At least twice a week I answer the question, “Where can I serve with my children?”  Most of the time that question is coming from a desire parents have for their children to understand the value and importance of service, and at DurhamCares, we love that.  With that in mind, we thought it would be helpful to offer both some opportunities for family service as well as some context for thinking about the impact of your service as a family.

First and foremost, it’s important to make sure we’re teaching our kids what serving our neighbors really means - let’s set an example of crossing boundaries and connecting relationally.  Let’s lead them to practice service that’s consistent, committed and on-going, so that they’ll grow up to give back in ways that are consistent, committed, and on-going.  Let’s show them that loving your neighbor means knowing your neighbor, which doesn’t happen once every three months for two hours.

It’s going to be harder than showing up on project day to paint a wall or sort cloths, no doubt about it.  (And to be fair, painting and sorting are often big needs, but they are needs best addressed in the context of holistic involvement.)  If you have young children, an appropriate on-going opportunity may be even more difficult to find.  But it can be done!

I know parents that regularly volunteer their time with a local non-profit, and then find appropriate opportunities like community events to bring their children along.  There are also parents who’ve set up babysitting exchanges with other parents who want to volunteer so they can each have time to donate their time & skill.  The kids may not have been physically performing a task, but they certainly understand how important serving is through their parents’ example!

It is important to teach our kids to serve - and it’s important enough to get it right.  If it sounds overwhelming, we’d be happy to help you brainstorm what that might look like for your family.  You can also check out these ideas that you and your family could get involved with right now:

• Serve as a “resettlement team” with organizations like Church World Service or World Relief that work to re-settle refugee families arriving in Durham.  If you have children, you’re perfect for this opportunity - these families need help learning to live in the United States, including things like setting up appointments for their kids, and their children may need other kids who help them learn the ropes.
• Organize a fun activity like a skit, musical performance, or magic show at places like the Caring House or Croasdaile Retirement Village.  Organizations like these work hard to provide an enjoyable atmosphere for their residents, and it’s a great opportunity to serve the folks there.
• Cook & serve meals for families at the Ronald McDonald House here in Durham, who are dealing with treatments for their children at Duke Hospital.  Depending on the age of your kids, this is a great opportunity to provide peace of mind for families under stress.
• Join a support team with Project Compassion, an organization specifically aimed at creating community around people with serious illness and their families.  You and your kids could be part of a team that helps participate in their community and serve their caregivers.
• Take your kids to “Kid’s Day” at the Food Bank to help them fight hunger locally.  The Food Bank in Durham has regular days with projects designed specifically for kids, which may be perfect for children too young for some of the other opportunities.

What are ways that you and your family are currently serving? How have you creatively incorporated serving into your family? Share your story in the comments below.

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