Intro | Families in Action | Educators in Action | Resources
Resources
We've listed just some of the many available volunteering books and Web sites. Printable Guides
Books
Web Sites
Kid's Resources
Smart Volunteering Tips
Printable Guides
You'll need Adobe Systems' free Acrobat Reader software to view and print these guides. It's free, easy to install, and you only have to do it once.
ZOOM Into Action Family Guide to Volunteering (388K)
This printable 28-page guide contains ideas for projects, names of national agencies you can contact and suggestions for how to make your volunteer experience fun and rewarding.
ZOOM Into Action: Conservation Guide (1.2 MB)
This printable 12-page guide contains ideas for cleaning up public spaces, creating new animal habitats, saving our natural resources, and other conservation-minded suggestions for kids.
Books
Family Serve: Volunteer Opportunities for Families
Thoele, Mary. Quality Life Resources, 2001.
This book will show your family how to plan volunteer activities, locate a worthwhile project, and get the most out of helping others.
The Kid's Guide to Social Action: How to Solve the Social Problems You Choose — and Turn Creative Thinking into Positive Action
Lewis, Barbara. Free Spirit Press, 1991.
A resource for students and teachers to learn social action skills and solve problems on a local, state, and national level.
The Service Learning Bookshelf
Kaye, Cathryn. ABCD Books, 2000.
This annotated bibliography contains fiction and nonfiction books to inspire young volunteers. It also contains tips for using books to enhance volunteer projects.
Web Sites
ABCD Books
www.ABCDbooks.org
This site features service-learning publications, as well as staff development materials and free, downloadable service-learning curricula.
Family Cares
www.familycares.org
Discover over 60 hands-on family volunteer projects.
Family Matters
www.pointsoflight.org/familymatters/fm_day.cfm
Find out how your family can take part in National Family Volunteer Day.
The Giraffe Project
www.giraffe.org
This project gets its name from motivating people to "stick out their necks" in their communities and send stories about volunteers to the media.
Kids Care Clubs
www.kidscare.org
Any school, afterschool program, or community center can start a Kids Care Club with these free projects that are specifically designed for young volunteers.
National Service-Learning Exchange
www.nslexchange.org
The Exchange supports service-learning programs in schools and community organizations across the country through peer-based training and technical assistance.
Volunteer Center National Network
www.volunteerconnections.org/VCP_volunteercentermap.cfm
Click on a state to locate a Volunteer Center near you and learn about projects that are appropriate for kids in your community.
Volunteer Match
www.volunteermatch.org
Enter your zip code and search a database of volunteer opportunities. Look for family-friendly projects marked with a small brown "G" and kid-friendly projects marked with a small pink "K."
Kids' Resources
ZOOM Into Action Projects
Step-by-step projects offer fun, meaningful ways for families and groups of kids to volunteer. Each project helps kids reflect on their experience, share their story with ZOOM, and go beyond "one time" volunteering via project extensions.
Click on a "helping" topic for books and Web sites that kids can use to learn about important issues and find related volunteer projects.
