Part III: How To Volunteer With Small Children

There are some seasons in life when it might not be the best idea to make an outside commitment to a non-profit.

Perhaps you are car-less or sleepless or you have a wee newborn or a busload of kids.

Don't be disheartened. There are plenty of ways you can give to your community...from your little house in Anytown, USA.

You can:

• knit socks for premature infants.
• donate breast milk.
• foster a child.
• put together packets for the homeless.
• spread the word about your favorite charities - via Facebook or Twitter.
• organize a lemonade stand, bake sale, or yard sale...with all of the proceeds going toward a needy family or a 501(c)(3) in your area.
• deliver a meal to someone who is housebound, elderly, ill, pregnant, or with a new baby.

ALSO - Remember that service to your family matters most of all. I often meditate on what Mother Teresa reiterated time and time again: "Love begins by taking care of the closest ones...the ones at home." As a parent, you may feel like you're not really serving...but, oh, you ARE. As you brush teeth, give baths, read stories, go on walks, listen to questions, and love intentionally...you are changing the world in the biggest and most important way. You are making an un-eraseable, irrevocable mark on your child's life. Never, ever take that for granted.

* This is Part III of a three-part series on How To Volunteer With Small Children. [Read Part I and Part II].

What other ideas do you have for how parents can volunteer with small children?