Communities everywhere have one thing in common — there’s always someone who needs help. Serving the local community has numerous benefits for people of all ages, especially developing children. Volunteering gives children a unique opportunity to see the world from different perspectives while helping those in need. At Blessed Trinity Academy, our Service Club leads the charge in helping our school students give back to our surrounding communities. As a Catholic School instilling the value of giving back to those in need around us in part of our mission. Here are some ideas of how to engage your children in the community:
Organize a Collection:
One of the easiest ways to get your children involved in giving back to the community is setting up a collection to benefit a local organization. Places like food banks, animal shelters, and homeless shelters are always in need of goods such as food, non-perishable items, gentled used or new clothes, books and more. Instead of having children bring a birthday gift to your child’s birthday, have them bring canned goods which can be donated to a food pantry. At Blessed Trinity Academy, our Service Club coordinates multiple donation driven collections throughout the year including a canned food drive for the St. Vincent DePaul Food Pantry during the Thanksgiving season and a collection for Animal Friends which consists of food, toys, treats, and other pet essentials.
Get Out and Volunteer
Although organizations do love donations, they also need the donation of time. This is something that you can start with your children at an early age. Make it a priority to volunteer as a family. There are a lot of ways to involve little children in giving back to the community. Ringing the bells for the Salvation Army’s Kettle Campaign during the Christmas season is a great way to engage small children. For older children, seek out your local Special Olympics chapter. They have events throughout the year where they will need helpers of all ages. Take you Middle School and High School age children to a food bank to stock shelves. Most food banks will have special weekends designated just for families. During the school year, our Service Club offers opportunities for our students to give back including packing lunches for the Red Door Project and working with elderly patients at a nursing home.
Catholic schools consider community service to be an essential part of a child’s education. At Blessed Trinity Academy, we believe in helping children grow to their fullest potential and become leaders within their communities. We offer unique and dynamic learning environments that engage students and encourage them to become confident and responsible adults. To learn more about what makes us different, visit our website today.
Catholic School Classrooms at Work 