Released July 24, 2008
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Stepping up to help others can yield unexpected benefits for volunteers, said Charlotte Shoup Olsen, a Kansas State University Research and Extension family systems specialist.
Families who volunteer to help others often begin to see each other in a new light, she said. Seeing parents and siblings in a helping mode can prompt a comment such as “I didn’t know my Dad could do that.”
Working together as a family also can nurture respect for each person and his or her abilities, as well as for the family as a unit and for the larger, more diverse world, Olsen said.
Families who would like to volunteer as a family might begin by working at a community food bank, participating in a local fund raiser or benefit, or offering to help a neighbor who is unable to do errands or yard work, Olsen said.
More information on volunteer opportunities in the community is available at county and district K-State Research and Extension offices, Chambers of Commerce, and school and community organizations.
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http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/news/story/briefs072408.aspx
Contact: Mary Lou Peter-Blecha, mlpeter@ksu.edu
