Volunteering: a gig for the whole family

As parents, we want to raise responsible and empathic adults who will think of the environment around them and the people in it, who will overcome struggles and strive to be the best they can be, and who will, ultimately, be emotionally and physically happy and healthy. I am sure that I’m not wrong in suggesting that most of us who aren’t parents want the same of other people’s kids, since they are the generation that will, one day, be our politicians, economists, bankers, law enforcers, medical workers, scientists, teachers, and artists. I would even go so far as to say that nobody wants a generation of power-hungry money-grabbing narcissists helping to run or ruin the world in forty years time; we are all decent people here. I hope.

So how do we help our offspring to develop into thoughtful and caring individuals who will protect the environment and the animals and plants within it, who will understand their own privileges and care about the rights of all people, particularly when we live such busy and stressful lives?

Learning by example

There is one way to spend time with our children, strengthen that bond, and build social awareness and responsibility for the world around us: volunteering as a family. By volunteering with our children, we can help them to widen their perspective from the immediate bubble of their daily lives and to understand the bigger picture. We can provide them with an opportunity to develop relationships with different people from different cultures. Teach commitment. Help them to feel good about themselves. And, raise adults who are kind, respectful and empathic. ​

​Once children are exposed to helping other people, it starts to become a habit.
Ellen Sabin, author of "The Giving Book: Open the Door to a Lifetime of Giving"

​So where do I start?

Expatgiving can help. We can put you in touch with Boys’ Town, a registered charity that supports children and young adults who come from disadvantaged families, who may have faced hardships due to financial struggles, emotional trauma and abuse.

The money that you and your family raise could help vulnerable children to learn strategies and skills to cope with their traumas and lives.

Boys’ Town needs people like you to help raise much-needed funds by selling flags for their national event, Flag Day 2017, on 31st May. The minimum age to get involved is 15 years. It’s a one-off island-wide event, so you can sell flags across Singapore. All that we ask is that you return your donation tin to your chosen volunteer centre. The money that you raise can help fund family-based care, counselling, and residential care to boys to help them to discover and develop their strengths and talents.

Let’s help our children to help others to fulfil their rights. Let’s show them how their actions can help make other people’s lives better. After all, they are the ones who will be running the show in a few years time.

For more information, click here.  

To find out how you and your family can help Boys’ Town make a difference, watch the video below. 

​Author

Emma Nobes