photo courtesy of
Friends
of the Mississippi River
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Inspire Kids to Care
In a culture
that
so often appears to reward materialism and
greed, volunteering together at a homeless shelter, crisis nursery,
nature
preserve or animal shelter is a powerful way to pass on the values of
caring,
compassion and social responsibility to children. Researchers have
discovered
that children whose parents model helping behaviors and provide
opportunities
to volunteer are more likely to adopt healthy social values and
attitudes and
to help others when they grow up.
|
photo courtesy of
Friends
of the Mississippi River
|
Strengthen
Families
If you think
that
with work, school, sports and chores, your
family doesn’t have time to get involved, think again. The time crunch
is
actually a great reason to volunteer. Serving together provides a
positive way
for family members to spend quality time with one another, brings
parents and
children closer by inspiring important conversations about values,
attitudes
and beliefs, and offers the gift of intergenerational connections.
|
photo
courtesy of the
Salvation Army
|
Build Communities
When families
volunteer together, communities get more
support to meet critical community needs, such as cleaning parks or
delivering
meals to shut-ins. What’s more, studies indicate that children who
volunteer
are twice as likely to volunteer as adults as those who do not. When
parents
nurture their child’s sense of compassion and commitment toward their
community, we build a better world for now and the future.
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