New to Generation SERVE? Register Your Family to Get Started!
Things look a little different at Generation SERVE! You might be wondering what we are up to now that we are all staying home more and can’t be out in groups like we would usually be doing. The answer: We are still serving in any way we can! Since April, we have started putting together a virtual and remote family volunteering program to keep you and our community safe while we still meet the needs of our partners.
While we will have a few in-person events now and then, the majority of our family volunteering projects will take place at your own home! Here are some commonly asked questions about this new format.
While we will have a few in-person events now and then, the majority of our family volunteering projects will take place at your own home! Here are some commonly asked questions about this new format.
Why volunteer with your family?The most effective way for youth to learn about community needs and how they can make a difference is through action, helping side-by-side with a parent/caregiver and witnessing the example of community service first-hand. Volunteering is not only good for the community, it is healthy for the volunteer. Research has demonstrated health and well-being benefits to the individual volunteer and we regularly hear from our volunteer families about the positive impact volunteering has had on their children.
Volunteering is a good thing for all families to do. It's important to help others live a better life." Family Volunteering is the foundation of our service pathway to lifelong volunteerism, philanthropy, and community leadership:What impact will you see on your child?It can be difficult for parents/caregivers to have a conversation with their children about social and environmental challenges that face local communities. Getting out in the community and being a part of the solution is often the spark that is needed for kids to develop compassion, empathy, and a desire to help.
(After volunteering together) we now have conversations regularly about helping those in need. He includes being a volunteer when he describes himself in school projects. Volunteering is now a part of who he is." - Volunteer Parent |
Download our Family Discussion Guide with some ideas to get you started on having conversations with your child about volunteering in the community and talking about your service projects together. We hope you find this helpful! Reminders Before Signing Up for a Family Volunteering Activity
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93% of parents surveyed shared that their child's desire to make a difference in the community increased after volunteering with Generation SERVE. |
61% of our volunteer families say they have supported our partner organizations with time or money after being introduced to them through Generation SERVE activities. |
90% of parents surveyed shared that their child was more aware of community needs after volunteering with Generation SERVE. |
View our partner list to see the variety of causes we support, such as animal welfare, homelessness, senior services, the environment, and children/families in need.
How are Generation SERVE volunteers recognized?
We track the number of volunteer activities and service hours completed by each of our volunteers, allowing us to recognize them for their service to the community in several ways!
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Volunteers under the age of 13 receive an Amy's Ice Creams gift certificate each time they complete three family service activities. Thank you to Amy's Ice Creams for helping us to recognize our young volunteers with this special treat!
These volunteers are also presented with a Little Helpers 12 medal when they complete 12 family service activities with Generation SERVE! Presidential Volunteer Service AwardWe are proud to be a certifying organization for the Presidential Service Award, which allows us to present this very special award to youth volunteers of all ages who accomplish a truly impressive number of service hours through Generation SERVE within a year (September - August). To learn more about this award and the number of hours needed to achieve it, please visit the Presidential Service Award website.
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Generation SERVE volunteers who earned the 2018 Presidential Volunteer Service Award!
Does your child want to track his/her activities?If you don't want to track your family's Generation SERVE activities and hours on your own, it's no problem! We track all of that information for you so we can recognize Generation SERVE volunteers and report on our impact in the community.
But, if your child would like to keep track of the activities they complete, you can download and print this tracking page! Feel free to bring it to your activities and our Activity Leads will be happy to stamp and date it for you! |
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What do I do if the calendar is full?
- Check the calendar throughout the month for cancellations.
- Check the calendar on Thursdays and Fridays, which is when we see a lot of weekend cancellations.
- Become a Family Sponsor to get early calendar access. These sustaining donors help underwrite the costs of our activities so more families can participate!
- Follow us on Facebook! We post notifications of open spots on social media.
Can I participate in your activities with a group?
- As a general rule, we don't organize activities for groups. Certain Family Sponsorship levels and Business Sponsorships come with the benefit of custom, private activities for groups. Contact Allison Kane, our Statewide Development Director, at allisonkane@generationserve.org to learn more.
- Check out our Group Resource Guide or our Project Ideas page for ideas to plan your own group activity.
More questions?