Volunteer Opportunities for your Kids
Teaching your children the benefits of volunteer work.
Volunteering is truly one of my favorite things to do with my oldest child. She is 7 years old now, but we started volunteering together when she was about 5, and I hope to start getting my middle child involved in volunteer work soon as well. You can never be too young to learn how to give up your time to help others and to teach your children selfless acts of generosity. It’s a wonderful way to spend time together as a family and we actually think it’s also the best kind of playdate with friends or even as a birthday party! But for as many benefits that volunteer work does for you, the good you’re doing for someone in need is immeasurable; and nothing can be better than that.
Chicago and its suburbs has a lot of different organizations that you can donate your time to. I will start this list with volunteer opportunities that I am most familiar with [mainly in the far north shore area], but I will continue to update it, so check back often! Please note that I may not have personal experience with all the organizations listed and the information provided is based off of their website.
815 Rosemary Terrace
Deerfield IL 60015
gratitudegeneration.org
Gratitude Generation is actually the first organization I started volunteering at with my daughter who was only 5 at the time. I found it to be the best volunteer group to start including a young child at. In fact, their work is meant to provide community-service opportunities for children and families.
Some of the work we did together in the past was creating signs and painting kindness rocks for the victims and their families of the Highland Park 4th of July Parade, and most recently, we volunteered with Reading Power through Gratitude Generation, by adding stickers to donated books and putting together bags filled with educational materials for schools in need.
During the pandemic, we took advantage of G2's many at-home service project opportunities, including painting kindness rocks, putting together bags and making plarn.
If you’re wanting your child to dip their toes into volunteer work, I highly recommend starting with Gratitude Generation.
Locations in Schaumburg, Libertyville & Aurora
fmsc.org
The mission of Feed my Starving Children is to elimination starvation in children throughout the world. The meals at FMSC are developed by food science and nutrition professionals, which is funded by donations. As a volunteer at one of their facilities, you will hand-pack the meals onsite and then the meals are donated to FMSC food partners around the world.
I actually have not had a chance to bring my kids here to volunteer yet, but I have gone with co-workers many times. Volunteering at FMSC can start at the age of 5!
917 N Shore Drive
Lake Bluff IL 60044
berniesbookbank.org
Bernie’s Book Bank strives to provide high-quality, culturally relevant books to children in need. They annually source, process and distribute free books to children ranging from ages birth through sixth grade. You can of course donate books to the cause, but you can also volunteer your time by helping to collect, sort, label and pack the books that will be given back to the community.
I am amazed by how much my daughter and her friends love volunteering at Bernie’s Book Bank. There is a sort of energy that goes through the place that gets the kids excited and constantly moving to get the job done!
900 North Shore Dr, Ste 178
Lake Bluff IL 60044
readingpowerinc.org
Through volunteer tutors, Reading Power provides children in preschool through 2nd grade, access to literacy education, regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, ability, socio-economic status or any other aspect of their identity. The one-on-one tutoring occurs during the school day with lesson structures that are personalized for each student.
As a community volunteer, Reading Power has office drop-in opportunities where you can help to prepare the learning materials, sticker donated books and do light office tasks. My daughter and her friend had a great time volunteering here and were very disappointed when we had to leave after a couple of hours!
1 Market Square
Lake Forest IL 60045
fillaheart4kids.org
Fill a Heart 4 Kids started in 2008, with their Project Valentine WeCare Packages™, which helped children living in group facilities feel loved and remembered on Valentine’s Day. Today, FAH4K provides critical necessities, food, clothing, educational support, life skills opportunities and volunteer opportunities to over 2400 foster and homeless children all year, every year.
What’s really great about volunteering with FAH4K, is the vast amount of opportunities there are to donate your time. There are so many chances to sign up to help put together care packages, 4 Kids Survival BacPacs™, providing services through their 4 Kids Brighter Futures Programs™ and coming together as a community at a 4 Kids Special Events™. It gives many opportunities for all different age ranges to volunteer for a great cause.
1 Market Square
Lake Forest IL 60045
lakecountyhaven.org
Through the use of education, employment and life-skills training, Lake County Haven empowers women and children to move from homelessness to independence. The ultimate goal is to find permanent, independent living and achieving self-sufficiency.
In addition to providing a meal or groceries to the women and children in the Lake County Haven shelter, other volunteer opportunities entail community outreach by hanging flyers, light office work, working at a fundraiser and much more.
Serving Lake & Cook Counties
fhfchicagoland.org
Working with social service agencies and schools in Lake and Cook Counties, Families Helping Families Chicagoland support families and foster children who are experiencing homelessness, poverty, food insecurity and other challenges.
In addition to donating and getting the word out about FHFC, you can also volunteer to help with sorting school supplies and delivering collections to a food pantry.
Locations in in Waukegan & McHenry IL
keepingfamiliescovered.org
Keeping Families Covered provides free diapers and other basic needs to individuals/families. As a member of the National Diaper Bank Network, disposable diapers are distributed through their diaper banks and mobile diaper pantry. Free infant formula is also given to children up to 12 months old, and as a member of the Alliance for Period Supplies, pads, liners and tampons are also distributed to those in need.
Volunteer opportunities include hosting a diaper drive, preparing diaper bundles, sorting and organizing donations, packing period supply kits and labeling bags. Or you can create “Cards of Cheer” with supplies that KFC provides to you, to take home and decorate and send to families that the organization supports. Volunteer work starts at 6 years old.
2200 Riverwoods Rd
Riverwoods IL 60015
orphansofthestorm.org
Orphans of the Storm is a local animal shelter that takes in all dogs and cats who have been orphaned, abandoned, abused or neglected. Providing shelter and the best medical and physical care, the goal is to place the animals into loving, adoptive homes.
There are lots of way to get involved at the shelter. Volunteers ages 13 and up can serve as adoption ambassadors during adoption events. There are also opportunities to help at fundraising events, be a shelter greeter and to socialize with and groom the cats in the cat wing.
112 N Milwaukee Ave
Libertyville IL 60048
stjoseph-libertyville.org/food-pantry
Part of St. Joseph’s Food Pantry’s mission is to feed the hungry of those in Lake County IL. Through partnership of the Northern Illinois Food Bank and other local businesses, they are able to offer basic canned goods, milk, eggs, meat, rice, cereal, bread, pasta, mac & cheese and so much more.
As a volunteer, daily assistance can be used at the food pantry by checking in guests, filling carts, stocking shelves, dividing donations and handing out food. Students in 7th grade and above can volunteer on any Sunday or on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month.
1030 W North Ave
Chicago IL 60642
thehoneycombproject.org
The Honeycomb Project has served as Chicago’s go-to organization for family volunteering for the past decade. Putting kids at the forefront of social change, this organization teachings about important local issues like housing insecurity, environmental protection and community health.
With a variety of different volunteer opportunities almost every weekend of the year, The Honeycomb Project will set you up with your choice of work: from distributing clothing, housewares and toys, to creating handmade gifts at Lurie’s, to serving potluck or distributing food pantry items, there are so many to choose from!
Other ways you can volunteer
Time might not be in your favor right now, and that’s ok! You can still teach your children the power of helping those in need by donating monetarily or with supplies, groceries, toys, etc. All the organizations listed above, in addition to many, many others, can use your help with providing items for donation. You can use this opportunity to put together a shopping list with your child and then go to the store together to purchase what is needed. We do this every year with our kids to buy toys for Toys for Tots. Other organizations that can use donations are your local food pantry, churches, schools, etc.