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Dd4 has been talking a lot recently about different ways she can help children who have no food to eat. She has opened a pretend restaurant that serves food to all these children for free. She was also talking about giving her piggy bank money as well as toys to the children. I would really like to involve her in some type of age appropriate volunteer work. I was thinking of taking her with me to a place I volunteer every holiday season collecting and packing gifts. I was wondering if you have any other suggestions for a very caring sensitive child. I don't want to expose her to anything that will shock her system as even little "unjust, unfair" things upset her very much. Thanks.

Our church had the kids make/ assist with sandwiches (that someone else would give out to the homeless.)

We also always pick a child of similar age/ gender; and get the items on their wish list for Christmas. Then, I bring my child to help pick out the items. Both enjoy that.

I'd check with your local homeless shelters and food banks to see if they have suggestions. One thing we can do here is to make sandwiches (at home or at school or with church groups etc) and then deliver them to a local shelter - the shelter either uses them right away or freezes them. Something like that you could have your dd do at home and you could make it a monthly or weekly or whatever commitment for yourselves.

If you have a shelter that helps families with young children, that might be a good place to take your child to deliver things like either one-time toy donations or book donations or for instance, we have a local shelter for single moms that really appreciates donations of fresh fruit.

It's also the time of year during holiday season in the US that you can usually find families who can be "adopted" for the holidays - how much you'd help or give to the family is going to depend on what's asked for and the organization that's organizing the program, but I found when my children were small that choosing a child's name off of a wish list where they could pick out a gift for the child for Christmas was an easy and meaningful way for them to participate in helping others.

I think it might be too late for it this year, but our kids also have loved the Samaritan's Purse box project where you fill up a box for either a boy or girl of a certain age and it's sent to a child in a different country. You can google Samaritan's Purse to find out more about it - I think the name of the program is "Operation Christmas".

One of our local homeless shelters has a similar program where families fill up a shoebox with socks, toothpaste/toothbrush/warm gloves, hat, kleenex - things needed by the people the shelter helps, and each box goes to one person - when my kids did projects like that they liked it because even though they didn't know who the box would go to they felt a connection because they knew they were preparing it for a specific person, not just collecting things to go into a larger collection of things to then be distributed.

At the beginning of each school year, there is a local group here who holds a big drive for school supplies and winter coats for kids who need them. It's too late for this year, but it's something that children can identify with. I think I've heard of organizations in other areas that keep supply "stores" for things like this year-round.

Totally different twist, but my kids like running in running events organized to benefit charities, and they understand that the money raised by paying an entry fee and/or raising money based on your own participation goes to helping others.

One other thing my kids have done - they've helped distribute food at our food bank.

Another thing to think about for your dd - does she go to Sunday School or is she part of any other organized group like preschool or a sport? If she is, you or another adult could help her make an idea of hers grow into something special by helping her ask her group to participate - for instance, collecting books or outgrown toys or clothes for a kids' shelter. Seeing how coming together on a project like this can make a simple donation grow into something "big" Is really cool - and it doesn't have to be a huge donation, just the act of sharing in the giving is neat, and it shows our kids they can be a seed for meaningful acts

polarbear

In our area we have a food pantry, toy drive, "Meals on Wheels", "Adopt a Child" tree, "Toys for Tots", and a food drive.

At our local food pantry people can sign up to volunteer to hand out food on certain days - I could see a little one enjoying gathering up the food and boxing it up to hand out.

Our family "adopts" a child(ren) each year and we all go together to shop and pick out what he/she needs and wants. Our girls like getting a little something extra that isn't on the child's list that they think they might like. We also do the Samaritan's Purse each year with our church.

This year we are starting a "pay it forward" campaign. We are working on ideas for this and we might start by paying for someone's meal at a local restaurant and asking the cashier to tell them to pay it forward or leaving money in a candy/pop machine for the next person with a note to pay it forward. We don't want to make it all about money, so we are trying to brainstorm other things like visiting the elderly, donating good used clothes and toys to the local shelters, donating books to our local daycares, and helping carry out groceries at our little local grocery store. This is a very fun and creative way to get the family involved and thinking about different things we can do to help our fellow man. It can be very heart warming and make a profound impression on not only those we give to, but to us as well.

Yes, for a kiddo interested in feeding others a food pantry activity sounds great. One caveat... you may wish to check ahead on volunteer policies... some do not allow kids under a certain age even when parents are present. Better to find out ahead of time (and adjust plans to possibly shopping and dropping off if need be) than to show up and risk kiddo feeling shunned if she is unable to stay due to her young age.

We sponsor a child from Zambia, Africa through World Vision. We get yearly updates and pictures of our sponsored child and my DD9 really loves doing this. She writes stories for school and includes our sponsored child within the story.

Additionally, in November, we pick up two shoeboxes from Samaritan's Purse and the two of us make an afternoon out of shopping for items to put in the shoebox to gift to children around the world who normally would never receive a gift for Christmas.

We have done fundraisers (garage sales/cookie sales) to raise money to donate to our local animal shelter.

I took Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University and his daughter gave a lecture on childhood income/saving. She recommended that when you give your child an allowance, you give them 3 envelopes to put the $ in. One is labeled Save, one is labeled Spend, and one is labeled Give. You don't dictate how much goes into any one envelope but something must go into each envelope every single time they receive their allowance.

In doing this, my DD has put quite a bit of $$ in her Give envelope and I let her pick a charity of her choice to donate to periodically.

It really makes her feel good.

I can't let that pass without pointing out - maybe you know, but others reading this might not - that Samaritan's Purse (Operation Christmas Child) is not what it may seem, in particular from descriptions like the above. If you don't already know what I'm alluding to, please read this British Humanist Association page. Thank you.

She could do some neighbourhood fundraising and donate the money to a charity with a high efficiency ratio. One charity that I like is Chalice. It uses over 90% of its funds for direct poverty relief, and our family sponsors a child through them. In addition to child sponsorship, Chalice has a gift guide where you can purchase medical care, bedding, school supplies, food, roofs and floors foe houses, etc. UNICEF is another (more obvious) choice with a similar mandate.

IIRC, your daughter is now reading (hooray!!)--would she like to volunteer at a library or public early learning center to read to other children? I used to do that at your daughter's age and loved being able to support other children. Another idea is to visit children in long-term hospital care with fresh stories, games, and good conversation. A little cheer can go a long way for a young child with a serious illness.

It's wonderful that she has such a strong sense of social justice!

Thanks melessa. Dd does love cooking and baking and would get twice the joy if she were making food for those in need. The organization that I volunteer at also has the adopt a child/family and fulfilling their wish list for the holidays project. I will definitely get dd involved in that.

Polarbear, thanks as always for your excellent suggestions. I found a local food bank that is holding a donation drive in the local shopping center for the next few weeks. I signed dd and myself up for a few evenings. I love the running for charity idea- dd loves to run:) will have to look out for opportunities.