Friday, November 20, 2009

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

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