Donating birthday presents, Person to Person, Darien, CT: For the past few years, the birthday policy in our house has been that each child must choose 4 birthday gifts they’ve received and put them aside for Person to Person’s annual holiday toy drive.  And lest you think I have angelic little offspring, the first year we did this it was met with tears and tantrums (really, just not what I had imagined).  But now the practice has become tradition, and the kids do it without a reminder.  In fact, we save a big box every year, decorate it with used wrapping paper, and keep the gifts in there until it’s time to deliver them in December.  1864 Post Road, Darien, CT, 06820, 203.655.0048

Open Door Shelter, Norwalk, CT: Volunteer opportunities abound at the Open Door Shelter in Norwalk.  Kids can organize drives to collect clothing and food, help paint and refurbish the buildings, help compile mailings, or decorate the shelter at holiday time.  Working on site not only benefits the shelter, but serves as a reminder to the kids of how lucky they are to have a hot meal and warm bed every day.  A win win. 4 Merritt Street, Norwalk, CT, 06854, 203.866.1057

Coastal Cleanup, CT Fund for the Environment: Everyone can participate in these Coastal Cleanup events, and I love how simple and visual they are.  Pick up garbage and beach is clean.  Leave the garbage and the beach is dirty.  It’s a pretty simple concept for even the youngest of volunteers to grasp. 203.787.0646

Donating a Percentage of Allowance: We give our kids $4 of allowance each week, provided their rooms and the playroom are clean and neat, and that they have done their weekly chores.  $2 of that they are required to save in the bank, $1 they are allowed to use as they choose, and $1 must be given to a non-profit (along with a larger donation from my husband and me).  We let them pick from a handful of non-profits, and they tend to gravitate towards local non-profits that help children (not surprising, I suppose!).  This week, to honor the Boston Marathon victims and survivors, we will include a non-profit geared towards helping fund artificial limbs for amputees.  

Habitat for Humanity, Bridgeport, CT: Habitat volunteers typically must be at least 16 years old to build – but no prior training is required.  Teenagers can donate their time and energy as part of a team charged with building a home for a family in need of one.  Younger kids can participate in Youth United, in which volunteers ages 5-25 comet together to fundraise, coordinate, and build a house in their community.  The results are tangible, immediate and highly impactful – great traits for a youth service project. 1542 Barnum Avenue, Bridgeport, CT, 06110, 203.333.2642