MDA MUSCLE WALK

Be part of this annual walk by the Muscular Dystrophy Association that raises money to help area residents with muscular dystrophy, ALS and related muscle diseases. Feb. 26, 10 am; registration, 8:30 am. Crown Point Park, Mission Bay. www.musclewalkmda.org/sdmusclewalk2012; 858-492-9792.

THE GIVING EFFECT

Take time to share your blessings with those in need. Check out www.thegivingeffect.com that connects you with charities and organizations that need pretty much everything you can spare – from clothes, food and shoes to cleaning supplies, computers and furniture. Browse the site by zip code, items you’re donating and special interests to find causes you’d like to support.

» Find more volunteer opportunities, visit our TOTALLY TEENS page.

THE BANNISTER FAMILY HOUSE NEEDS YOU!

CECILY'S CLOSET

Cecily's Closet is a non-profit organization that provides room makeovers (and other items) for children with special needs with the help of local businesses, designers, friends and the community. They provide this service at no cost to the recipients. If you'd like to donate your time, talent or gently used equipment, please go to http://www.cecilyscloset.org/volunteer.html.

CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child's Health) HEALTHY HABITS

This intergenerational program introduces kids, grades K-5, to nutritional and physical activities using teams of volunteers, ages 50 & up. Lead fun games and exercises, prepare healthy snacks and educate kids about leading a healthy lifestyle (training provided) in locations around the county. Contact 619-574-0674 or email etollefson@oasisnet.org.

VOICES FOR CHILDREN

Voices for Children is a non-profit agency that trains volunteers to advocate on behalf of one of the more than 6000 children in San Diego’s foster care system. Much more than a mentor, volunteers advocate for children in court and give their recommendations to the judge. Please volunteer to be an advocate for a child in foster care today and speak for children who cannot speak for themselves. Visit www.speakupnow.org or call 858-598-2235 to learn more and for specific location of the info session.

THE ARC OF SAN DIEGO

CELL PHONES FOR SOLDIERS

Put your old phones to good use by donating them to this recycling program that helps our troops stay in touch with their loved ones back home. Before donating your phone, make sure to use the free cell phone data eraser on their Website that helps you remove personal information from your cell phone. For a donation center near you, visit www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com. 

BECOME A KIDS ON THE BLOCK PUPPETEER

Bring smiles to children and make a positive difference in the community as you become part of this puppetry troupe that teaches kids acceptance and appreciation of physical, medical, cultural and social differences. No experience needed. Contact the program director at 619-770-8689 or email director@kobsd.org. www.kobsd.org.

When Spring Valley resident Jenn Hurdsman’s family helped out at Sweetwater Summit Regional Park recently, they pulled weeds and helped install No Parking signs.

Jenn says, “As we left the park, the kids were anxious to take a picture by ‘their’ sign.” At 8, 6, and 3, the Hurdsman kids had already discovered the thrill of being involved.

Nationwide, more than 26 percent of the population volunteered last year. Despite the busyness of life with kids, the majority of volunteers were those with children under the age of 18. If you want to spend quality time as a family and give back to your community, family volunteering might be right for you.

Merrilee Boyack is a Poway attorney, councilwoman and the author of “52 Weeks of Fun Family Service.” Volunteering has been an integral part of their family of four boys. While PTA events were her start, she especially remembers working in 2003 during the wildfires. Because this wasn’t the first time they had done community service, she says, “I knew I could count on my entire family to work hard in this crisis and they did.”

Two sons worked to protect homes from fire when firemen were busy elsewhere, her husband was in charge of communication and the younger two boys went to the evacuation center with her.

There are hundreds of opportunities for volunteering in the San Diego area. While some things, like the Humane Society, are only available for older teens, many organizations are perfect for families with children of all ages. How do you know where to start?
Boyack suggests, “Let the kids lead! Ask what is important to them. If it’s animals, start there. If it’s parks, start there. Doesn’t matter what you do or where you start. Just start.”

There are three things to consider when getting your feet wet with family volunteering: time, talents and temperament.

Time

You need to figure out how much time you are able to commit to a project. A great place to start is with a onetime event, like the Rock ’n’ Roll San Diego Marathon and Half Marathon charity run. Craigslist.com offers a section on community volunteers with requests for help.  

Many organizations will let you do a trial run so you can decide if they are a good fit for your family. Before agreeing to a weekly stint serving meals at Bread of Life in Oceanside, see if you can come one night. Some places, like the UCSD hospitals, want a six-month commitment from volunteers. See if you can shadow someone working the “Light One Little Candle” cart, providing reading materials to help cancer patients bond with their children.

Talents

What does your family like to do? If you love to spend time outdoors, consider adopting a beach, golf course or park through the City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department, or join the Surfrider Foundation twice a month for two-hour beach cleanups.

If your kids are handy or interested in construction, Habitat for Humanity might be a good fit. You have to be 16 to work on a construction site, but everyone can build playhouses that are sold at fundraisers.  

Think about favorite school subjects and you’ll probably find a volunteer opportunity that will fit; if you have a reader in your house, Books First would love you to host a book drive. Math whiz? Organize donations for Compassionate Ministries or work with fundraising for virtually any group out there.

