Local Opportunities for Kids to Volunteer & Help Others
We always say that we love seeing kids helping kids! The newest blog post in our Introducing Kids to Philanthropy Series highlights local opportunities for kids to volunteer and help others, focusing on opportunities in the Boston and Metrowest areas. Read on for ways to get involved with Cocotree Kids, as well as some other organizations and resources!
Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to learn about volunteer events in the future, and follow us on social media (@cocotreekids) to stay updated!
Opportunities with Cocotree Kids
5th Graders at St. John’s School in Wellesley helped load up over 1,000 pairs of underwear collected during their school’s drive!
Host an Underwear Drive
This is one of the easiest ways to get lots of people involved, and it is super easy to set up! Collecting new packages of underwear from school, work, clubs, and places of worship is a great way to make a huge impact and bring your community together. If you’re celebrating a cause, asking for donations in lieu of gifts is a great way to spread awareness and teach kids about philanthropy. We have an Amazon Wishlist to streamline purchases, and will set you up with step by step directions.
Email Renee to get started!
High School Volunteer Hours
Are you or do you know a high schooler that needs to fulfill volunteer hours? We have opportunities that can range from helping out and setting up at events, setting up tables in the community to raise awareness about our cause, or even operations and marketing opportunities to help build your résumé. If interested, please email Sarah!
Volunteers with their kids and a high school volunteer at Natick Days. We needs lots of hands on deck for this event!
Volunteer at Events
There are many events throughout the year where we could use some extra hands. Our Natick Days event in early September is an easy way for kids to get involved and help out, and one where we need lots of help!
Click here to sign up for our volunteer email list and be in the know for when opportunities arise.
Other Local Opportunities
Youth in Philanthropy
Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) is an experiential leadership development program designed to empower and educate local youth to become our community’s next generation of philanthropists—those who give their time, talent, and treasure for the common good. This is a wonderful opportunity for teenagers.
YIP is run through The Foundation for MetroWest, with the belief that “when you teach youth the importance of giving back to their community, you empower them to change the world. The Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) program sparks a lifelong lesson in philanthropy.”
Combining hands-on experiences, insight into nonprofit operations, and understanding a nonprofit’s impact, invites students to see a new side of their community. This perspective influences how YIP alumni incorporate giving and caring for the communities they live in for the rest of their life.
Participants “get to visit local organizations, delve into community needs, grant money to causes benefiting youth – and potentially fulfill community service hours! Unlike other volunteer opportunities, YIP puts the power of decision making in your hands and empowers you to be a change-maker. The program provides you with a skill-set you can draw upon throughout your life.”
We have a close connection to YIP, as we were honored to have been chosen for a $5,000 grant for two years in a row by members of the Youth in Philanthropy program. We had an opportunity to host them at an on-site visit to show them how we operate and answered their questions so they could gain further insight into the cause they supported. We are inspired by the work that they do and think it is an incredible opportunity for teenagers who are interested in getting involved in philanthropy. You can learn more about the program here.
Campassion
Campassion is a summer camp for compassionate learners, and a place where kids practice compassion towards others and themselves through service, gratitude, mindfulness, and exercise. Campassion is an education-based program, with a mission to not simply have children practice service, but understand the why of volunteerism through read-alouds, research, discussion, and guests. The camp is located in Charlestown, MA and currently serves rising 4th and 5th graders.
Founded in 2022, Campassion was created by Boston Public School teacher Kathleen Chiong who has a passion to teach kids that not only is service easy, it's fun! Kathleen has witnessed firsthand the magic that comes when kids find joy in helping others.
We were honored to be included in a Campassion project this past winter, Spotlight on Nonprofits in Mass, by the Campassion kids. Kathleen wanted campers to understand that a big challenge nonprofits face is awareness. Her February campers wrote and published a book highlighting eight Massachusetts nonprofits, including Cocotree Kids! They researched problems in the community, nonprofits who face these problems, how you can help, and their contact Information. The book was completely written by kids, for kids.
We are proud that our work really resonates with children and allows them to practice empathy. It is simple enough for them to relate to the thought of not having access to underwear that is clean or the right size. When kids like the Campassion campers recognize the need and want to bring awareness, it means so much to us.
If you are looking for an opportunity for your child to dig deeper into philanthropy, we have been inspired by the work of Kathleen and the kids she works with.
2024 Summer Camp Registration and more information can be found here.
Serve Natick
Serve Natick provides access to finding local opportunities to volunteer. Natick High Schoolers Kabir Anand, Cameron Bernard, and Phineas Rando created this website to give students and the general public easy access to volunteer opportunities. Check out their site to see what opportunities are available in the Natick community.
The founders featured Cocotree Kids, and we are inspired by these local high school students who saw a need and did something about it. Making it easier to access volunteer opportunities makes it easier for people to get involved!
We hope you will join in on some of these volunteer opportunities and that you enjoyed learning about opportunities in our local community. We are so inspired by the kids who want to get involved, and those who are already making a difference in their communities. The future is bright because of these young philanthropists!
Read past posts in our Introducing Kids to Philanthropy Series:
