Hope Totes

One of the best things that I can teach my sons is the importance of giving.  I want them to give freely, generously, and with a cheerful heart, knowing that God blesses us with so much and that we should look to bless others.  As such, I’ve been trying to challenge myself to find opportunities for my kids to serve and give to others.  Each season this year I’m making a bucket list of things I want to do with the boys and for each one my goal is to include a service opportunity that they can be a part of.

For the Spring bucket list I decided to participate in our church’s Hope Totes project for a local organization called Haven of Rest.  Haven of Rest provides meals, clothing, and shelter to the homeless in our area.  Hope Totes is an Easter outreach program during which they collect and distribute personal hygiene supplies.

I explained to my son (who is 3) that there are some people who don’t have enough and that we were going to buy some things to share with them.  We went to the store and I gave him a list of items with pictures next to them, telling him to help me look for the items.  I guided him a little in his selection of items, but I mostly let him pick which ones he thought we should buy.  He loved pulling item off the shelf, getting a nod of approval, and running over to the cart to deposit his picks.  We dropped off our items at the collection bin at our church yesterday morning.

This was a quick project, but I felt like it was a good first project for us.  My son is only three years old, and so he might not fully grasp what we are doing with the service projects this year, but I hope that it does eventually sink in and impress upon his heart a habit of giving and serving.

some of the items he picked out

Have you done any meaningful service or giving projects with your kids?  Do you have any suggestions for us for our next project?

Cat

Cat is a teacher turned stay-at-home mom of two boys.  She shares crafts, DIY projects, kids’ activities, and a little bit about life in Ohio.  Learn more about her and the blog on the About page.