Fifteen Notre Dame Clubs across the country will pilot a Family Service Event before April 2010. We are encouraging clubs to plan community service events not just for adult club members and allowing children to tag along but for families or with children in mind.
The key to planning a successful service event for families is seeing traditional projects with new eyes. Serving meal at a soup kitchen can be easily transformed into a family service project if you divide up responsibilities into smaller tasks. For example, have littlest ones pass out napkins, older ones pour drinks and "bus" tables. You could also ask families to sit and have dessert with guests. This would provide a ministry of presence to those in need.
This website will be updated with tips and best practices from the pilot clubs often.
Family Service Project Ideas:
1) Bring a party to a nursing home or home for people with disabilities. Bring some cookies, juice, maybe some music and visit with guests for an hour. Advise parents to make sure their kids are well rested! This is something even toddlers might enjoy!
2) Gather parents and kids to make care packages for troops, or make cookies for a prison. If resources are slim, ask everyone to bring old craft supplies and make greeting cards for veterans, active troops, or residents in a nursing home.
3) Go to a local church and clean the insides/spruce up outsides (churches are often able to accommodate active kids running around).
4) If you are serving with older children, find a park or riverside that needs trash picked up. Bring GLOVES and trash bags.
5) Try volunteering at a food bank or food pantry. Ask families to bring a couple grocery items with them (maybe let kids buy a canned food item with their own money) and then offer to help organize the pantry or pack bags of goods for delivery (some pantries do this).
If you are interested in organizing a Family Service Event or have resources or ideas to add to this website, contact Katie Zakas, Director of Service by phone (574) 631-6723 or email kzakas@nd.edu
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