Service Sparks: Help Neighbors with Yard Work
Keywords:
Community Service Project
Environment
Family
SimpleSafeService
Volunteering
Ignite meaningful action that lights up the world through "Service Sparks" youth projects! Help out a neighbor who could use a bit of extra care. You may volunteer your time and talent to rake, mow, weed, or plant. What are you good at? Your effort may be needed by someone who can't get to it.
SERVICE SPARKS
Ignite meaningful action that lights up the world through "Service Sparks" youth projects!
Volunteering involves using your time, talent, or treasure to help someone. Sharing your talent spreads good will in the community and sometimes encourages others to take action. Generosity is contagious.
- Make a list of the things you know how to do that can help neighbors. You will need skills, tools, and a way to work safely. Note: talk about safety; only approach people you know. Here are a few examples of ways you may be able to help:
- Shop for neighbors who are unable to leave their homes
- Mow a neighbor's lawn
- Help an elderly neighbor take their garbage out
- Sweep or shovel a sidewalk
- Pick up trash around the neighborhood or complex
- Collect items for recycling
- Walk a dog
- Make a flyer listing the things you'd like to do to help someone in your neighborhood and leave a letter at their door with your phone number.
- When they call, discuss what you can do, when, and how it helps them out. Make sure your family approves and everything feels safe and fair.
- Make a plan and carry it out. Be on time and do a good job.
- BE SAFE. Be sure to inform your parents of your location and the times in which you are planning on doing your act of service.
- Take your own tools (rakes, shovels, etc. as much as possible and wear work gloves) to avoid germ spreading to your elderly neighbors.
- Check back with your neighbor and make sure you're doing it just as planned. Make adjustments.
- Learn more with a Learning to Give lesson Personal Responsibility
Reflection: Keep a journal of the people you help and what you do. Write about how it feels and their feedback. The journal will help you with job skills and to remind you of what you can do.
Explore more Service Sparks projects:
Learning to Give ...
- educates youth about philanthropy, the civil society sector, and the importance of giving their time, talent and treasure for the common good (knowledge),
- equips youth by encouraging philanthropic behavior and experience (skills), and,
- empowers youth to take voluntary citizen action for the common good in their classrooms, lives and communities (behavior).