FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
YMCA EXPERTS AND THE SEARCH INSTITUTE REPORT CHILDREN WHO "HELP OTHERS" THRIVE
Use these tips and activities to teach children about charity this holiday season
Chicago, December 8, 2004 - The season of giving is upon us, and the time is right to teach your children what charity and volunteerism mean, to help them grow up to be caring, civic-minded adults. Minneapolis-based Search Institute reports that "Helping others" is the top positive behavior, also known as a "thriving indicator," exhibited by a sample of 217,277 young people identified as successful and healthy youth. Search Institute created the "Developmental Assets" approach, which identifies 40 assets that young people need to grow up to be caring, competent, contributing individuals and is infused in YMCA programs nationwide.
According to a recent report from the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) in Great Britain, nearly two-thirds of all age groups surveyed thought that young people are not taught enough about giving to charity, while almost half (48 percent) couldn't think of a single strong role model for charitable giving.* So this holiday, give your child a gift that will help them become a caring, competent, contributing adult. Show them what charity is.
"For children, charity and volunteerism isn't learned by helping strangers. As cliche as it sounds, it really begins at home," said Barbara Roth, child care specialty consultant for YMCA of the USA, the national resource office for America's 2,575 YMCAs.
"Understanding charity is very important for children - especially since it can be a nebulous concept," says Roth. "Before they can do good things in their own communities, they need to understand what charity is."
Simple ways to talk to kids about charity
Roth explains that the easiest way for young children to understand charity is to see it in action among family members. For example, if a grandparent isn't feeling well, suggest that your child make a get-well card. If another child has a difficult day at school, invite the others to help you bake them a treat, says Roth. This helps them become more sensitive to the needs and feelings of other people. When children get a little older, Roth suggests they participate in organized activities at home, within a child care center or other organized group. Some examples include:
- Ask children to go through their old clothes, toys and books each season, and decide on several items that they would like to donate to a child care center or medical clinic in a low income neighborhood. Deliver the items as a family so the youngsters can see firsthand who they're helping.
- Work together with your child on a quilt project for a homeless shelter or church in your neighborhood. Older children can sew patches and very young children can sort fabric, organize materials, etc.
- Participate as a family in an "adopt a family" program. Ask your children to pick out gifts they think a child their age would like.
Roth also recommends this holiday "caring" activity for parents do with their children at home, to teach them the importance of nurturing living things and recognizing people who care for them. Have the youngster plant seeds or seedlings in two pots and instruct them to water, feed, prune and talk to one plant, while intentionally neglecting the other one. As the plants develop, discuss the people who care for the child with them, and how much better plants and people develop when they are well-cared for. When the thriving plant is full-grown, ask the child to decorate the pot and give it to a special caregiver as a gift.
"As the nation's leading charitable organization, YMCAs support values-based education and faith-based solutions to community problems. With their longtime emphasis on values, YMCAs are well positioned as leaders in building strong kids, strong families and strong communities," said Kenneth L. Gladish, Ph.D., national executive director, YMCA of the USA. YMCAs collectively were recently named the top charity in the United States for the second consecutive year, according to The Non-Profit Times.
Examples of YMCA programs that offer volunteer opportunities for kids and families
"YMCA staff and volunteers work to teach and demonstrate on a daily basis our four core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility. These values are evident in every YMCA program, whether it's a teen club, a pick-up basketball game, an afterschool program, or an older adult volunteer activity" said Roth. Here's a sampling of YMCA volunteer activities for children and whole families:
Frost Valley YMCA (NY) - Families can escape for city life and contribute to a worthy cause by participating in annual volunteer weekends at YMCA camp. Four times each year, families can receive free lodging and meals in exchange for working on projects like trail maintenance, cleaning equipment, gardening, sewing, restoration and construction.
Burlington County YMCA (Mt. Laurel, N.J.) - Families of volunteers participate in monthly activities including socializing and singing with residents at a local nursing home, and putting together bags of toiletries for participants in Camp No Worries, a volunteer-run camp for children with cancer and their siblings.
Portsmouth (Va) YMCA - When the swim team had a two-month break, the swimming coach wanted to keep these youngsters, ages 5 to 18, active in the pool and educate them contributing to their community. The solution was "Swim for the Angels," a swim-a-thon fund raiser to serve underprivileged kids. Ninety-four kids participated in the 2004 event, which took place in early December. Donations are still being tallied, but in 2003, 81 swimmers raised $15,000.
Tri-Lakes YMCA (Monument, CO) - Volunteers, YMCA staff and therapists operate a therapeutic horseback riding program for grade-school and middle school aged children with special needs. A partnership between the school district, a local ranch owner and the YMCA made this a reality.
Decatur-DeKalb YMCA (Decatur, GA) - A YMCA member co-founded the Happy Club with her husband and 7 year-old son, to provide social activities for teens and young adults with developmental disabilities, and offer respite to families of Happy Club members.
Contact your local YMCA to learn about volunteer opportunities in your community or charity-oriented projects you can do at home with your child. Log on to www.ymca.net to find the nearest YMCA in your community.
YMCA of the USA is the national resource office for the nation's 2,575 YMCAs, collectively the nation's largest community service organization and largest providers of child care. YMCAs serve more than 19 million people of all faiths, races, ages, abilities and incomes, including 9 million children through a broad range of programs youth leadership and volunteerism. Financial assistance is available. To learn more visit www.ymca.net
*The research is drawn from a survey carried out for CAF in Sept 04 by NOP World Consumer on a sample of 1000 adults in Great Britain over age 15. CAF is a non profit organization which, for 30 years, has been dedicated to increasing the resources of charities worldwide. It does this by encouraging planned and effective giving and by providing financial services to companies, donors and charities.
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