Knowledge House Scholars
 
Epsilon Delta
~ official chapter of ~
ETA SIGMA ALPHA
NATIONAL HOME SCHOOL HONOR SOCIETY
COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS
Knowledge House Scholars perform both individual and group service projects that benefit charities and the community.
Examples of projects for consideration:
1. Participate in food and clothing drives for the poor.
2. Go Christmas caroling at a children's hospital or nursing home.
3. Collect school supplies for needy students.
4. Visit residents at an assisted living facility, children's orphanage, or hospice.
5. Hold a holiday toy drive for children in low-income families.
6. Collect blankets and clothing for the homeless.
7. Provide yard maintenance/housecleaning services for elderly or disabled neighbors.
8. Launch a mentoring or tutoring program at a nearby school.
9. Adopt a family at Christmas (provide toys, clothes, and practical gifts).
10. Hold a car wash to raise money for a cause you care about.
11. Volunteer at an animal shelter, food bank, soup kitchen, etc.
12. Deliver handmade cards to nursing homes during the holidays.
13. Participate in a Christmas Angel, Angel Tree, Operation Christmas Child, or similar program.
14. Start a flower or tree-planting project in a park or on roadsides in your neighborhood.
15. Adopt a charity and raise money for it.
16. Take Christmas gifts to a nursing home or children's hospital.
17. Buy a new toy and donate it to the holiday "Toys for Tots" campaign.
18. Have a scavenger hunt to collect food for the needy.
19. Help families in need by having a "pounding" (an 1800's tradition in which everyone brings a pound of flour, sugar, beans, rice, etc.)
20. Match children up with "adopted" grandparents they can spend time with.
21. Record books on tapes for the blind.
22. Teach someone to read.
23. Help out at a local child care center.
24. Collect canned food and/or clothing for the poor.
25. Sponsor a fun run to raise money for a charitable benefit or other noble effort.
(The Scottsdale-based Run Drugs Out of Town Run is a good one.)
26. Pick up trash in your neighborhood.
27. Create a schoolyard, backyard, or community wildlife habitat.
28. Set up a recycling program in your neighborhood or school.
29. Get local civic/corporate groups to sponsor a community improvement project.
30. Organize a volunteer fair at which the community can get to know local charitable organizations and learn how their volunteer efforts make a difference.
31. Volunteer at your house of worship or a faith-based organization.
32. Offer volunteer support to local fire, police, and health departments.
33. Organize a CPR/first aid/self-defense course at your workplace, church, or community center to teach others these life saving skills.
34. Volunteer at a local community center, school, or nonprofit organization.
35. Visit hospitals with smiles, treats and friendly conversation for patients.
36. Bring a small tame animal to a nursing home for the residents to pet.
37. Cut down some weeds or trim some trees in your neighborhood.
38. Visit a retirement or nursing home.
39. Visit an elderly or homebound neighbor.
40. Send letters and care packages to military personnel stationed overseas.
41. Offer tutoring services to younger students.
42. Assemble and distribute kids fingerprint ID kits.
43. Collect aluminumm cans, used ink cartridges, newspapers, etc. for recycling.
44. Adopt a trail with the Forest Service.
45. Assist the Pioneer Historical Museum's ongoing preservation and living history interpretation endeavors.
46. Adopt a charity organization and work with them.
47. Identify a need in the community and help to solve it.
48. Look for partners that will sponsor activities and events for our members.
49. Develop mentoring relationships with businessmen, legislators, or other leaders.
50. Invite members of the community to speak at a monthly meeting.
Eta Sigma Alpha members' projects may be combined with Boy Scout, 4-H, Congressional Award, or other projects.
Click here for a printable Service Project Record Sheet
(Courtesy of ESA Southwest Lambda Chapter)
Volunteer Articles & Ideas
Kids Enhancing the Quality of Life
Helping Others...Helping Ourselves
Make a Difference - Volunteer!
