Happy Campers Are Generous Campers: Expressing Gratitude Through Service

The season of Thanks is upon us, and we at Sidwell Summer believe that gratitude is best shown through action. People, young and old, can create ripples of gratitude. It starts with a simple idea that leads to action. And that action creates a better community.

When you involve your children in service at a young age, you teach them that they can make a big impact, no matter their age! This practice leads to stronger self-esteem and self-efficacy throughout their life. 

Here are four ways you can get your child involved in service in the Washinton D.C. area: 

Volunteer Your Time

When you volunteer your time, you show up for your community. Involving your child in volunteer activities at a young age instills stewardship as a lifelong value. Here are a few organizations where you can volunteer:

Martha’s Table

Martha’s table is a robust food program that provides meals for 5,000 families each week. Children as young as twelve can volunteer their time with a guardian. Teens, aged fifteen and older, can volunteer on their own! 

While children under age twelve cannot volunteer in an official capacity with Martha’s Table, they can still make a huge difference. Team up with your child to make trail mix, sandwiches, muffins, or a one-pot meal for a family in need. Let them tag along with you to deliver the food to Martha’s Table and experience the satisfaction of knowing it will fill a hungry tummy soon. 

Click here for details on ways to volunteer and on in-kind donations!

Greater DC Diaper Bank   

The Greater DC Diaper Bank makes volunteering as a family easy and meaningful. The Diaper Bank collects diapers (of course) and other baby and adult hygiene products for families in need. Families can register to help organize and package donated items during “family-friendly warehouse hours.” There is no minimum age for volunteers. However, all volunteers must wear masks (we recommend ages 2+). 

The Diaper Bank also provides options for adults looking to satisfy date and service nights all in one! Bring your spouse, a few friends, and a bottle of wine for an Adult Night Out with a purpose!

Donate 

There are countless worthy charitable causes. Explore causes your child is passionate about and give them the autonomy to decide which charity you support. Charity Navigator provides a great tool to explore charities by passion and interests. If you need a jump start, we’ve included a local charity below!  

Food Recovery Network

We love this charity program because students created it! Two University of Maryland students noticed the excess food thrown out by dining halls at the end of each day. They created a program to distribute that food throughout the community! 

Whether or not this charity makes your holiday gift list, we encourage you to share this story with your children. Help them to see the impact one can have on their community when they pay attention and care. Learn more here. 

Shop Creatively

Part of being a good community member is thinking about how you choose to spend! Instead of doing all your holiday shopping on Amazon, pick a few local businesses to patronize. Use the opportunity to teach your child about entrepreneurship and small businesses. Help them to see that they can utilize the convenience of online shopping and still leave room to support small businesses. Enjoy the novelty of indoor shopping and express your appreciation for local businesses with your business!

Together We Bake (TWB) 

This is a delicious organization to support! Sidwell Summer has partnered with Together We Bake in our Fox Tank - Ethical Business Practices workshop as part of our Summer Equity & Justice Institute.  Together We Bake is a job training program to help women in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area in need - women in the criminal justice system, facing long-term unemployment or experiencing homelessness. Together We Bake’s mission is to help women gain self-confidence, transferable workforce skills, and invaluable hands-on experience, allowing them to find sustainable employment and move toward self-sufficiency.  Products can be found at several local businesses, or you can buy online.

There are so many service opportunities this Holiday season. We wish you a joyful journey as you teach your child the connection between gratitude, service, and stewardship. If you need any tips on how to explain these concepts to your child, reach out! We’d love to help. 

Please share any photos of you and your child doing a service activity - we would love to celebrate each ripple of gratitude within our Sidwell Summer community. Tag us @sidwellsummer and show us your #generouscamper!