Service Ideas for National Family Volunteer Day - Saturday, November 21

Nov. 12, 2009 - PRLog -- Beyond turkeys and tinsel, service to our communities is an important holiday tradition. VolunteerSpot ( http://www.VolunteerSpot.com ) joins in celebrating National Family Volunteer Day and in educating families, including those with young children, about ways to make service part of their holiday plans. The holiday season provides an opportunity for teaching our children that Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and other winter holidays aren't all about getting stuff, they are about giving generously to those in need.

National Family Volunteer Day happens the Saturday before Thanksgiving (November 21, 2009),  and was created to inspire families with children young and old to give back, in any way they choose - e.g. volunteering with a local nonprofit, helping neighbors in need, or picking up litter at the local playground.  The growing movement makes it easy to nurture a tradition of family service and shows children that they can make a difference, a powerful feeling for the young - and young at heart.

VolunteerSpot has created a FREE online eBook to help spark action and invite families to join together for this affirming holiday. The eBook - Family Friendly Volunteering: Ideas from A-Z - is packed full of original and engaging family service activities. Please visit VolunteerSpot to view, download and share this free eBook. http://www.volunteerspot.com/ebooks/FamilyVolunteering

"We hope every family will be inspired to participate in some form of service this holiday season, and we know that our eBook will give them practical and simple ideas to come together and make a difference in their communities," said Karen Bantuveris, VolunteerSpot founder.

Examples of Family-Friendly Service  
                       
•          Stuff new, warm socks with water bottles and granola bars to give to the homeless
•          Gather gently used children’s books and DVDs for kids in the hospital or military families
•          Rake leaves or shovel snow for an elderly neighbor
•          Decorate reusable grocery bags for the food pantry (deliver them full, even better)
•          Sign up the whole family to participate in a fun-run or 5K for a cause you care about
•          Pick up litter and scrub graffiti at your local park
•          Send holiday greetings to soldiers and veterans at home and abroad
•          Host a hot chocolate or cider stand and donate the proceeds to a local charity

"Can you imagine anything more energizing, more unifying, more filled with satisfaction than working with members of your family to accomplish something that really makes a difference in the world?" —Steven R. Covey

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ABOUT VOLUNTEERSPOT:
Based in Austin, Texas, privately held VolunteerSpot (www.VolunteerSpot.com) is a free Web-based organization tool that powers grassroots volunteering at school and in the community. Founded by Karen Bantuveris, a management consultant and mom, who found that traditional volunteer coordination methods could be time consuming, frustrating and caused good people to drop out or simply not bother. VolunteerSpot’s easy-to-use online sign up tool saves time, streamlines communication and makes it simple for more people to get involved. VolunteerSpot is perfect for coordinating groups for anything — PTA/PTO activities, food and toy drives, carnivals and festivals, league tournaments, service projects, mentoring sessions, group campouts, ministry meals, book fairs, swim meets, and more. … VolunteerSpot, DOING GOOD Just Got Easier!

http://www.VolunteerSpot.com