A Summer of Service

​Over the summer months of June, July, and August, Generation SERVE held its 2nd annual Summer Volunteer-A-Thon in Austin and its first Summer Volunteer-A-Thon in Houston. We had over 150 families sign up expressing interest and had many families complete the challenge of volunteering for 10 hours or more over the summer!
 
We’re so proud of the families who participated, especially with most activities being completed from home or virtually this year. Please take a moment and read a few stories from some of the families who participated!
 
Hear from LauraLee Daigle’s family below.

“Like most we’re a little bit at loose ends this summer, stuck at home during Covid-19,” said LauraLee Daigle. “Generation SERVE projects were a great way for us to do fun little activities, while reminding ourselves that there's a big world out there and our problems aren't so bad.”

“We were all always in a much better mood after doing a project,” she said. “The Volunteer-A-Thon was fun to participate in and it was nice to have a little bit of a visual tracker of the volunteering we did with Generation SERVE, Meals on Wheels, and the Junior League's Kids Giving Back program.”

​"Probably my favorite was the toys for the dogs and cats,” said Henry Hollis, LauraLee’s 9-year-old. “Because I feel like pets need stuff as much as we do. It was also pretty easy! I like that volunteering helps a bunch of people that need help. It makes me feel tired, but after I feel kind of happy about what I did."

"My favorite project was the cards for the kids in hospitals,” said John Clayton, LauraLee’s 7-year-old. “It didn't take up much time, but hopefully made the kids in the hospital really happy."

"I liked making the animal toys the best, because the materials were so soft,” said Ned, LauraLee’s 5-year-old. “I like that I'm helping others."

Hear from Rachel Reedy’s family below.

“I discovered Generation SERVE about a year ago, but it was not until the pandemic that my family started volunteering with them,” said Rachel Reedy. “My children are young (age 3 and 6) so it is hard to find places that allow young children to volunteer, and honestly, it is hard to make the time commitment.”

“The virtual service projects that Generation SERVE started offering in the spring were perfect for my family,” she said. “I loved the convenience and how easy they made it by providing all the ideas and instructions and how I could choose the projects that were appropriate for my kids ages. My kids and I especially loved the Little Helpers Stories that introduced the topic in a cute and kid-friendly way.”

​​“Volunteering is important to me because I want to teach my kids the value of service and giving to others. I want them to understand how lucky they are to not worry about their next meal or where they are going to sleep each night and how so many kids and families are not that fortunate. I hope through learning about different social issues that they will also learn kindness, empathy and gratitude.”

“Our favorite service project we did this summer was decorating and filling sack lunches for Kids’ Meals. I had only planned to decorate the bags but when the kids asked if we could fill them with food, I jumped on the opportunity to engage them further into the project. My kids got creative in decorating the paper lunch bags and were really into packing the lunches and making sure every bag had the right items. During the packing process we were having a nice conversation about where the lunch bags go and why the kids need them and I thought, ‘Wow they are really understanding this project.’”

​“Then my son asked, ‘So why are we wasting our money on these people?’ Well, clearly my work here isn’t done! It was a good reminder though how at this age kids are developmentally self-centered and how it is hard to think of the needs of others. It is also hard for them to understand a concept they have not experienced. I also learned that I can’t expect them to finish a project in one sitting. The birthday cards we made took over a week to finish because the kids would only work on one or two cards per day. I also found that if I left the card making supplies or lunch bag decorating supplies out, they would come back to it on their own throughout that day to work on it.”

“I hope we can volunteer in person with Generation SERVE soon, but I also hope they continue offering some virtual options. I love how Generation SERVE gave my family some guidance in how we can help our community during this tumultuous time.”

Hear from Liz Shoss’s family below.

“Alexis and Benjamin started volunteering at Generation SERVE this summer,” said Liz Shoss. “Their goal was to complete 10 hours of volunteer work for the Volunteer-A-Thon. Alexis decided to make cards for SEARCH and read books then wrote book reviews for an organization that wants to empower youth through literacy. The experience was great. She felt so good about helping and was glad she could combine her interests - reading and creating - with doing a mitzvah (good deed). Benjamin bundled diapers for BEARS, put together meals for Kids’ Meals, and made masks and snack packs for SEARCH. Benjamin was glad to help especially during this difficult pandemic when so many need help.”
 
“Our family made a goal to volunteer once a month together a year ago,” she said. “We were volunteering at Kids’ Meals, Undies for Everyone, Houston Food Bank and Books Between Kids. Once the pandemic hit, we had to get creative. Luckily Generation SERVE had at-home projects that we could all do together and individually. We are so thankful to have Generation SERVE guide and assist us in our volunteer work.”

Hear from Martha Garcia’s family below.

​“I really enjoy volunteering over the summer with my kids,” said Martha Garcia. “This summer was the first summer that Julia’s younger brothers, Nicolas and Alex also participated. During this time of Covid-19, it was a wonderful way to connect with my kids while doing something meaningful and helpful for others.”
 
“Volunteering to me was a great way to get out and get to do something for the greater good,” said Julia. “It made me feel good just knowing that somewhere, no matter how far away, I was making someone else feel good too. Whether they were adults in needs, kids who just wanted some reading time or a book read-aloud to them, people in special care communities or, our other fury (or feather-y) friends.”

​“This summer, I volunteered a lot at Generation SERVE and with a lot of other organizations and places; but, every time, it surprises me how much I REALLY enjoyed the experience as a whole,” she said. “It always gave a fuzzy feeling on the inside that I just couldn’t shake… and I didn’t want too! This positive and satisfying emotion, that always made me feel so good inside, makes me want to volunteer again and again, year after year. Just knowing that I was helping, me, an ordinary, 13-year-old girl, being able to make a difference, no matter how small, that is what I strive for, because good things come in small packages!”
 
“I love seeing the faces of pride and accomplishment beaming from the faces of my children,” said Martha. “For them to realize that they can do something that has an impact on others in a positive way, is a beautiful experience to witness!”

​“Volunteering is a great way to reuse, reduce and recycle,” said Julia. “It can be taking apart old cardboard boxes and styrofoam all the way to turning an old T-shirt into reusable shopping bag for people who maybe can’t get their own. We were able to give away stuff that might have not been that useful to us, to people who actually might need it. We got the gift of giving out of these projects. Volunteering to me is a way of supporting those who can’t support themselves. I am a very empathetic person so I feel for others and feel like it’s my duty to help.”
 
“I have volunteered since I was a teenager, so showing my kids the importance of raising up the community through volunteerism is powerful and energy giving,” said Martha. “I love doing this with them. When I was in my 20s, I worked in different non-profits where I was the “Volunteer Manager”. It was always a struggle because we could never accept families as volunteers for the work that we needed. It’s so refreshing to participate with Generation Serve because they provide wonderful opportunities to children and parents to volunteer together.”