Extracurricular Extras: What Kids Learn From Community Service
Community service simply means helping others. Kids who reach out discover priceless life lessons.
When Adam Volk was growing up, he spent Sunday mornings at a Unitarian church in Summit, New Jersey. Homeless families stayed at the church once a month, and he and his parents helped cook and serve meals to these guests. As a teenager, he and his friends raised money for their youth group by selling coffee beans at fair-trade prices. After high school, it was not surprising that Adam spent several months in Ghana, teaching school and talking to the children there, who were so curious about life in the United States. "I went knowing very little about the country or what I would find. Now I can't wait to go back to Ghana and help some more," says Adam, now 20.
Stepping out of the ordinary routine gives kids a wider outlook on life. And seeing how things are done in other places is enlightening. Travel (even if it's just to another neighborhood) can reveal new ways of doing things. Community service literally develops a sense of community, especially for young people who may not often see how the other half lives. Helping others — volunteering in a soup kitchen, stocking shelves at a food bank, tutoring at a school, building houses for those in need — is an opportunity to see how others live, and to appreciate how much you do have. Kids learn that any differences they have pale in comparison with all they have in common.
When a flood hit Bound Brook, New Jersey, Lyn Perkins and her kids, 7-year-old Jessica and 5-year-old Elliot, heard a plea on television to help those whose homes had been washed away. Jessica helped Lyn pick out canned goods and toiletries, and both kids gathered up toys to give away. "As we walked up the sidewalk to the high school, which had been turned into a shelter, I realized there was a very thin line between victims and donors. In this case, it was simply a matter of elevation — where your house was," says Lyn. "Everyone in the gym looked just like us."
Jessica still talks about it. ("Remember when we helped those people from the flood, Mommy? We should do that all the time.") Seize on opportunities to reinforce the lesson, says Lyn. Two weeks after the flood, Jessica's Brownie troop began collecting food for the victims. "She told me, 'We don't have to do this; we already gave.' And I said, 'There are always people who need help.'"
To maximize your young volunteer's learning:
- Take the show on the road: Help her expand her good works to other communities. Spread the word by email, your town's Web site, or the local newspaper.
- Learn how to promote a cause: Encourage him to start a blog or a self-published newsletter describing his volunteer activities and how others can help.
- Expand the scope: If she's thirsty to do more, your child can ask the organization she works with if they have a sister organization that could also use your help. Team up with a community service group from another school; hold a brainstorming session (with refreshments!) and dream up new ideas and ways to help.
Notes for the Uninterested
Community service fosters compassion, and helps create a more caring individual. The best kind of "doing good" comes from the heart, but if your child is a reluctant volunteer (or just trying to meet a school requirement), a little jumpstart from you can put her in a position to see and feel the benefits of helping others. Here are some ways to encourage with a child who says she's "not interested" in community service:
- Try Scouting: The Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Boys and Girls Brigade, 4-H, and similar groups focus on helping others along with kid-appealing activities such as sports, crafts, and camping. Your child may find a fit here.
- Be a role model. If your child is not inclined to volunteer for community service, volunteer yourself. The things you do create a far more lasting impression on your children than anything you say.
- Volunteer as a family. Many organizations offer special projects meant to be performed by families. Your child will have the chance to meet other kids her age and feel a sense of accomplishment.
