If you are actively looking for a way to get involved or are already engaged in volunteering or donating to a local organization focused on local kids in need, you already know how precious your efforts and generosity already are.
It is often said that we all have something to give, whether it be our time, talent, or treasure and each one of these gifts has been proven to reduce the negative impacts of poverty, neglect, and abuse on children over time. And if you have already been helping local kids in need, or are seeking out ways to give back you’re already familiar with how rewarding it can be.
Local Organizations that Need Your Help
So what are some local organizations helping kids in our community that you need to know more about? Here’s a great list to get you started!
The Boys and Girls Club
Most of us have heard of the Boys and Girls Club of America at some point in our lives. We might have even benefited from their services as a child ourselves!
Today, the Boys and Girls club is still making all the difference in the world for local kids and their families. When schools and daycares were struggling to remain open during the early months of the pandemic (and beyond) the Boys and Girls Club was there to fill in the gaps and provide the support that families needed to keep working, learning and growing, and the need is still critical today. Just a few hours and few dollars a day can make a big difference to a child, find your
YMCA
Another venerable organization that is still the bedrock of many thriving and vital communities is the YMCA. Young, old, affluent, and lower-income families alike benefit daily from the services and programs that their local YMCA provides, and the volunteer opportunities are endless!
No matter what your hobby, interest, skill set or donation amount is, the YMCA has a perfect fit for you and a million ways to make an impact. From the educational to the recreational, the YMCA covers it all.
Reach Out and Read
Looking for a unique volunteer or donation opportunity? The importance of reading out loud to and with kids is well known, but a lack of time, money and the support to make it happen creates barriers for many families, so Reach Out and Read is stepping up (with your help!) to make it possible and practical for more families to sit down and read together.
As a part of a child’s pediatric team, this organization provides families with the tips, tools and support to cuddle up with a good book, and reap all rewards of reading.
Feed the Children
Did you know that 1 in 4 children live in a food-insecure household in the United States? Since the pandemic began, the need has become even more critical, and they need individuals like you to step up the challenge!
Feed the Children is making an impact in many areas of food insecurity, from identifying new ways to help families access food in their communities, to providing direct relief in the form of food boxes and other daily necessities, and education. No child should go hungry, and your time, talent or treasure can really make a difference.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace
Want to help kids get off the floor in your town? Sleep in Heavenly Peace is an innovative organization that focuses its initiatives on making sure that kids in need have a bed, a pillow, and a blanket, not just a floor to sleep on at night.
Not having a bed to sleep on has a negative impact on a kid’s emotional and physical well-being, and Sleep in Heavenly Peace is working to change that by providing beds, resources, and the community education, and connections to get kids sleeping where they belong; in a bed of their own. There’s lots of ways to get involved, once again enabling you to use your own special gifts, skills in the most tangible way. You can volunteer to make beds, donate materials, help coordinate, or give a monetary donation too!
We all deserve a good night’s rest, and you can help make that happen for a local kid in need.
There are many more local organizations that are doing their part to help kids in need locally. How are you going to make a difference in your community?