Community Service Project Help

[MM27]

Every year, every class in my school does a community service project. I would like to do something new with my class, but I'm having a hard time coming up with ideas.

We've done:
collecting supplies for ASPCA
collecting soda tabs for Ronald McDonald House
school store with proceeds going to Give Kids the World
planted flowers to beautify the school
collecting supplies to send to soldiers overseas
collecting food for local food bank

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[NHdisneylover]

How old are your students? It would be easier to come up with some ideas we know the age group

Is the school near a community center, park or nursing home which would like flowers planted or grass cleaned up?

Is there a local park which as a wall/fence that they would like a mural painted on (perhaps someone cam draw the outline in sharpie and the kids can fill in with paint colors or something)?

Does a local food bank need the kids to sort donations?

 

[NHdisneylover]

More ideas:

Can they visit a Head Start program and read one on one with the kids?

Make cards for deployed troops or homebound patients or kids staying long term in a children's hospital?

Sing songs for residents of a nursing home? Or as entertainment at a senior luncheon at a community center, etc?

Cook and serve breakfast or lunch for school staff and volunteers?

 

[Deb & Bill]

Collect gently used or new books for children in poor schools?
Read to smaller children in schools or daycares.
Visit residents in a nursing home (read to them, play cards with them, talk to them).
Collect items for veterans in VA hospitals. Contact Voluntary Service to find out what they need. Sometimes it's simple things like socks.

 

[Mkrop]

yes knowing the age group helps...

I like the idea of visiting a nursing home...

A friend of mine donated a kidney to her dad, so the following year they did a drive for Movie Night at the center where the family stays while waiting for a organ donation. They collected G and PG movies, popcorn, other snacks and drinks.


Our 4th grade class made Easter baskets for the local senior center, calling one of them for ideas may be good.

We have collected hygiene products for our local nuns nursing home (doesnt have to be nuns, we are just a Catholic school)


Penny drives for any organization.


Book donations to send to an underprivleged school. We have a sister school in Philly that we send things to.

 

[clh2]

Collecting food for a food bank really helps to inform the class that hunger is a "year round problem".

One year - one of my DD's classes "adopted" an animal at the zoo. And - then did a whole theme on the animal, that covered multiple concepts.

I do love the ideas that other PP's have mentioned - movie night and the donations of g and pg movies. Same with the idea for donations of previously-read books.

Good Luck!

 

[golfgal]

One senior class project I just read about that I thought was a good idea was called "Senior to Senior" where the high school kids were matched up with a senior citizen in the community for the year and they took that person grocery shopping weekly.

 

[tomthebarncat]

Meals on wheels or contact your area agency on ageing and ask about helping out at state run senior facilities, such as gardening, reading to seniors, etc. You would be surprised how welcome the help and companionship would be to an senior who has no friends or family to visit. Sometimes we all need someone to talk to and to listen and children can be very energizing! Just a thought!

 

[MM27]

Thanks for the ideas. Keep them coming

Sorry, the kids are 4th graders. We are a 3-6 school and each class has to do their own project. We used to do a whole grade level project but because some teachers let others do all the work, my principal changed it to individual projects.

 

[Jedana]

Collect socks, magazines, etc and make care packages for soldiers

Collect socks, blankets, etc and make care packages for homeless

See if the Teachers Depot in your area needs help with sorting and handing out supplies; collect supplies

Toy drive for the Ronald McDonald house or local children's hospital; they can deliver the toys

Organize a "freesale". Donations are brought in, sorted and people can come in and get what they need. The kids can organize things, help people carry bags, etc. We did this at our church last weekend, and it was a big hit.

Instead of just collecting food, have them turn it into a building contest. Who can get the biggest stack, who can build the coolest looking structure, etc.

 

[Mkrop]

A baby supply drive given to a home for single or teen moms.

 

[golfgal]

One thing our son's confirmation class did was go to a local nursing home and play bingo with the residents. The kids each brought a couple prizes. It was a huge hit. DS brought a couple African violets and he said they were a popular gift. Others brought various lotions, soft socks, small blankets, etc.

 

[goofy!]

Do you have a local Children's hospital? You could make fleece blankets (two pieces of fleece with the fringes tied together).

Knitting baby hats with the circle looms - very easy to do.

Our football team holds a community wide coat drive. Another group holds a bicycle drive.

Plant a tree(s) in the community.

Plan a community garden. My elementary school is doing this now as most of the kids are low income. But it would be more than an individual project.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Another idea is to collect luggage, tote bags, backpacks, suitcases, etc and deliver them to homeless shelters. When the homeless leave the shelter they at least have something to carry their meager belongings in.

 

[Poohforyou]

You could check with your local PD and/or FD to see if they have a need for new stuffed animals to give to children stuffing from some tragedy (home fire, domestic violence etc). Sometimes kids lose everything or are pulled from their home situation without anything to call their own. A book drive would be good for your local soup kitchen. Some kids never have a book of their very own.

With kids the age of the ones in your school I think doing something for less fortunate children would really drive the service message home.

 

[lovesmurfs]

Do you have a local shelter for battered women and children? You could contact them and see their needs -- Ours regularly needs towels, sheets, diapers, clothes, etc.

 

[scrapquitler]

Every year, every class in my school does a community service project. I would like to do something new with my class, but I'm having a hard time coming up with ideas.

We've done:
collecting supplies for ASPCA
collecting soda tabs for Ronald McDonald House
school store with proceeds going to Give Kids the World
planted flowers to beautify the school
collecting supplies to send to soldiers overseas
collecting food for local food bank

Any help would be appreciated.

The community service group in my daughters high school rakes leaves for senior citizens in the fall.

Can they collect school supplies and backpacks to distribute before the first day of school?

Read to elementary school students or run a homework help session at the local library or middle school or elementary school?

Help with the local Relay For Life event?

Okay, just read the other replies, some of my suggestions might be better for older kids, I was assuming that the OP was asking about high school age students. The school supplies would still work. Or maybe collecting gloves, hats, winter coats for other kids/

 

[akhenaten]

Do you have a local shelter for battered women and children? You could contact them and see their needs -- Ours regularly needs towels, sheets, diapers, clothes, etc.

We made "Birthday boxes" for our local shelter... each box had the fixings for a birthday party... themed plates, napkins, cups... a small gift.... cake mix etc.

 

[MM27]

Thanks everyone. I am going to share some of the ideas with my students and let them decide what they would like to do.

 

[goofy!]

Volunteer for Special Olympics.

They always need volunteers and unified partners.