Five family volunteering opportunities

Throughout the month of April, alumni and friends around the world come together and give their time and energy to support hundreds of non-profits. But volunteering opportunities geared toward kids aren’t always easy to find. We’ve outlined five unique organizations and activities that can make for a fun and meaningful day with your family.

Make sure you register on the Global Days of Service website before starting a project so that you are counted as a volunteer.

Make handmade cards

Set up a table with a few pieces of card-stock paper, marker, and stickers. Let your kid(s) get creative and then mail them to the appropriate organization.

Cards for Hospitalized Kids

An internationally recognized charitable organization that spreads hope, joy & magic to hospitalized kids across America through uplifting, handmade cards. Cards are distributed in hospitals and Ronald McDonald Houses across the nation.

RAICES

A nonprofit agency that promotes justice by providing free and low-cost legal services to underserved immigrant children, families, and refugees. Cards are distributed to families and individuals through the Bus Station Project, Refugee Resettlement Program, and Unaccompanied Minors Program to ensure they have a positive first experience in the United States.

Color a Smile

A nonprofit organization that distributes cheerful drawings to senior citizens, our troops overseas, and anyone in need of a smile. Please note that you must print a color-in page from colorasmile.org. Drawings are distributed to thousands of people on their mailing list.

Sew, knit or decorate a blanket

Have you been searching for a new skill to teach your kids? Depending on their age, this might be the perfect opportunity to teach them how to knit, sew, or crochet.

Project Linus

They provide homemade blankets to ill, traumatized, and children in need. Blankets are distributed to kids in hospitals, shelters, or social service agencies.

Write a letter or two

As a volunteer, you will receive a weekly email with letter requests, and you can choose which ones you would like to write a letter to. You can write as much as you’d like, as often as you’d like, from the comfort of your own home. (Children must be 13 or older to participate in The Letter Project.)

The Letter Project

Supports a community of women who build each other up through collaboration and shared confidence. Currently, more than 4,500 women from 6 continents participate in writing letters to young women who are going through difficult life transitions, struggling with eating disorders, have been diagnosed with an illness, are feeling lonely, or are experiencing tough situations.

How to register

The Global Days of Service site works similarly to an e-commerce website as it allows you to individually add projects to your shopping cart. To checkout, please click on the shopping cart displayed on the right-hand side.