Summer vacation has arrived, yasss!!!! For most families, summer means ice cream cones, frequent visits to the park, splashing in the pool, and family vacay. Beyond these favorite past-times, what better season than to give back with the kids?
20 Ways to Give Back as a Family This Summer
1. Spend a morning cleaning up a park.
2. Flying Horse Farms needs volunteers to give seriously ill children a camp experience they’ll never forget. flyinghorsefarms.org
3. Build a kitchen table and chairs at the Furniture Bank of Central Ohio so parents and kids have a gathering place for the breakfast, lunch and family dinners. furniturebankcoh.org
4. Put fresh fruits and veggies on a families’ table. During summer months, the Broad Street Food Pantry holds a farmers’ market-style event to distribute fresh produce from the Mid-Ohio Foodbank. Volunteers are there to set up and break down tables and help clients as they shop. bspc.org
5. Make a shelter dog wag it’s tail with excitement. As a volunteer, you will be walking and feeding dogs to cleaning kitty litter. cahs-pets.org
6. Put together a care package for someone that needs an extra dose of love.
7. Sort through old toys, clothes and books and donate them to a shelter or children’s hospital.
8. Walk, run or bike as a family for a local charity.
9. Set up a lemonade stand to raise money for an important cause.
10. Visit a senior center to play games with the residents.
11. Volunteer in the Kroger Food Pantry at the Mid-Ohio Foodbank or the Dublin Food Pantry. idohiofoodbank.org or dublinfoodpantry.org
12. Multiple volunteer opportunities are available at Ronald McDonald House. From baking, cooking a meal, being a house warmer, to a blanket volunteer. rmhc-centralohio.org
13. Buy school supplies and a backpack for other kids through local back to school drives.
14. Like golf? Spend time sharing the game’s athletic and social benefits (emphasis on fun!) with children or adults with disabilities. forehope.org
15. Play a role in healing the ailing at Chalmers P. Wylie VA Ambulatory Care Center. Greeters, receptionists and assistants are needed throughout the facility. columbus.va.gov
16. FOCUS Summer Feeding Program provides meals for disadvantaged youth who are fed by the public school system during the school year. focusnorthamerica.org
17. Take kids on an adventure. The mission at A Kid Again is simple: “To foster hope, happiness and healing for families raising kids with life-threatening illnesses.” Lend a hand on one of the activities the organization hosts every year. Excursions include a day at King’s Island and a “dream night” at the zoo. akidagain.org
19. Make a home-cooked meal for individuals who can’t go home. Unverferth House provides temporary housing to families from outside Franklin County whose loved ones are hospitalized at OSU Wexner Medical Center. Volunteers cook meals for families and help around the house. unverferthhouse.org
20. Create your own event for #hashtag lunchbox on a local level. There are currently no events in our area. The movement involves creating bagged lunches, complete with love messages, to spread love and share your experiences to inspire others. hashtaglunchbag.org
