Kids Care Week is October 21st-27th

Mark your calendars, Kids Care Week is the third week in October. This year, Kids Care Week is celebrated from October 21^st-October 27^th. The week is backed by Kids Care Clubs. It is a time to recognize and celebrate the power of kids. During the week, young people from across the country reach out and help others in their community. Kids Care Week concludes on Make a Difference Day. Each year, the theme is changed. This year, Kids Care Clubs have teamed up with Quaker in order for kids to help their communities by "Bringing Good Moments" to those in need.

The first Kids Care Club was founded in 1990 by Debbie Spaide in new Canaan, CT. It all began when Debbie and a group of children first got together to help an elderly member of the community. A while later, the same group helped with a soup kitchen. The kids had a wonderful time helping others. They soon told their friends how fun it is to help others and the group more than doubled. Today, there are more than 1,400 Kids Care Clubs. The clubs are located in schools, churches, community centers, and even homeless shelters. In all, there are more than 75,000 children of all ages who currently take part in Kids Care Clubs. The goal of the clubs is to develop compassion in children as well as inspire them to volunteer. Kids Care Clubs provide children with hands-on opportunities to volunteer and help others in their communities. The children are provided with new projects each month. All children who participate in Kids Care Week are eligible for both national and local awards to give to a charity they choose.

Kids Care Week is a wonderful time. It is a time to not only celebrate youth volunteerism, but to also encourage it. According to Robert K. Goodwin president and CEO of the Points of Light Foundation (the owner of Kids Care Clubs), "Research shows that youth volunteering is on the rise and that there are benefits both for the young people who serve and the communities served. We are proud that our Kids Care Clubs are engaging America's young people in volunteer activities that help teach values like kindness, empathy, respect and tolerance." A recent survey showed that nearly ninety percent of families have at least one child who regularly volunteers. On average, they spend seven hours a month volunteering.

During Kids Care Week, there is a lot going on. There are many opportunities to get involved. To find out more about Kids Care Clubs and Kids Care week, visit the Kids Care Clubs website at http://kidscare.org/. If you are a mother and are interested in you or your children volunteering, Quaker has created a network just for you. Quaker Moms Care is a community of mothers where you can go to get information and feedback on youth volunteering. To register for more information, visit Quaker Moms Care at http://kidscare.org/node/add/quakermom.

Sources

Kids Care Clubs

Points of Light Foundation