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 Back to list | Project Spotlights | Find Out More
Help to make a difference in the lives of other kids. Here are some ways ZOOMers like you are volunteering:
- Libbie of Illinois plays with kids at a day care center every day at lunchtime.
- Elizabeth of Minnesota helps a girl who just moved to America from Ukraine learn to read, write, and speak English.
- Brita of Minnesota started an organization, called Happy Feet, that buys sneakers for kids who need them.
- Michael of Alabama wrote a book about his state capitol, sold copies, and used the money to buy toys for kids who live in a foster home.
- Meghan of New Brunswick, Canada, collected cans and used the money to help send kids to camp.
More inZpiration!
Emma of Florida held a school supply drive for kids who live at a local shelter. She collected over $500 worth of items to donate. She wants to make sure that all kids have the supplies they need to start the school year off right. Here's how you can collect back-to-school supplies:
- Ask an adult to help you call a local shelter. Look in the Yellow Pages under "Shelters" and ask to speak with the Volunteer Coordinator. Explain your project and ask lots of questions, like: Are there kids at the shelter who need school supplies? How many kids need supplies? What kinds of supplies do they need? Does the shelter have backpacks or should you collect them?
- Make a plan. Decide where the collection will happen. How long will you collect supplies—a day, a week, or a month? Set a goal for how many supplies you want to collect. If you need help, ask friends, an after-school group, or your class at school to join your project.
- Place collection boxes around your town. Ask local stores, religious groups, and libraries if you can place collection boxes in their buildings. Cardboard boxes work well. Remember to put labels on your boxes.
- Make posters to tell people about the collection. Explain that the drive is for school supplies for local kids who need them. List the kinds of supplies you need (like new backpacks, notebooks, pencils, pens, crayons, calculators, and three-ring binders), the locations of all the collection boxes, and the dates that mark the beginning and end of your collection.
- Collect all the supplies. Bring them home and sort them. If you need more supplies, you can hold a fundraiser such as a bake sale or penny drive.
- Deliver the supplies to the shelter. Ask if they want help filling the backpacks. It is important to put in about the same number of supplies for each kid, so no one feels left out.
- Think about it:
- Who did your project help?
- What did you see and hear during the project?
- How did this project make you feel?
- What did you learn that you did not know before?
- What new questions or ideas do you have?
- Is there anything you would do differently the next time?
- Celebrate! Thank everyone who helped you. And remember to log your hours and share your story.
- Keep helping. Now that you are a collection pro, plan another drive. Ask the Volunteer Coordinator at the shelter if there are any other items (like toys, coats, or canned food) that you could collect for them.
Chloe of Washington made a ZOOM-in-a-Box kit for kids at a homeless shelter. The kit contained lots of her favorite ZOOMgames and toys. Chloe had fun making it, and she likes knowing that other kids will get to play with it. Here's how you can make a ZOOM-in-a-Box kit:
- Find a shelter. Look in the Yellow Pages under "Shelters" and ask an adult to help you call them. If there is no shelter near you, you could give your kit to a hospital waiting room. Ask to speak to the Volunteer Coordinator and explain your project. Ask lots of questions, like: Are there kids at the shelter who might like a box of activities? How are old are the kids? What kinds of games do they like to play? How many kids would use the activities?
- Get a box. Shelters don't always have a lot of storage space. So choose a small box, like a shoebox. You can decorate the box with brightly colored paper, stickers, glitter, and even the word ZOOM.
- Choose the activities. Visit ZOOMgames and ZOOMdo to find toys that will fit in the box. Remember that many children will use your box, so choose toys that will last. Also, ask an adult if everything in your box is OK for little kids. Here are some ideas:
- Make your ZOOM-in-a-Box!
- Write a message on the inside of the box lid. Make a list of what you put in the box. You can also explain how much you like to play with the toys and say that you hope that other kids will like them, too.
- Deliver your box. Ask an adult to go with you when you go to the shelter to drop off the box.
- Think about it:
- Who did your project help?
- What did you see and hear during the project?
- How did this project make you feel?
- What did you learn that you did not know before?
- What new questions or ideas do you have?
- Is there anything you would do differently the next time?
- Celebrate! Thank everyone who helped you. And don't forget to log your hours and share your story!
- Keep helping. Make a new ZOOM-in-a-Box kit every few months, so kids will have new toys and games to play with. Find out if you can visit with the kids and play the games with them. You can ask them to teach you their favorite games or show you how to make their favorite toys.
Visit Care Bags Foundation
An eleven-year-old started this group that makes Care Bags filled with helpful and fun items for children who are in need. International Labor Organization
Find out how you can help kids get a chance to go to school rather than to work. Call Find places that help children by looking in the Yellow Pages under these headings:
- Shelters
- Hospitals
- Child Care Centers
Call your Volunteer Center. This is a place that can help you find volunteer projects. To find a Volunteer Center near you, visit this Web site or call 1-800-VOLUNTEER. Ask an adult to help you call. Tell them your age and ask if there are ways that you can help children.
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