I have a keen eye for mom’s who have their “you know what together” in the general public and when I spot what I like to call a “Bad Ass Mom”…it’s like a tractor beam of light that sucks me in and I can’t help but stop what I am doing, introduce myself and quiz them about their Bad Ass ways.
Let me tell you about a Bad Ass Mom:
Meet Rene.
Rene is a fellow Double Down Mom. She had an 8 year old and 3 year old when her twin boys were born. Rene is also the co-founder of The Give Back Kids. The Give Back Kids is a volunteer organization for children centered on gratitude and generosity by teaching the value of volunteering and giving back.
I first met Rene at a The Give Back Kids event a few years before her twins were born. I had been searching for volunteer opportunities for my children to get involved in and heard about The Give Back Kids monthly events through a friend. They welcome families with children of all ages and partner with existing charity organizations to host events in the Twin Cities.
Since the season of giving is upon us, I asked her a few questions on how parents can involve children in giving and volunteering in their community and this is what she said.
Q: If parents want to get their kids involved in helping out in the community, where is a good place to start?
A: A good place to start would be to email The Give Back Kids or follow us on Facebook! We have a lot of partnerships and have done a ton of research to find projects for families to do together. We host our own events and also give suggestions for current opportunities to give back that are available for families in the Twin Cities metro area. Another great resource is the local non profit, Doing Good Together. They have a similar mission to ours and if you sign up for their newsletter you will receive a monthly newsletter with places looking for volunteers that month.
Q: How did The Give Back Kids begin?
A: I started the Give Back Kids with my friend Sara Connors in September 2016. We were looking for volunteer opportunities to do with our young kids to give back to the community. We discovered that the choices are slim for those under age 12, so we decided to start our own group for families welcoming kids of all ages and created The Give Back Kids.
Q: Can you tell me a little about The Give Back Kids and when you host events?
A: The Give Back Kids gets together every few months and we learn to volunteer and give back together. For each volunteer event, we highlight 1-2 local non profit organizations by having our families participate in projects, drives and services to help support them. Our families also learn what they can do on their own to help these non profits.
Some examples of projects we have done this far include: Making over 1,200 sandwiches for the homeless with The Sandwich Project, creating cards that were sent to soldiers overseas with Operation Gratitude, brought baked goods and thank you cards to the local fire fighters, made over 100 “Birthdays in a Box” for children in homeless shelters with Simon Says Give, making cards for terminally ill children with Cards For Hospitalized Kids, packing food for the food shelves at ICA and Feed My Starving Children, making tie blankets for kids at Children’s Hospital, making duffel bags for kids in Foster Care, hosting blanket and book drives for People Serving People….just to name just a few!
Q: What age is a good age to get kids involved in philanthropic work?
A: The earlier the better! At The Give Back Kids most of our events welcome all children of all ages. We even have 1-2 year olds get involved with their siblings in making cards for kids in hospitals, making sandwiches for the homeless and packing up supplies. We do have some events that are catered toward older children, but our goal is to get the entire family involved.
Q: How do families get involved in helping out in their community if they don’t have a lot of extra time?
A: If you are unable to give the time to volunteer, donating is another option. Many nonprofits are in great need of donations of books, blankets and supplies. Many people feel that giving back is a large commitment, but it doesn’t have to be. Even an hour a month can make a HUGE difference in your community and those in need.
Thank you Rene for your fantastic philanthropic ideas for families and sharing your Bad Ass-ity with us!
To find out more about The Give Back Kids and connect with them directly, you can email thegivebackkids@gmail.com or find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thegivebackkids.