"Do not yield to discouragement in the face of difficulties and do not abandon yourselves to false solutions which often seem the easiest way to overcome problems. Do not be afraid to make a commitment, to face hard work and sacrifice, to choose the paths that demand fidelity and constancy, humility and dedication. Be confident in your youth and its profound desires for happiness, truth, beauty and genuine love! Live fully this time in your life so rich and so full of enthusiasm."
"Let us look with greater hope to the future; let us encourage one another on our journey."
~ Papa Benedict XVI

Family Service Projects

We are all called to serve.  What better way to learn how to serve others than working with those you feel most comfortable with? 

There are many ways our children can serve, and yes, sometimes age is a requirement.  And we all know even the littlest ones have such serving hearts, but many times are left out of the project because they have been deemed too young, too inexperienced, too... whatever. Please join us in striving to continually foster the love and joy of serving others, no matter the age of the child.
Here we hope you will find some ways to serve that even the youngest servant may be able to participate in. 

The Jared Box Project - "A Jared Box is a shoebox size plastic storage box filled with small gifts, toys, cards, and games. Each box contains items selected for a specific age and gender. The boxes are delivered to hospitals" and given to young patients.
You can click on the project title above to visit the Jared Box Project home page.

The Food Bank - Across the country in most towns there is a food bank or pantry.  It may be huge, it may be tiny, but either way it feeds many more people than you would care to believe.  Most teens are welcome to volunteer and some facilities even host family days where children as young as 5 can come in and help sort.  Please consider looking into your local food bank or pantry's volunteer opportunities.

Rosary Makers - Most parishes have a rosary makers group.  They usually meet once a month.  You get materials (whether given or bought through the group) and make rosaries over the month and then meet to return them, box them for mailing, and get more materials.  If there is time you can make a few while  you're there as well. 

Many people would think this is not for the younger family members but even someone as young as 2 can participate.  We set out a place mat, count out and group beads, and then they bead and let us know when they are done with a set.  Someone will make the knot and show them the next group of beads to use. 
This is a great activity to do while listening to music, listening to a story, or having a family discussion.


If you have any questions or suggestions for Family Service Projects please leave a comment.  We'll happily add your suggestions to the list!

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