I would like my 13 yr old son to contribute his time toward charity. Any suggestions?

Question

He is a great kid! He is gifted with straight A's and good at sports. He hangs around a great bunch of kids. However, he takes things for granted. I thought that maybe seeing things that are out there in the real world might help make an impression on him.

Answer 1

Good for you for encouraging your kid to help others! You can always go with the basics. Try having him volunteer at:

* a local hospital
* a senior center
* an elementry school
* Habitat for Humanity
* a homeless shelter
* a soup kitchen
* a center for abused children
* The Red Cross
* an animal shelter
* the local office of a charity
* a library

Or, check out all of the great resources on the web. YouthNoise (http://www.youthnoise.com/) is a "cool" site for teens and lists a ton of ways that kids can get involved. CharityGuide (http://www.charityguide.com/volunteer/child-protection.htm) gives a lot of ideas for volunteer projects you can do on your own time (like sending cards to hospitalized kids, etc.) A lot of those activities you could do as a family. Volunteer Match (http://www.volunteermatch.org/) will hook you up with local volunteering opportunities.

If you want to go for something a little more drastic, consider sending him on a volunteer vacation for the summer. A lot of service and church based organizations put together programs that send kids around the world. They build shelters, take care of babies, dig wells, teach life skills, you name it. I've heard it's an unforgettable experience.

Answer 2

I think we all sense an alterior motive to a previous posting here. You're on the right track. I know the Ivey League colleges look for community service involvement as much as grades. I have a son close to the same age. I suggest a mission trip with a local church; The Boy Scouts are typically involved in that as a group (if he's into that); call your local parks and rec and ask about cleaning up at a local park, or you can just go there and pick up trash, cans, etc...; Habitat for Humanity is an excellent group that will involve him in a half day or full day helping paint, shovel dirt, carry items etc...; last idea is to check with your local sporting goods stores or the American Red Cross and usually there will be local walk/run events where you will raise sponsorship and participate in a donation that way. There is a big need at nursing homes for reading to the elderly shut-ins.

Answer 3

This is a super idea! It will make him aware of community needs and let him know people who have serious challenges to battle. It could set a pace for the rest of his life.

I think he's a little too young for working in shelters or soup kitchens, but the Humane Society needs help with walking and feeding the animals. Nursing Homes residents would be delighted to have a visitor - shut in's without family never get to see anyone, especially a young person.

If you belong to a church, there are always things to do The Youth Groups often help package foods for charity groups and sometimes do yard work for the elderly, among other things. Speak with your priest or minister.

Children's Hospitals & Burn Centers would most likely welcome a visitor too, and that would be a real eye-opener to your young man.

He may even be able to assist in an inner city sport center for disadvantaged childen. You'll need to call around....Salvation Army is usually a good place to begin checking.

Answer 4

Check with Habitat for Humanity to see if they are doing any builds in your community. No matter what his skills, they can find something for him to do, and it will show him how hard it is for some people to just have a decent home. At the same time, he'll be helping others, and meeting people who care about others too. Also, there are probably soup kitchens or even homeless shelters that could use some help. He could also volunteer to help younger kids from less advantaged families with reading, or even as a assistant coach at a summer school program in a public park. If you attend a church or temple, they may have youth programs that organize these activities-check that out too.

Answer 5

When my chlidren were teenagers I took them to a church in our area that was serving breakfast on Easter Sunday morning to homeless people. I had volunteered all of us to work that morning serving food. As part of your service you also sit down and eat with the people whom you serve. It was eye-opening for them. They saw firsthand and met women with children, old people, young people who were living in shelters or in cars or out on the street. A great deal of the people were mentally ill, but there were also many who were simply just down on their luck, without family or resources to turn to. They learned that some of the families were there because mothers or fathers had lost their jobs, and didn't have enough income to keep up their rent.

This made a huge impression on them after we returned home and started preparing our feast and as we sat around together in our nice, cozy house with a fireplace and pool in the backyard. I felt like they needed to know that they should be grateful and give thanks EVERY day for what they have.

Since then they have not only been more conscious but they have given their time to various causes - the AIDs walk, Girls Inc and various volunteer organizations. I think it is good for all children who live well to get a balanced perspective and understand that everyone does not have the comforts or opportunities they have.

Answer 6

Yeah i was once like ur kid to Strait A's all though out high school All district Full back , but then my dad made me do some charity work at some church now i still live with my parent and making a living saleing drugs and Use books to crack heads who just use it for smoking papers

Answer 7

wow, all kinds of good ideas here.
what is he 'in' to? sports. o.k. something to start with.
he could spend some free time playing with kids from a shelter.
take up a collection for toys (footballs, basketballs, socccer balls) to clean up and give away. my sister does this with her kids at christmas time. they also have to go thru their things and give to charity in order to get anything. (keeps their rooms more tidy also)
what does he take for granted? his home? help out with habitat for humanity.
his family? visit kids in hospital or a nursing home
his country? write letters to soldiers or if he's into history being in a civil war re inactment would be fun and educational

Answer 8

Good answers (except for one) but you can ignore that!
My guys, 12, 14 and 16 started visiting a nursing home close to our house 3 years ago. We just walked in, introduced ourselves to the Care Administrator and told her we would like to visit once or twice a week.
We started slow, just visiting at random, and have ended up being invited on a regular basis to Anniversaries, Births and unfortunately Deaths.
It has been wonderful for my Children meet these people and get to know them and their families. There has been a lot of Heart Break when their Friends die but they have become better Men for it!

Answer 9

Let him help in an orphanage, I am a doctor, and back in Aftrica, I used to go treat children in an orphanage for charity. My daughter goes with me and help out with the babies while I am seeing the ill ones, She has learnt to appreciate having parents and she does not waste food, she is also a great kid.

Answer 10

well u can start by checking out what are his interest and get a charity where He can work with people or animals if he likes pets a lot show him this web site www.peta.com and he will see the abuse they are with animals in this world and feel compassionately and help out in a local shelter and learn the process of cure and who knows what kind of person he will become from this who knows even veterinary doctor