Family Volunteering:
- strengthens families by promoting positive values and creating new opportunities to communicate, while focusing on the importance of teamwork.
- strengthens the community by encouraging people to get involved. Active communities attract new businesses, new people, and new ideas. Strong communities work together to solve problems and share a vision for the future.
- empowers kids to feel good about themselves by doing meaningful work. Kids who volunteer are less likely to engage in destructive behavior or abuse alcohol, tobacco or drugs.
Why volunteer as a family?
Families are busy - volunteering provides quality time for families to be together. Volunteering creates and strengthens bonds among family members, creates an opportunity to learn, and instills positive values. Kids who volunteer are more likely to volunteer as adults and pass down to their own children a family tradition of giving of themselves. Family members see each other in a new way as they work together for a common purpose.
Some families with grown children choose to volunteer as a group, getting together to share experiences and make a difference. Bring your grandparents, too!
What types of volunteer opportunities are there for my family?
Lots of organizations are happy to work with you to find volunteer jobs that will work for your family. As a family, discuss what kinds of things you’re interested in doing, what issues are important to you, and what you can do to help. If one family member gets to pick a project this time, maybe next time another can choose. This helps to narrow your search for the perfect family volunteering experience.
Some examples of family volunteering experiences include:
Environmental:
- Planting native vegetation or trail maintenance in city and county parks,
- wildlife counts or wildlife rescue, and
- streamside restoration.
Most jobs are appropriate for people 8 years old and up.
Advantages: This is a great way to learn more about Whatcom County’s rich environmental diversity that includes waterways, wildlands and habitats that are critical to several species of animals including elk, salmon and eagles. Your family can work with experts familiar with flora and fauna to provide an educational context for the work you are doing. Being outside can mean more than taking a hike!
Potential agencies: Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, City Of Bellingham Parks and Recreation, Whatcom County Parks, Sardis Raptor Center, NW Wildlife Rehabilitation.
Arts:
- Create “thinking of you”, “get well”, or “thank you” cards for hospitalized children, veterans’ groups or senior citizens.
- Work as greeters, ticket-takers, ushers and kitchen staff for a local theater guild or special event.
- Help with social functions for the disabled that include music, dancing and crafts.
- Families who play music together can entertain residents of assisted care facilities.
- Design and execute a mural for a youth or health center.
Advantages: You can meet different groups of people including seniors and people with disabilities. You can share your arts and crafts skills, meet new people that you may not have come into contact with before, explore your creative side, and make connections between generations.
Potential agencies: Alderwood Convalescent Care, Highgate Senior Living, Max Higbee Center,
Nutrition:
- Help families in need by making, packaging, or distributing food,
- Help serve lunch for seniors or people with disabilities, or
- Bake cookies for a community meals program.
Some agencies will accept kids as young as 8 years old.
Advantages: Your family will learn about basic nutrition and issues relating to hunger and poverty. You will directly affect the lives of others in a positive way. Put a face on who goes hungry in America.
Potential Agencies: Bellingham Community Meals Program, Bellingham Housing Authority, food banks, other nutrition programs.
Independent Living for Elders:
- Help a senior or a person with a disability remain independent in their own home.
- Learn how critical everyday skills such as yard-work, light house cleaning and grocery shopping are to keeping people independent.
Advantages: You’ll learn from seniors’ life experiences and see first-hand the challenges that people with disabilities face. You’ll gain new understanding of strength and fortitude and renew your sense of gratitude for your own abilities.
Agency: Whatcom Volunteer Center’s Volunteer Chore Program.
How do I find out about current volunteer opportunities for my family?
It’s easy: CLICK HERE to view all current opportunities for family-oriented opportunities.
Whatcom Volunteer Center’s staff is happy to assist your family in finding the right volunteer opportunity. Please contact us at (360) 734-3055 or email
info@whatcomvolunteer.org and ask for assistance with your
family volunteering project.
