bonus, everyone who brings a donation to Kline’s now through Dec.19 will receive a coupon for a free regular cup or cone.
Does your family have a holiday tradition of giving back? Let us know; we’d love to hear about it!
