Giving Back
By: Lisa Kelly May 6th, 2010Category: Contributor Posts
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Giving back to the community has always been a part of my life. As a teenager our family did volunteer work through our church … visits to the local nursing home, food drives, and disaster cleanups.
In college, I participated in a variety of community service programs. We volunteered at a soup kitchen, worked through a tutoring/mentoring program, and worked on several building days for “Christmas in April” … now called “Rebuilding Together,” to help repair low-income housing. It’s just something I’ve always done.
Now it’s my turn to teach my kids to give back.
They’ve already participated in some community service activities through scouting … the Boy Scouts do a food drive called “Scouting for Food” and the Girl Scouts do “April Showers” in which they collect toiletries which get donated to local food pantries. But, now I’ve decided it’s time to take it to the next level!
Part of my son’s merit badge/rank advancement work with Boy Scouts not only has a leadership component, but a community service component. For each rank advancement, they are required to do a certain number of community service hours.
So I just happen to have a friend, who is a part of the local St. Vincent DePaul Society and they were looking for volunteers for one of the local food pantries. I signed the two of us up.
My son really wasn’t sure what to expect. I tried to explain to him what it would be like, but it really is something you must experience. So we arrived at this sort of run-down looking church, and he really wasn’t sure what I had gotten him into! We went inside and met the other volunteers. They explained to us what our job was and we got to work.
This is how it worked … we had a volunteer at the door that would take the food requests from the clients arriving at the food pantry. Then we would take the request, and based on the number of people in their family, put together a box of food that would tide them over for a month. My son was amazed … that the box of food that we gave to them would last them an ENTIRE MONTH!!?? “WOW!” he said.
Then, I let him come out with me when we passed the food out so he could see the people we were giving the food to, and how absolutely grateful they were to be receiving it. I think that left the biggest impression on him. He had such a great time helping out, that he asked me on the way home … “Mom, when can we go back and help again?”
We are going to do our best to make it to the food pantry once a month. I think it was a great experience for both my son and I. And as soon as my daughter is old enough, I will bring her along as well.
“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.”
- Lao Tzo
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TwitterID: DarrenSproat
Lisa, this is such a lovely reminder of not only what we can do for our communities but what our communities can do for us as well. All the best to you and yours…I am sure your son will learn as much about himself as he does the community he’s serving.
Darren
TwitterID: 4leafclovergirl
Exactly Darren! It’s not only good for our community, it’s good for us (and our children) as well!
Cheers!
Lisa
.-= Check out Lisa Kelly’s recent blog >> Grief and Loss =-.
TwitterID: LindaLongWrites
Lisa,
I am an active volunteer for many local grass roots community based organizations. I love it. I get such a sense of satisification in doing it. I think it is good to teach kids while they are young about service.
Linda
TwitterID: 4leafclovergirl
Thanks for your comment Linda! I think that if we teach our children to give back at a young age, that it will follow them into adulthood. And what a great world it would be if we all gave back!
Thank you to YOU, for all that you do!
Cheers!
Lisa
.-= Check out Lisa Kelly’s recent blog >> Grief and Loss =-.
TwitterID: timberwolf123
Lisa, It’s so important to show our children the benefits of giving back. I applaud you for your efforts & wish you well going forward. I learned from a very young age how important & fulfilling it is to give back. I’ve also tried to pass that along to my 3 girls. They have all volunteered for various things throughout their lives & I believe they understand the importance of giving back. Thanks for this great reminder.
Hugs,
Bill
.-= Check out Bill’s recent blog >> Seeing through the eyes of a Child =-.
It’s a reminder for most of us definitely. A reminder to responsibilities and duties that we tend to forget sometimes and which are not written anywhere. You did a good job out there with your son and I believe that he will appreciate this one day. Well done.
TwitterID: pinwheelgirl
Hi Lisa — I love this story! My 12-yr-old son and I have done volunteer work at Food Pantries together and it is life-altering not only for him but also for me — and at the same time of course I feel we are assisting others in need at critical times in their lives. I believe the spiritual gifts we can teach our children through community service and giving to others in need are the essential components to deepening both our own and all of humanity. What a wonderful project for you and your son. Best wishes in your future volunteer endeavors! Hugs!
.-= Check out Kendra Kett’s recent blog >> Make the Decision — Choose Kindness, Ease, and Flow =-.
TwitterID: lance02
Lisa,
What a beautiful gift to give your son. It’s in the real seeing of life, that a deeper compassion is developed. What a wonderful base he will have from this – as he continues to go forth in his life.
.-= Check out Lance’s recent blog >> RAOKA: Family =-.
[...] is a tip I just added… Lisa Kelly’s recent post on this blog, Giving Back, inspired me to add it. In serving your community, you have an opportunity to learn as much or [...]
TwitterID: https://twitter.com/#!/AwakeningGoddes
I love being of service to others. I have been volunteering even when I was in high school as a “Leader Helper” when I was in Pathfinders with a Brownie Group. Then I was in Sr. Branches in Girl Guides and volunteered in a Girl Guide Unit as a “Ranger Helper”.
I don’t see it as volunteering any more. As I said being of service sounds much better to me. As an adult, I love being of service to St. John Ambulance, it’s so rewarding giving back to the community.
I also love being of service to eWomen Network at events, I jump in and do what ever is needed to help set up the event, during the event, and clean up after.
It’s just part of being who I am, my parents did it, and I just followed suit!
TwitterID: DarrenSproat
I love this… “It’s just part of being who I am”. It would be incredible if more people would look at it that way.
Thanks for commenting, Aime!
Darren
TwitterID: https://twitter.com/#!/AwakeningGoddes
No problem my pleasure!! Have a fantastic day!
TwitterID: elbiddulph
What’s really great is that you did this together. Your son is learning much more through witnessing And mimicking your actions than if he were dropped off and had to do this on his own. Good love work, Mom!
TwitterID: 4leafclovergirl
Thank you, very much! I hope someday my children will do the same with their children!
Cheers!
TwitterID: 4leafclovergirl
Thank you so much for your RT!
Cheers!
Lisa
.-= Check out Lisa Kelly’s recent blog >> Grief and Loss =-.