Turn your kids on to volunteering – it’s good for their hearts

By Joanne Savitt

The benefits of youth volunteerism are many and worthy of redirecting some of the behaviors of our often sedentary, plugged-in youth.

Studies have shown that volunteering is a wonderful vehicle for building self-confidence, strengthening communication skills and developing an appreciation of the diversity that shapes our community.

At Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis, we know that these volunteer opportunities have made a significant difference in furthering our mission of tikkun olam, repair of the world.

Volunteering also helps to break down cultural stereotypes and teaches tolerance and understanding. It may offer an opportunity to meet people of different lifestyles, ages and socio-economic backgrounds.

While youth are indeed spending lots of time in front of their computers, a new report on national volunteering trends, based on U.S. Census results, found that teens today do volunteer more than twice as often as they did back in 1989.  Young people have many opportunities to volunteer in activities and causes in the Twin Cities.

Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis created the Youth Volunteer Program for individuals, ages 11-17. It is ideal for meeting the volunteer needs of b’nai mitzvah and confirmation students as well as filling community service requirements, now frequently a regular component of school curricula. The program offers flexible opportunities planned by JFCS and supervised by adults.

Volunteering need not be a large time commitment. The program enables participants to volunteer one time or as often as they like.

Since the program began last  fall, youth have performed a variety of valuable activities: sorting and shelving food at the STEP (St. Louis Park Emergency Program) Food Shelf; preparing and serving meals for patients and their families at the Ronald McDonald House; serving meals to the homeless at People Serving People; playing games with residents at Sholom Home West; packaging dried foods for children and adults in Africa at Feed My Starving Children; and wrapping and delivering gifts for the JFCS Hag Sameach (Happy Holiday) Program for families in need.

These and other volunteer activities are planned each month and require just a phone call or click of the mouse to participate.

Mitzvah Madness is JFCS’s user-friendly, monthly e-mail newsletter that outlines these volunteer opportunities throughout the Twin Cities  area. If you would like to receive this newsletter or more information about the Youth Volunteer Program, please contact me at 952-542-4870 or jsavitt@jfcsmpls.org.

JFCS is happy to customize a volunteer opportunity for your organization or youth group. If you have ideas about other opportunities you haven’t seen in Mitzvah Madness, please contact JFCS. The agency is here to meet the needs of your children.

“We learned that it is not what one says, but rather what one does that makes a difference in the world.”

– Pirke Avot

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Joanne Savitt is Hag Sameach (Happy Holiday) and Youth Volunteer Coordinator at Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis.