If you have known me for any amount of time, you most likely have heard me say, “You have to be the change you want to see in your community.” c
Since moving to the Chattanooga area in 2021, we have been so busy adjusting to the move, getting familiar with our new town, and bringing in the sweetest foster addition to our family. I have not been able to focus on ways to give back as much as I would like. That brings us to today’s topic: giving back as a family in 2022. I wanted to research different ways my family could volunteer or give back in 2022 in our new city. After a little research, I thought this also might interest our readers.
Throughout my time being involved with volunteer groups, I have found the top reasons people give for not getting involved (other than time) is that they do not know how. So, without further ado, I give you 6 different ways to give back or volunteer as a family this year:
Donate Food To Local Food Bank
This is an easy one in which I can involve my children. The Chattanooga Area Food Bank is always needing assistance and donations year-round to help feed those in most need. My plan is to let the boys help me pack a box of the food bank’s most requested items at the time and carry the boys with me to drop it off. They offer tours if you book ahead of time, so I will try to also book a tour so they can see how their donation and help is making a difference. For more information on the Chattanooga Area Food Bank and ways to help, click here.
Carry Letters And Cards To Nursing Homes
With Valentine’s Day coming up, it is the perfect opportunity to let the kids make cards and write letters to senior citizens in our local nursing homes. As the pandemic continues, nursing home visits have decreased due to strict guidelines. This means the residents are not getting the social interaction we all need as humans to thrive. To do this activity with your family, call one of the local nursing homes in your area to make sure they will accept the cards and how to drop them off. Pick a night and invite some friends over to help make the cards. Once done, follow the drop-off instructions given to you by the facility. This small act makes such a huge difference in the residents’ day.
Pick Up Trash In Your Community
You may want to wait until a warmer day to do this activity with your kids, but this is also an easy way to take care of your community while teaching your kids the importance of not littering. Make it simple and go around your neighborhood with little kids letting them pick up with gloves. Make it a challenge to make it fun for them by giving a prize to the one who picks up the most.
Donate To The Little Free Library In Your Community
The Little Free Library is a non-profit organization sponsoring free small libraries in your community making it easier and more accessible for children to read. You can donate to these small pop-up libraries by giving monetary gifts or books. To find a local Little Free Library spot near you to donate to, click here. Make this a fun activity for the whole family by letting the kids gather a few books (in good condition) to take the box and donate.
Set Aside Time To Volunteer
There is always something to be done to make our community a better place. Here is a really awesome resource on which to find local needs and volunteer sign-ups. The website is organized by United Way of Greater Chattanooga and is constantly updated with volunteer opportunities in the Chattanooga area. You can search for ways to use your talents to best serve in our area or for opportunities in which the whole family can participate.
Donate School Supplies
Many people think of this as a back to school only opportunity, but the truth is many teachers start running out of supplies and need the extra boost in their stock after coming back from the winter holidays and towards the end of the school year. Grab the family and go to your local store to pick up a goodie basket to donate to your local teachers’ supply stash at a school. Fill the basket with items such as Clorox wipes, hand sanitizer, dry erase markers, band aids, paper towels, pencils, permanent markers, sticky notes, etc. This will make a huge difference in your teachers’ classrooms.
I hope this article inspires everyone to give back to our wonderful community. By getting the whole family involved, we are teaching the future generation how important it is to always be kind and take care of those in need.
