Getting involved, changing hearts

My kids have been involved with helping the less fortunate in various ways their whole lives. It comes as part of our lifestyle as a family. They were each paired with an international sponsor child when they were born, and as they've grown, they've participated in everything from local river clean up days to food drives to hosting refugees. 

At Christmas each year, through their Sunday School, they raise money to buy farm animals, medical supplies, sports equipment and whatnot for various places around the world. It began as a small program the first year, but has since grown into one of the organization's largest fundraising groups. They make single-jar recipes of soups and baking themselves, sell the product after church and at the Santa Claus Parade themselves, and choose where the money goes themselves. It's been a great way for them to be involved in social action that's meaningful to them.

My eldest son (who now has a paper route and pays the support for his sponsor child from his own money) has aged out of the Sunday School class this year and hasn't been able to participate in the fundraising. So his older class has decided to begin their own project, making comfort kits for the homeless. They'll collect a whole list of items (from toothbrushes to Christmas treats) and deliver them to a local charity that will distribute them, another way for kids to actively participate in social action.

Even better, my kids are starting to think this way themselves. When we sat down as a family to plan our annual carolling party, it was the kids who suggested that we take along a wagon and collect food for the foodbank (which they've seen people do at Halloween).  Without any prompting from their parents, they thought of a way to help those around them.

This is why I think it's important to engage kids with social action from an early age, because it makes helping others instinctual. Too often we assume that kids aren't able to be involved in this kind of work, and they arrive at adulthood without having learned to think about anyone but themselves.  If we want to raise adults who are loving and compassionate members of their communities, we need to teach them those qualities when they are young. 

So, encourage your child to donate something to a toy drive this Christmas, or volunteer with your teen at a drop-in, or go as a family to sing carols at a retirement home, or whatever makes most sense for you and your kids and your community.  It probably won't change the world, but it might make a change in someone's life, and it will certainly make a change in the hearts of your children.