The New Year is an excellent time to get a fresh start on some of the goals we’ve been putting off. While teaching our children to be generous and kind is important to many, it can be overwhelming to talk about it in a way that kids are able to grasp. “The number one thing about talking to kids is to make it as concrete as possible,” says Robyn Schein, donor service advisor at the Minneapolis Foundation, an organization that supports charitable individuals and donors in meeting their philanthropic goals. To get an idea of where your child’s interests might lie, she suggests activities like taking $1 million in Monopoly money and asking how he/she would spend it, or collecting donation requests from the mail and going through them together to find out which causes are important to him or her.
Once you’ve got the conversation rolling, Schein says that the next best thing to do is plan how you will turn your talk into action, hopefully by starting a family tradition of giving. Below, we offer five easy, local ways to get started.
Birthday Bag Program at Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People (VEAP)
Every kid can relate to the significance of making his/her birthday feel special. Through the Birthday Bag program at VEAP, they can ensure that children in need have a special birthday, too. Standard VEAP birthday bags contain a box of cake mix, frosting, candles and an age appropriate gift. Some kids opt to put together and decorate birthday bags at their own birthday party in lieu of receiving gifts, which go to the users of VEAP’s food pantry in the month of their child’s birthday. Kids can give to VEAP in various other ways, like hosting a collection of toys, food or school supplies, helping to deliver meals and more. Visit the VEAP volunteer website or call 952.888.9616 for more information.
Join the PetSet Youth Club at the Animal Humane Society
If you’ve got a child with a strong interest in animals, the Humane Society sponsors a club aimed at kids in grades 5–8 that will teach them about animal welfare issues and give them an opportunity to serve the community in a way that benefits animals. The range of activities is quite broad, but can include learning from Humane Society experts, forming a Walk for Animals team, or making blankets, toys and dog bandanas. The group meets at the Golden Valley location on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Visit the Animal Humane Society's website for more details or contact the Education Department at 763.489.2220.
Assemble stuffed animals and donate to Gillette Children’s
Katie Mahlum, Highlands PTO president and Edina resident, had a blast putting together stuffed animals from cuddlyconstruction.com with her 11-, 9- and 7-year old children at her husband’s work retreat last summer. Her children loved personalizing the animals by writing the “birthdate” on the animal’s tag, decorating its clothing and giving it a name. The animals were donated to children coming out of surgery at Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare. Even if you don’t have time take on a project like Mahlum, the hospital happily accepts unused items like toys, music CDs, bedside activities like Color Wonder kits, Lego building sets and gift cards from places like Target or Best Buy, which your child could help pick out and deliver. Call 651.229.3937 for more information.
Volunteer at your local Hennepin County library
For children ages 12 and up, volunteer opportunities that build lifelong skills could be as near as the local library. Teens are enlisted at both the Southdale and Edina public libraries to shelve materials, pull reserves, process deliveries, check in books, and more. Volunteers learn about ways to use the library that could play a role in their own academic success while also gaining real work experience. Augsburg Park library in Richfield also offers a homework assistance program during after school hours for which juniors and seniors in high school can volunteer. Visit hclib.org and click on “Support Your Library” to fill out a volunteer application.
Support an adult or child with developmental disabilities
Wayzata-based Hammer is a non-profit that provides individuals with developmental disabilities the opportunity to experience life to its fullest, serving clients in the western suburbs, including Edina. Families can help in numerous ways, by being an exercise partner, tutoring in reading or computers, making crafts, going bowling, doing yard work and more. Visit hammer.org or contact Katie Bottiger, director of volunteer resources, at 952.277.2427 to learn more.
