“Let’s go. We have to be there by 9 to start the prep for lunch,” I bellowed at my family.
I was on a mission to help others while I yelled at my family. I wanted to teach my kids about giving back to the community. My heart was in the right place, but I went about it all wrong. I had picked the location and what we were going to do.
As you can probably guess, that first try at community service was a total flop. We served, but everyone was upset, and our hearts were not in it. After we got home, my husband asked some crucial questions:
“What does serving mean to you?”
“Who would you like to serve and how?”
“Why do we serve? Is it to feel good? Help others?”
Our teenagers spent a few days figuring out their answers to those questions. The hardest one was who to serve. My husband and I decided we could serve in a couple of places rather than one.
First up was a computer restoration nonprofit. They took donated laptops and refurbished them. My son and my husband spent one Saturday a month learning how to run diagnostics and replace parts. Once the computers had all their memory swiped and any issues repaired, they were sent to schools in Africa to help students learn.
My eldest wanted to take care of animals. She worked in a barn helping care for horses in the Texas heat and learned about caring for their hoofs, feeding, brushing, and tacking them for lessons. She was one of the walkers who led the horses around as wounded servicemembers rode them. This type of therapy helps people with PTSD and other wounds. She loved helping the horses help the servicemembers.
My middle daughter volunteered with a food kitchen. She chose to start in the spring when they were short-staffed. People often volunteer in November and December, but as we found out, most food kitchens need more volunteers in February and March. She discovered her love of baking by making rolls for the food kitchen. My heart swelled as I watched her learn and blossom into a baker.
As my husband and I learned, serving and giving back to your community differs for each person. The key is to give back and to do it with an open heart. Yelling and forcing people to serve does not work. They have to discover the value of serving and helping others.
My kids still smile at me as I head out the door to do taxes at the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) center. I love helping people with their taxes. My giving back differs significantly from anyone else in my family, but that’s the point. It makes me feel good, and I love doing it.
What makes you feel good? How can you use that to serve and give back to your community?
