All In The Family

What a week – phew! This is the time of year where my days seem to get busier and busier; there are holidays to plan for, parties to attend and decorations to hang. I challenged myself earlier this year to engage my family in volunteer activities at least once a month. At first I thought it would be difficult to get three children pumped up and out of the house to do something that didn’t involve a new toy or candy, but it wasn’t. They have learned to love volunteering and we have had some awesome experiences. I find that we are volunteering as a family almost every weekend.

There are plenty of family friendly volunteer activities – you just have to know where to look for them. Earlier in the summer I created a family volunteering group called Doing Good Together – Families Making a Difference. I send out a monthly newsletter highlighting several family friendly volunteer activities that you can be involved in. If you would like to me to add you to the list please let me know. We also have a Facebook group that you are welcome to join. Updates during the month are posted on Facebook along with pictures, fun facts and much more.

Tomorrow is National Family Volunteering Day. We will be celebrating our community and our families by stuffing toiletry bags for Safe Harbor. Safe Harbor is a program supported by local churches to provide overnight shelter to homeless members of our community during the winter months. There will also be a holiday craft table for the younger members of our families to create cards for the participants of Safe Harbor. Please come and join us at The Presbyterian Church from 10am until 12pm for fellowship and a rewarding volunteer opportunity.

Have a great weekend – and please remember to check your 1800volunteer account for new volunteer opportunities!

Amanda Hilt
Volunteer Center Coordinator, United Way of Northwest Michigan
amanda@unitedwaynwmi.org
231-947-3200 x 206

Give While You Shop

Please make every gift count this holiday season. More than 1,300 top stores including Amazon, Toys R Us, Best Buy, Apple, Gap and more will donate a percentage of virtually every sale to the United Way of Northwest Michigan. Just go to GoodShop.com, designate us as the cause you support and then click over to your favorite store. You pay nothing extra - and you can even save money as GoodShop lists thousands of money-saving coupons and free shipping offers. Or, add our toolbar to your browser at http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar - and your purchases will count even if you forget to go to GoodShop first! There's no easier way to support us this holiday season! Please spread the word.

Family Volunteer Opportunity

Join me in celebrating Family Volunteering Day on Saturday, November 21st. We will be celebrating our community and our families by stuffing toiletry bags for Safe Harbor. Safe Harbor is a program supported by local churches to provide overnight shelter to homeless members of our community during the winter months. There will also be a holiday craft table for the younger members of our families to create cards for the participants of Safe Harbor. Please come and join us at The Presbyterian Church from 10am until 12pm for fellowship and a rewarding volunteer opportunity.

Contact Amanda to learn more about how your family can earn a free day at Disney World by volunteering in your community! amanda@unitedwaynwmi.org 947-3200 x 206

November Volunteer Opportunities

Family Volunteer Day is Saturday November 21st!



Baskets of Bounty
Thanksgiving is a time of year for families to sit together and discuss the things that they are grateful for while enjoying a traditional Thanksgiving meal. It is perhaps the most opportune time for parents to talk to children about what they are thankful for and the importance of giving. There are many families who will not have the opportunity to celebrate this holiday, as they might like to, and some live in our own town. Your family can make a difference by assembling a holiday basket for them to enjoy. Many local agencies are distributing baskets to area families. If your family would like to put together a basket please contact me for a list of local agencies that could use your help. You could even put together a basket with your neighbor, relatives or church group.

Candy Overload?
Does your Halloween candy go uneaten? Do you end up eating it instead of the kids (I do)? How about making some cute treat bags filled with your excess
Halloween candy and delivering them to local homeless shelters, nursing homes or food pantries. Everyone loves a special treat and this would be a great way to talk about giving—and prevent cavities. Your dentist will be proud!

Community Meals
Would you be interested in helping deliver a Thanksgiving day meal to an elderly person or shut in? The community Meals Program has delivered over 6,000 meals to our community members since 2000. Meal delivery will begin at 11:15am on Thanksgiving day and will be distributed throughout the Grand Traverse region. Take the kids out with you, it will be a great experience for them.

Salvation Army Bell Ringers
We see them every year—those dedicated people ringing bells all over our
community. The Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign kicks off November 20th at various locations throughout our community. The shifts are only two hours long and the kids are more than welcome to come out and give you a hand. You can view all of the shifts and sign up on the Salvation Army’s website.

The Turkey Trot
Would your family be interested in helping with the fun and always awesome
Turkey Trot? Volunteers are needed on November 25th and 26th for various duties such as preparing goody bags, assisting at the post-race food table, helping at a water station or cleaning up after the race. There are many ways to be involved, and this is a great excuse to spend part of the day outside.

Contact Amanda Hilt to take advantage of any of these volunteer opportunities. You can reach her at: amanda@unitedwaynwmi.org or 231-947-3200 x 206

Please remember that these opportunities are available for families with children of all ages.