Community Service Ideas

• Volunteer with Meals on Wheels--I make cookies for the shut-ins


• Volunteer at your local food bank--Hold a food drive. My kids and their friends, along with me, went Trick or Treating for food, instead of candy, this past Halloween. I sent out a flyer, typed on lettehead from my local food bank, informing my neighbors that we would be collecting food on Halloween night. Most neighbors had bags of food, or a can or two of food, ready when we knocked on their doors. I thought it was very successful. At my daughter's school (she currently does not attend there anymore), we held a food drive. The kids normally wear uniforms to school, but if they brought in 3 or more items for the food bank, they got to have a "jeans day." They always remembered their food items.


• Donate boxes for Operation Christmas Child at Christmas time. Frank Graham, Billy Graham's son, runs Samaritan's Purse, which distributes the boxes to needy kids around the world. Many churches participate. It is fun to go shopping with your kids and let them pick out the items to put in the shoebox. There are local drop-off facilities in your area. Check out their website. I don't know it off hand, but you can google it; probably Samaritan's Purse.com.


• Get some exercise by walking or running in 5K's for a good cause.


• Visit a shut-in person


• Send letters to the folks in the military.


• Donate to Toy's for Tots


• Nursing homes love folks to come in and spend time with the elderly.


• Hold a penny collection drive for a good cause.
• Help the Salvation Army by ringing the bell during the holidays