Family

Family volunteering occurs when family members volunteer together in community service activities. They may come from different generations in combinations such as parent/child or grandparent/ parent/child, or from the same generation, such as adult partners, or brother/sister.

A very strong reason for families to volunteer together is that parents want to raise their children to believe that everyone has a responsibility to their family, friends, neighbours and community. All families that volunteer make a conscious effort to be active and to meet with others with similar values.

Families are also aware that volunteering is an activity that can help build and sustain relationships within the family unit. Some ideas for volunteering as a family include:

• Inviting a housebound or elderly neighbour for dinner.
• Getting involved in Special Olympics
• Donating clothes or toys
• Helping clean the local environment
• Helping at a shelter or soup kitchen
• Writing for a community newsletter
• Painting and making repairs at a community centre
• Delivering meals on wheels
• Helping with Christmas Hampers
• Walking or caring for animals
• Reading and writing letters for those who need assistance
• Getting involved in community theatre or sports
• Helping those new in the community to locate and access the resources they need
• Giving blood
• Organising fund-raising events for good causes
• Developing a family-to-family relationship with those new to the community, such as family-to-family mentoring.
• Setup or take part in a local cleanup event as part of the National Spring Clean. Events take place throughout the month of April each year.