Kids Helping Their Communities
Volunteer Opportunities
• Make a Difference Day (October) - the largest national day of helping others, sponsored by USA Weekend Magazine in partnership with the Points of Light Foundation.
• National Kids Care Week (October) – recognizing the power of kids to reach out and help others, as kids show they care by doing charitable works in their community.
• World Kindness Day (November) - dedicated to building a kinder and more compassionate world.
• National Family Volunteer Day (November) - families all across America work together to strengthen their families, communities, and non-profit organizations through volunteer service.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service (January) - Americans across the country honor the civil rights leader by participating in community service projects.
• Random Acts of Kindness Week (February) – a grassroots movement for performing random acts of kindness to show how easy it is to affect a person's life in a positive way, and encourage others to do the same.
• National Youth Service Day (April) - empowering young people, highlighting their ongoing contributions to their communities, and mobilizing their energy, commitment, and idealism.
• National Volunteer Week (April) – celebrating the American spirit by recognizing the efforts of volunteers at the local, state and national levels.
• Join Hands Day (May) - an annual day of service that develops relationships between young people and adults through neighborhood volunteering.
Volunteer Links
http://familyeducation.com (In the Search box, type in "volunteering" and click on Go for lots of great volunteer ideas, tips, articles and related topics.)
www.familycares.org (Their mission is to promote compassion and the spirit of charity in children through hands-on family projects that help others in need.)
www.give.org (This Better Business Bureau site has advice on giving to charities and lists hundreds of national charitable organizations.)
www.helptheorphans.org (Arizona-based Friends of the Orphans is dedicated to supporting the needs of orphaned and abandoned children in the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru.)
www.kidscare.org (A national service club for schools and youth groups that introduces kids to philanthropic action.)
www.nationalservice.org (The Corporation for National and Community Service provides opportunities for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to serve their communities and country through three programs: Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America.)
www.networkforgood.org/volunteer (Learn more about America's tradition of volunteering, get started with 10 tips on volunteering wisely, read personal stories from people who volunteer, find volunteer opportunities, and link to the Youth Volunteer Network for teens.)
www.pointsoflight.org (Find out how individuals, families, and corporations can get involved in volunteer community service.)
www.presidentialserviceawards.gov (Track your volunteer hours by starting a Record of Service and updating it online, and earn the President's Volunteer Service Award.)
www.projectnoah.org (Texas-based Project Noah was born out one person's heart desire to help needy homeschool families.)
www.usa.pointsoflight.org/kids.jsp (Show Your Character: A "How-to" Guide for Young Volunteers.)
www.usafreedomcorps.gov (Founded in 2002 by President George W. Bush, the USA Freedom Corps hopes to fulfill the need for kindness, understanding, and love in our communities which government cannot fill. Help to build a culture of citizenship, service, and responsibility in America. Choose your interest, choose where to serve - you can even be a "virtual volunteer" and work from home - and find a list of volunteer opportunities. "We want to be a nation that serves goals larger than self." -President George W. Bush)
www.usafreedomcorpskids.gov (Volunteer ideas for elementary and middle school students, resources for parents to find service projects for their children, and information for teachers on how to bring service-learning to their classroom or school.)
www.usaweekend.com/diffday (Learn about Make a Difference Day and how to get involved, find a project, look at project planning guides for students, teachers, families, employers and more; plus an idea generator and examples of what others have done.)
www.volunteermatch.org (Find out about specific volunteer needs in your area. They even list opportunities in North Phoenix, New River, and Cave Creek! Volunteer Match has volunteer projects for everyone - including kids, teens, seniors and groups.
www.volunteerphoenix.org (Informative site for aspiring volunteers of all ages and backgrounds in Maricopa County; mobilizing families, youth and businesses in volunteerism through a personalized online referral process. They also sponsor a Youth Volunteer Advisory Board for high school students and the Youth Volunteer Corps for ages 11-18.)
www.youthnoise.com (On this website for teens, click on "Take Action" for a Lend-a-Hand Toolkit and ways in which you can be part of the solution.)
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