Publication Date: September 1, 2003 | Age Range: 5 and up
Volunteering is an important way to cultivate compassion, gratitude, and empathy in children and to bring families together in meaningful ways. For busy parents who want to spend time with their kids while still contributing to their community, family volunteering is an opportunity to combine two commitments into one. This book is perfect for every family because it offers flexibility volunteer for long-term projects or one-time events. Whether you have a two-year-old or an eighteen-year-old, you'll find everything you need to know to have a fulfilling and fun volunteer experience, from finding the right opportunity for your family to answers to hesitations you may have. The perfect book for families who want to do good things for their community, spend quality time together, and have fun!
The Busy Family's Guide to Volunteering shows you how to access the resources and information available to find volunteer opportunities that meet the needs of your family. Every family can begin volunteering together today with the wonderful ideas provided, such as volunteering:
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Jenny Friedman, Ph.D., is founder and executive director of Doing Good Together (www.doinggoodtogether.org), a Minneapolis-based non-profit organization that inspires and helps families volunteer. After receiving her bachelor's degree from Carleton College (1976) and doctorate from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. (1984), she worked as a teacher and clinician. She has written more than 100 articles on issues of parenting, child development and education for local and national magazines, including American Baby, Parenting and Parents. She wrote The Busy Family's Guide to Volunteering, a comprehensive resource describing hundreds of volunteer projects for families, published by Robins Lane Press in 2003. She coauthored Doing Good Together: 101 Easy, Meaningful Service Projects for Families, Schools and Communities (Free Spirit, 2010), a practical guidebook for schools, youth organizations, and businesses searching for easy, meaningful family service activities to do on-site. As executive director of DGT, Friedman consults with organizations to develop family volunteer programs; conducts workshops; presents at conferences; writes the monthly newsletter and articles on family service; provides interviews to the media; and writes various publications. She is also involved in launching new initiatives, creating family service materials, developing new relationships, and finding ways to deepen the impact of family volunteerism on a local and national level.
Between two careers, three kids, homework, countless school and after-school activities, and the daily grind of laundry, cleaning, and cooking, I have yet to find that perfect "balance" proclaimed possible by so many women's magazines. Throw in the idea of volunteering, and I might just cry. Tell me I should get the whole family involved, and I'm more likely to laugh.
How in the world could I find time to get my family to volunteer together?
Jenny Friedman has an idea. In fact, she has lots of ideas for families of all shapes, sizes, and income levels. From toddlers to teens, Friedman lists activities kids can tackle from home to the ends of the earth.
Friedman makes the case that one of the best ways to teach kids compassion and responsibility is by letting them help others, and by tying their volunteering opportunities to their interests and passions.
Accordingly, her new book lays out volunteer possibilities working directly with people, protecting animals, supporting the environment, fighting poverty, building community, and taking social action. From letter-writing to mentoring, serving in soup kitchens to organizing fundraisers, tutoring to coupon clipping, there are ideas even the youngest and the most over-stressed can manage.
This book should be in every church and school library, and would be a great gift for young (and not-so-young) families.
Jenny Friedman's book is the ultimate "how-to" for busy parents who understand the true value of caring about others; want to raise children who are empathic, caring and generous; and are seeking meaningful ways to connect and spend time with their children. As a child psychologist and busy working parent of three children, this book is particularly meaningful for me. While I strive to teach my children the importance of community awareness and volunteerism, I often feel as though there aren't enough hours in the day. Jenny Friedman's book provides simple, easy, meaningful ways for families to make a difference in the lives of others-- often without ever leaving the living room! We have already incorporated countless suggestions from this book we are so grateful for this invaluable reference.
JFK asked us to see what we can do for the country rather than what the country can do for us. I read this book and got excellent insight as to how we can practice family values by working together to help the world around us. Volunteering as a family provides some solid foundation for the children of tomorrow. As we all have learned, our children, learn not by merely what we say and ask them to do but by what we do.I am delighted to see Dr. Jenny Friedman write a simple, step by step yet very compelling and practical ideas for the families to provide service to make this world a better place to live.
After I read this book, I decided to buy a personal copy of this book as my holiday gift to all of my staff. My staff are based not only in the United States but also in Japan, Ireland, Spain and Germany. Each of them have already called me to express their appreciation for this thoughtful book and it's ideas for volunteering with their family.
I wish this author great success in promoting this idea not only in the USA but around the world.
