Why volunteering is good for your family
Becoming a parent brings with it considerations you’ve never had to think of.
There’s no doubt that children follow their parents’ example, so that’s a huge responsibility right there – being a role model and trying to be the adult we would like our children to become.
I’d be the first to say that many a time it’s not that easy!
I work nationally with a lot of volunteers who give their time and energy to their cause. Time and again these are people with very busy lives – parents with children also managing paid jobs – who also find time to volunteer.
There’s something incredibly admirable about those who give their time to a cause that they believe in without any expectation of monetary reward. In my experience, these are always people with a strong backbone and a wide sense of values.
It’s no surprise that those who give to their communities tend to raise children who will also be active contributors to society.
It’s the old, proven outcome of parenting: your children will mostly become the example you set for them.
A local family I know, the Weinsteins, always take their children on Christmas Day to work at the Room at the Inn, serving dinner to travellers and homeless people.
It’s therefore no surprise to see their young children – Max and Zara – voluntarily fundraising and contributing half their pocket money buying gifts for children at Porirua’s Women’s Refuge.
There are many causes in Porirua you can become involved in.
Local schools are always looking for parents to help with running fundraisers, breakfast programmes, reading to kids, cataloguing resources and setting up school gardens (if you can help with any of these contact your local school, or Karl Vasau at Holy Family School or Sose Annandale at Russell School, who would love to hear from you).
You can volunteer for Mana Parents Centre, Bellyful, Plunket, the Salvation Army or Women’s Refuge, just to name a few.
Alternatively, call in to see Lynne Harding and the team at Volunteer Porirua – they are always looking for volunteers in roles as varied as budget advice, tree planting and tutoring migrants in English.
Volunteering brings surprising benefits, too.
Many employers admire a candidate’s volunteer experience on a CV – it certainly says a lot about people’s intrinsic being if they have run a community group or been involved in initiatives to help others in their community.
It can even provide the experience needed to land the right job.
It doesn’t have to be much, a few hours a week, a day here and there.
But do volunteer locally. There will be surprising benefits for you, your children and your community.