Volunteering helps to make the world a better place. It is a vital part of what makes the world go round, though it is often overlooked. Commonly, when a person imagines volunteering, they picture a group of adults helping out others.
However, that isn’t the whole picture. It is common for Boy and Girl Scout Troops to volunteer, for example. The advantages of volunteering at a young age have become more apparent in recent years. The truth is, the reasons for bringing children along for volunteering have grown exponentially.
Family Volunteering
While family volunteering has long been a thing, its concept has grown so much in the most recent decade. A family that volunteers can do so for various reasons and can be beneficial to their chosen organization in countless different ways.
Some organizations, such as Whitworth Art Galleries (Manchester), rely on family volunteering as part of their outreach program. They believe that this helps encourage all generations to volunteer and overall positive impact the community.
Learning to Make a Difference
Volunteering makes a world of difference. Children of all ages need to learn that their actions can directly impact the world around them. More importantly, it’s essential that they learn about the positive impact they can have.
There are plenty of volunteer opportunities out there for children. As mentioned above, specific organizations (Girl and Boy Scouts) encourage it. Families can also promote this behavior, or it can even come from the children themselves. Just look at all the stories of children reaching out on their own to help local animal shelters.
Learning Empathy
Gratitude and empathy often go hand in hand when it comes to volunteering. When it comes to teaching children about compassion and understanding others’ needs and struggles, there is little better than volunteering.
While a certain level of empathy is inherent in every child, having them volunteer will increase tenfold. As will their sense of altruism, all while giving them a better understanding of how they can help those that need it most.
Volunteering Benefits
On top of all the other tremendous benefits of volunteering, there are some natural benefits that children (and adults) can gain by doing so. Volunteering can help to reduce stress, as well as make a person healthier and happier. All of which are excellent lessons to teach a child.