Community Service Project Ideas

I saw one school on TV where on Friday afternoon, they set out backpacks with food in them for the children to take home over the weekend. What they found was, that some children ate well at school, but the weekends they had nothing to eat. By putting it in the backpacks, it was descrete and nobody knew what they were taking home. Kids could come get the backpacks without anyone knowing too. They just brought them back on monday. You could find a school where there is a need like this and make it an on going project.

M.

Collecting monetary donations or items to create gifts bags for single moms is always a great option. Especially if there is a local org that works w/ single moms. I participated in a an org called Step by Step - it is a ministry working w/ single moms that's not directly affiliated w/ a church. Baskets can even include household necessities like: toilet paper, laundry detergent, body soap, paper towels, in addition to some nicer items like bath & body goods, lap blankets, brushes, hair accessories, inexpensive jewelry (sometimes a local Avon agent would provide clearance jewelry & makeup items).

Another idea it to start educating and advocating for recycling. If there is a local recycling facility, they may have educational packets available. If no local facility is available, than seek out a place online.

Lastly, local some local non profit org or sustainable farms. There are often voluteer needs for each. Help plant a garden, paint a room or moral, or help w/ repair needs. Whatever is needed. Often Org will list on their site what they are in need of, which may save a little time.

To have a greater impact doing true "Community Service", you should try and give of your time. There is usually a great or greater need in that area. Get the whole family involved. Not only with it positively impact the community org you're helping, it will likely positively impact the children.

Good luck!

have the kids make cards for a nursing home, then bring the kids to deliver them--- they LOVE seeing kids!! We made Christmas cards one year in our MOMS Club chapter and then we took the kids caroling through the nursing home-- the staff knew we were coming so they had the doors open to the rooms and some out in the hallway in wheelchairs. Try doing it for fathers day or for no holiday at all instead of just for xmas when everyone else is playing attention to them

Find out what the local home for teenage moms needs. We have a place near where I live that assists young moms--sometimes they need donations of gently used items or diapers, and one year we took shifts to help man the table they had set up at a local mall to wrap presents at xmas time

Adopt a needy family-- contact a local shelter for battered women or homeless families, and find out if you can adopt a family. We did this once-- it was a single dad and his 2 kids living in a hotel. We found out the clothes size of all of them, and we collected donations from our chapter (and you can see if you can get the husbands of your members to get their company to write you a check, too) and a few of us had a blast going shopping for clothes and shoes for all of them, and toys and books for the kids. We also got them new suitcases so they were able to pack up their new stuff when they needed to move around to different hotels

I love to see what scouts in our area do for community projects, here are a few that recently completed their projects.

There are many children that grow up in households with no books. They cannot afford them. If you can give a child a book, you can gain a lifelong reader. Here in Austin there was a scout that collected enough books for one elementary school, so that EVERY child was allowed to pick out a book of their choice, write their name in it and take it home! The kids were thrilled. The scout collected children's books from different churches, other elementary schools. and even contacted Scholastic for donations of books.

Another scout set up a collection of school supplies and back packs. They were then able to put together, "Back to School backpacks" for children that did not have the money to purchase their own. If I remember correctly they chose a school and asked for the grade level school lists. They worked with collecting the supplies at schools, churches and Office Depot.

There was a scout that collected Brand new packages of socks and brand new packages of underwear for school aged children. They worked with a large group of elementary schools, Churches and Wal Mart.

There was a scout that collected bath supplies and was able to put together tons of grooming kits for the homeless. They mostly requested hotel soaps, shampoos, toothbrushes and tooth paste. They just sent out flyers all over the school district and churches.

Another group collected back packs and small suitcases for children placed in foster care. Many of these children are taken from homes and their belongings are placed in paper bags or trash bags. This group actually held a childrens carnival at the local childrens museum to raise the funds, then were able to purchase the back packs at cost through Wal Mart. Donations of brand new backpacks and suit cases were also accepted.

animal shelters always need help. blankets, leashes, paper towels/tp....

Foster kids & foster families ALWAYS need help. Jammies, carseats, jackets, shoes, bikes... you name it.

enlight of yesterdays tornadoes and the floods and stuff I am going to make a suggestion you probably wouldnt think of. 5 months ago I had a little car fire. you never realize how much you lose till you have something like that happen. People who have house fires or tornadoes or floods or what ever natural disasters loose everything. And I mean everything. take donations for simple stuff we take for granted they need soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodrant, baby wipes, diapers, socks, shoes, underwear, pads, cash donations to buy stuff they have to pay to replace.

money to replace titles to cars, birth certificates, marriage liscense, divorce papers, social security cards. shot records. and alot of other stuff I can't think of right off. when our car burned we were going out of state for mandatory things. we lost everything I just named. suitcases, diaper bag, tippy cups, bottles, blankies for the baby, baby blankets, warm clothes tools, dvd player, dvds and I could go on and on. We were given cash donations which was a god send. I had to buy all new underwear, diaper rash ointment, tylenol for the baby, benedryl for me. I think you get the point. but think of things we take for granted. tooth brushes are only a dollar. tippys are only a dollar at wal mart but all of the money we got donated went to replace necessities. You don't realize how much this effects a person and how much they lose till you been there. hope this helps. good luck

How about cards/letters/care packages for local soldiers overseas? They always need/appreciate things like snacks, toiletries, prepaid phone cards, magazines, etc.

Visit a convalencent hospital. The residents LOVE kids- their eyes light up when they see them. It is like sunshine on thier face. Have the kids bring a toy or stuffed animal they can "show andrtell" with the resident. or a flower, anything to preciptate talk. We just walk in the door of our local home, the residents are usually in the hallways, in wheelchairs. They are always happy to have someone just come up and say hello.

Look into taking some of the kids to a long term care facility. I work in one and they are always excited to see children. Just make sure before you head out that all the kids are in good health and not showing any sypmtoms of sickness, and call ahead to make sure the home isn't suffering from any cold/flu problems. Keep both elderly and babies in good health.
Sometimes we have groups of kids that come in and deliver small art projects or individual flowers for the residents... this always makes their day!

I like to donate to the Domestic Women's Shelter. I am not sure if there is one in Nashville, although I am sure there would be. I live in Murfreesboro and there is one here. These women leave in the middle of the middle of the night or while their husband's are at work, with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They come to the shelter and then they check in and are given a goodie bag for them and one for their kids. In the goodie bag are things like shampoo, brush, toothbrush, soap, tampons, a snack, a bottle of water, etc The kids have a bag that has crayons, coloring books, snacks, etc I like to go to the Dollar Store and buy some of these toiletries and then you put them into a small paper sac/bag for each person. This is way more rewarding than just giving money. You can also donate used items, they need clothing, cups, plates, everything for a household! Once they are safe, counseled and on their feet, the organization helps them find a home. We have donated our old mattress, our child's crib, kid's clothes, our old VHS movies, etc I think this is an amazing cause to donate to and very rewarding for us females.

Another nice thing to do is deliver food for a day at the Meals on Wheels. You actually see the elderly you are giving to. They have set foods that they receive, all you would do is drive and deliver one day.

You could collect stuffed animals or books for the local children's hospital, for you, Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. You could take them down there one day and deliver to them.

You can go to a local nursing home and give each patient a card made by hand by your children. Call and find out how many patients there are and have each of your mom's group children make a few cards. The elderly love receiving cards and even better, having children visit them. You could even buy them some games, books, etc

Sounds like a great group you are involved in.
W.

You've got a lot of good responses. How about organizing a bandaid drive for your local hospital or clinic that services children? Your kids can help choose fun character, color, logo bandaids for young patients. Check first to see if they accept those types of donations.