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Encourage Your Kids to Volunteer this Summer—Here’s Why

Lots of Volunteer Opportunities in Fredericksburg, Stafford, and Spotsylvania, VA

By Alina Jiang, Junior Reporter for Macaroni Kid Fredericksburg May 16, 2024


Find local volunteer opportunities for teens HERE!



Volunteering is one of the most fulfilling ways to give back to your community, and the summer months provide the perfect time and opportunity. It’s easy to get involved, and what better time to start than now?! 



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Explore your interests: 

Volunteering is one of the best ways for kids to explore their interests. It’s low cost, low commitment, and provides ways to try out various different activities without breaking the bank or overwhelming time commitments! Whether your kid has a passion for animals, the environment, helping the elderly, or simply wants to make a difference, there’s something for everyone!



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Contribute to your community: 

One of the greatest benefits of doing volunteer work is that it teaches your kids to have a broader view of the community around them. When you start volunteering, you’re working towards promoting the greater good and kids get to see the difference that they are making firsthand. The smiles on people’s faces, the sense of fulfillment, and the bonds formed with others are just a few of the rewards that come with volunteering! 



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Tangible Results: 

We can receive tangible results through community service. Volunteering is a source of motivation for many because you can physically see the change that is occurring around you. Kids can not only feel but see the work that is being done to better the community. It’s empowering to see the change that you are making in the lives of others and to witness your efforts right there, center stage!



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Learn Practical Skills: 

Volunteering teaches kids important educational, social, and developmental skills that benefits them now and later on in life. Engaging in community service helps to teach kids important life lessons that oftentimes are rarely touched on or explored in school. Kids get to learn important communication and problem-solving skills that they otherwise would not have encountered. But most importantly, volunteering sets kids up for success to solve problems creatively as a team!



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Develop Gratitude: 

As we get wrapped up in the daily routine of everyday life, it’s easy to get absorbed in our own problems and forget about the people living around us who greatly appreciate our help. Encouraging your kids to start volunteering in their community from a young age helps to build a sense of gratitude and love towards our neighbors. It teaches kids to be grateful for what they have and to be generous when helping others.



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Boost Self-Confidence: 

Volunteering in the community is an excellent self-confidence booster! It brings kids a sense of accomplishment seeing the positive impact they have on others and the good cause that they are contributing towards. Completing simple volunteer tasks such as filling up a care box for a family in need can make a significant difference in someone’s life. Knowing that they have made a difference, no matter how big or how small, resonates with kids and creates a lasting sense of pride and beliefs in their abilities.



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Develop Leadership Skills: 

Through volunteering, kids have the opportunity to take charge, make decisions, and rally others toward a common goal. Becoming a regular volunteer in their community provides a starting point for future leadership roles in school, extracurricular activities, and discovering their passion. It provides a supportive environment to foster your child’s leadership potential and to grow into the leader they’re destined to be!

So, you’ve heard all the benefits….and better yet, you and your kids can be a part of that change! So why not get started today?




Click HERE 
to find local volunteer opportunities for teens!