November is a month often filled with fun fall activities and time spent with family. For those of us fortunate enough to have a roof over our heads and food on our tables, it’s easy to forget that the days are getting chillier and harder for those less fortunate. If you’re looking to give back this month, volunteering is a great way to do just that. Volunteer opportunities are available in most cities, big and small, and they’re almost always looking for more helping hands. Plus, when you volunteer with your children, they learn valuable lessons about gratitude, empathy, and kindness towards others. 

To that end, NSA Storage put together the following volunteering ideas for families. The ideas below will help you give back and build up your community, all while spending time with your loved ones.

What Makes Volunteering as a Family Worth the Effort?

Volunteering is worthwhile no matter if you’re alone or with a group. When that group is your family, however, the lessons learned are even more impactful. For example;

• Volunteering teaches gratitude, and helps your kids appreciate what they have.
• You’ll create strong memories that you and your kids will cherish when you volunteer together.
• Children learn empathy when volunteering, increasing their emotional awareness and understanding.
• Volunteering together helps your kids learn cooperation, teamwork, and good communication skills.

Simple Volunteering Ideas for Beginners

If you’re new to volunteering and want to “get your feet wet”, the ideas below will be perfect. They’re on the smaller side, no doubt, but are just as helpful as larger tasks. These volunteer opportunities include:

1. Community Gardens

Volunteering at a community garden together can be a lot of fun and teach kids about the value of fruits, vegetables, and other plant life. Many community gardens provide a food source for people struggling with food insecurity.

2. Family Food Drive

Organize a food drive with your neighbors, including canned and boxed foods, baby items, cleaning items, etc. Once collected, deliver the groceries as a family.

3. Animal Shelters

Animal shelters always need volunteers to take care of the dogs, cats, and other animals they care for. Plus, it’s a lot of fun for kids who get to play with the dogs and cats!

4. Nursing and Senior Care Facilities

Many senior citizens crave company and connection during the holiday season. Volunteering at a senior home or nursing facility together will bring a smile to their faces and yours.

5. Park or Beach Cleanup

Cleaning up a local park or stretch of beach can be extremely satisfying for the soul. It also teaches your kids the value of keeping our public areas clean by not littering.

6. Local Soup Kitchens and Shelters

Serving folks at a soup kitchen or shelter is a rite of passage for many at Thanksgiving. Like everything else, this volunteering opportunity will make you and your family feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Volunteering Opportunities Tied Into the Holiday Season

Because of Thanksgiving, many organizations ramp up their volunteering efforts in November. A quick Google search should help you find local volunteer efforts you can support in your community. Some of them will no doubt include:

1. Blanket and Clothing Drives

With temperatures steadily dropping, many folks need heavy clothing and blankets. Volunteering to collect these items with your family is a no-brainer! You may even have coats that you or your children have outgrown that would be greatly appreciated by someone struggling with homelessness.

2. Adopt-a-Family

This program allows your family to “adopt,” or sponsor, another during the Holidays. Once you do, you can provide meals, toys, and other essentials to a family that may not be able to afford everyday comforts or special treats during the holiday season.

3. Charity Runs and Walks

These annual events help raise money for all sorts of good causes. Running or walking with your entire family will help raise money and be a fun time, too!

4. Thanksgiving Meal Prep and Delivery

Many local charities cook and deliver meals to both homeless and homebound residents during the holidays. Helping to prepare or deliver the food together as a family is a great way to make an impact on underprivileged members of your community.

5. Operation Gratitude

Operation Gratitude is a program that sends letters and care packages from grateful civilians to our men and women in uniform. It’s also done for veterans here at home.

Giving Back from the Comfort of Home

Volunteering doesn’t have to mean braving the cold. You can make a difference from the comfort of your own home. Here are ways you can help people in your community from home:

1. Baking Homemade Treats

If you like to bake, you and the family can bake cookies, pies, rolls, or anything else! Then, deliver your treats to your local police station, fire department, or hospital.

2. Creating Care Packages

Just like Operation Gratitude, you can make care packages for folks living at local shelters. Let your kids write nice notes or draw something for the recipients.

3. Crafting

If you sew, knit, crochet, or other craft, you can make things for your local shelter or nursing home. Socks, hats, sweaters, scarves, you name it! The kids can do the same using any craft materials they like.

4. Virtual Fundraiser

There are many sites online where you can host a virtual fundraiser. The kids can get involved at school, letting students and teachers know to donate.

Teaching Children Gratitude Via Service

November is a time for gratitude, which is an important value to teach children. The following family volunteering ideas are a great way to start:

• Keep a gratitude jar on the kitchen counter. Then have the kids fill it with one note a day about what they’re grateful for.
• Have the kids write thank you notes and give them to, for example, their teachers, garbage collectors, delivery people; anyone who makes a difference in their life.
• Make time for reflection after volunteering. This can help your kids vocalize what they learned and felt when volunteering.

Store with NSA Storage this November

November is a time for giving thanks and giving back to your community. By volunteering with your family, you’ll help those in need while also helping your kids to grow into kind, caring people.

If you need extra storage during, or after, the holidays, NSA Storage can help! We offer clean storage units across the country that are safe and secure! You can rent a storage unit in person or reserve a storage unit online.