Temperament

Community service is a great thing, helping to teach children (and adults) compassion and tolerance. But you know your children best. Some are more sensitive than others, whether to poverty or suffering. Most kids will need to be prepared to go into a new situation where they will be helping people who are different from them. Young children might be upset working at Feeding America, worrying about if they will always have enough food. This is an opportunity to talk about how your family has been blessed, as well as reasons why others need help.

You also know if your children do best out of doors where they can run around, or if something more intimate will be most comfortable. The Hurdsmans loved working at a park where they already enjoyed going as a family. Their kids are very active, so digging and pulling weeds worked perfectly for them.

How Do I Get Started?

You know you want to get out there, do some good, get your family thinking about others more than themselves. Now what?  

A great place to get ideas is VolunteerSanDiego.org. Look through the website as a family, reading about different organizations and their focus. PBS Kids has a downloadable packet, “Zoom Into Action: Family Guide to Volunteering” that is great to look at together. If nothing feels right, set up an opportunity alert at Volunteer Match. They will email you when something comes up that aligns with the interests you have selected.

Building Family Togetherness

Boyack reminds us, “Ask what you want to teach your children. Do you want to teach them to love others, to be patient, hard working, creative, compassionate? Or do you want to foster the greed that is associated with too much TV, too much of too many things?                        

If you want to build family togetherness and raise children who love other people and the world around them, starting a pattern of community service while they are young is a great idea.

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Eliana Osborn is a freelance writer.

More than Meals:
Volunteers bring caring and friendship

For parents wanting to involve children of all ages in community service, look to Meals-on-Wheels. This organization’s mission is “to support the independence and well-being of seniors” through their meal-delivery program.

While good nutrition for the elderly is one aspect of this program, the volunteers who deliver meals give nourishment of a different kind. A Meals-on-Wheels volunteer often is the only person a senior encounters all day.

“When children participate, they make a huge difference in the lives of seniors,” says Debbie Case, executive director, Meals-on-Wheels of Greater San Diego. “Kids make them perk up, smile, laugh and tell stories.”

Kids who participate in meal deliveries benefit from the experience, too. They gain new respect for the elderly and learn the importance of helping others. 

Get Involved!

At a minimum, Meals-on-Wheels requires 135 meal delivery volunteers daily. Volunteers choose one or more days Monday through Saturday to deliver meals using their own automobile. Children are welcome to volunteer as long as they are accompanied by an adult 18 years or older. www.meals-on-wheels.org/volunteer

Adopt a Route

Groups of eight or more individuals from a company or organization can adopt a route. By sharing the weekly responsibility for the route with others, individuals typically deliver meals once a month. www.meals-on-wheels.org/aboutus/partners.php

We Care Packages

If you don’t have time to deliver meals on a regular basis, make “We Care Packages” at home with your family. Seniors are given care packages filled with personal items for birthdays and holidays. Your children will enjoy choosing gifts and creating a cheerful note to tuck inside. www.meals-on-wheels.org/We Care Package Guidelines-2007.pdf

Speakers’ Bureau Volunteer

Help get the word out. If your talent is public speaking, consider making presentations to community groups to garner support for Meals-on-Wheels. Speakers will receive training, materials and resources. www.meals-on-wheels.org/volunteer

Donate

The need in the community is great, and meals are subsidized by the Meals-on-Wheels organization. Help seniors stay independent, and donate today. www.meals-on-wheels.org/donate

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Volunteers Spotlight on the Keshav Family

The Keshav Family began volunteering for Meals-on-Wheels in 2001, when daughters Meera and Suhani were 6 and 4. They delivered meals in South Carlsbad and Encinitas, and now have a route in the Solana Beach area. Read on to discover why the program is a win-win for the Keshavs and the senior citizens they meet.

Why did you want to volunteer together as a family?

Dr. Rohit Keshav, father
I wanted my daughters to participate in community service at a young age so they would continue volunteering as they grew older. Resh and I like to take the girls when delivering because the elderly like talking to them and showing them photos. The seniors get a breath of fresh air.
It’s also one of those rare times when we can do something for complete strangers without expecting anything at all in return.

Describe a significant moment during your volunteer experience.

Resh, mother
Most of the people we serve live in low-income communities. A big shock to my girls was delivering meals to a house around the corner from our own. The man was connected to an oxygen tank and his wife was in a wheelchair. My daughters learned that neediness and loneliness happen everywhere.

Why do you like volunteering for Meals-on-Wheels?

Suhani, 11
I like meeting all the people we serve and making them happy. Mr. Ennis makes me laugh with his jokes and Donald Duck voice. He also shows us pictures and tells us stories about playing soccer. Serving Meals-on-Wheels makes me feel like a different person from home or school.

Meera, 13
One woman on our route, Miss Dorothy, is always working on a new, complicated puzzle. I really admire that. Even when she isn’t feeling well, she greets us and asks what we’ve been doing. We care about her, but she cares about us, too.

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By the Numbers in San Diego County

• One meal preparation center cooks meals for seven vans to deliver meals to 19 drop zones where 135 volunteers deliver meals on 95 routes to 1,000 senior citizens everyday.

• 1,728 people are active volunteers.

• Six seniors over the age of 100 live independently.

• Five volunteers over the age of 90 deliver meals to the needy.

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Ronni Rowland is a freelance writer and the mother of two.