Surprise benefits, learning opportunities and how it teaches them a heart of service to the Lord.

I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say every parent considers ways to get their children involved in some sort of service. It doesn’t often happen because of sports, family obligations, availability of options and a plethora of other reasons. Many times, it just doesn’t seem that important, especially when our kids love doing other things so much.

And honestly, someone else will meet that need, right? Our kids shouldn’t be the ones stepping up to cover the needs of an organization…or should they?

JJ started volunteering because she wanted to be involved in a sport we had no money to support. If you have any experience with horses, you know the investment they are – whether you lease or own! Even if you find someone willing to let your kid ride their horse, the gear!!!

Anyway, I digress. So volunteering became an opportunity to be involved and around horses, without any financial investment on our part. She didn’t start out having the opportunity to ride, but she certainly learned a lot being there and having to do the work without the gratification of riding. One big surprise benefit here: you figure out if kids are committed to the thing they think they want to be involved in. When it’s a lot of hard work, and not a lot of what most would consider the reward (in this case, most people think of riding horses as the goal – she was happy just to have the chance to be around them) our kids have to really decide what’s important to them.

Some more surprise benefits: she figured out she loves working with people affected by disabilities and real life takes a lot of prayer. Real life isn’t segregated into isolated subjects and experiences like being in a school setting is. Because of that, even when they think they’re volunteering for one specific reason, they’re being exposed to so many other things. She learned that not everyone makes good or moral choices, but she can. She learned how being a teenage Believer really does separate her from the world and while it can cause some drama up front, it protects her heart and mind in the long run. She’s seen how choosing the Lord or choosing the world can have a profound affect on mental health. And she sees how the Lord blesses people, in unexpected times and circumstances.

Some expected or common benefits we’ve seen are probably pretty obvious. Similar to having a job, kids learn responsibility, empathy, teamwork, work ethic, problem-solving, critical thinking, conflict resolution, keeping commitments even when they don’t feel like it and time management. The best part though – they have no idea they’re learning these things in the moment because it’s just life!

We also love (not really a surprise but a tip to tailor what volunteer opportunities you may look for) that volunteering can provide kids the chance to experience a career they think they’re interested in before they invest four years and a pile of money into an education for that field. We had the best example of that this year:

JJ has been working with people with disabilities for several years and last year we fostered some children that had some pretty severe development delays. The combination of these experiences left her confident that she wanted to be an occupational therapist. She had her college path all worked out, we added more routine curriculum to our daily schedule and she knew which doctorate program she wanted to attend. She had it all planned out.

To help her gain some experience in the field and get a little taste of what rehabilitation and things look like from a clinical perspective, she started volunteering as a student athletic trainer at our local high school. The athletic trainers were awesome and immediately took her under their wings and she dove right in. She absolutely loved it!

But, she learned she does not want to be an occupational therapist. She loves the rehabilitation side of things, but not the schedule and through this experience she learned that her most important goal is to have a family that she is present for.

Plus, did you know your kids can earn awards for volunteering? The United States offers a Presidential Service Award for ages 5 through adult!

Different amounts of hours qualify them for the different levels, but then they get to choose what award they want: a medallion, coin, or pin. Their award also comes with a signed letter from the President!

On top of that, tracking volunteer hours can also qualify your child for scholarships in college! Each college and program is different, but many encourage their students to be actively involved in their communities through volunteering. Isn’t that cool?!

Have I convinced you to get your kids out volunteering yet? I hope so. You’ll be surprised how the Lord blesses you and your kids through the experience. And you’ll absolutely be blessing someone else by giving them a hand!

What do you do if you can’t find volunteer opportunities in your area? Call. Call the place where your kid dreams of having a job one day. Call your church. Call your local library or even your public school. Many places don’t have organized volunteer programs, but are grateful for help if it’s offered. Depending on the ages of your children, you may have to volunteer alongside them. But I promise you, it’s worth it. And you’ll get to watch your babies continue to grow through the experience!

I hope this encourages you and helps you feel more empowered to give your child volunteer time. The opportunities are endless! Dream big and you never know where the Lord might lead you or your child!

God bless you and keep you!

Love,
Susan