KIDS’ PAGE

By Colleen McDonald

Kids Volunteering                                      March 13, 2002

In last week’s KIDS’ PAGE I shared some stories of young people around the United States who are doing volunteer work with their families.  Here are some more stories:

In California, Scott, 8 years old, volunteers at a day care center.  Three or four days a month, he reads to preschoolers at the center.  He picks out the books and practices reading them to his little sister, Amanda, who is 5; it takes him twenty to thirty minutes a week.  Because of this work, Scott is becoming a better, more confident reader, and the children at the center are being introduced to Scott’s favorite books.  The little children look up to him and are learning his love for books.

Brandon, 5, Taylor, 3, and their mom, who live in Massachusetts, volunteer at a food pantry.  Their mom helped start the pantry.  The children have learned that people may run out of money for food because they have had to spend money on rent, electricity, gas, and doctor’s visits; they also know that sometimes people work hard to support their families but still need some extra help.  Brandon and Taylor feel lucky their family can afford plenty of food.

With their mom, Zachary, 12, and Trevor, 7, in California, organized a UNICEF group at their elementary school.  There the students raise money for UNICEF all year long (not just at Halloween).  Zachary has visited different classes at the school, talking about the work UNICEF does around the world to help people who are poor or are trying to survive during war-time.  Zachary wrote a letter to a big company in his area, asking them for a UNICEF donation; he included a petition with signatures from 300 people who supported the idea.  After Zachary had been on their case for about a year, the company finally wrote a check to UNICEF.  Trevor collects spare change, and, at all times, the family keeps one UNICEF donation box in their house and one in their car.

Which of these projects (described this week and last week) could also be done in Rockford?  Do you volunteer somewhere, too (on your own, with your family, or with some other group)?  If so, I’d like to share your story in KIDS’ PAGE, also.

Thanks again to Parents magazine, March, 2002, for printing the stories of these kids and their families.)    Love,

Colleen