Volunteering with Children in Toledo, Ohio

While there are many volunteer opportunities in Toledo, there are a few that allow volunteers to work with children. Volunteers with Upward Sports can teach children about sports and sportsmanship, while working at the Family Center at the Toledo Museum of Art allows volunteers to foster creativity.

Upward Sports is a league for children that emphasizes sportsmanship, skill-building and faith in a fun atmosphere. While it is non-denominational, it is based in Christian faith. Boys and girls in kindergarten though sixth grade can choose leagues or camps held at local churches in basketball, soccer, flag football or cheerleading. Locally, offerings depend on which churches organize and participate in the league.

Sylvania First United Methodist Church at 7000 Erie Street in Sylvania typically hosts Upward Basketball league in conjunction with other Sylvania churches during the winter. Games are held in the church's gym, and concessions are sold out of the adjoining kitchen. Volunteers are needed to coach teams, referee games, sell concessions and give devotions to the fans during halftime of each game.

As a devotions volunteer, I spoke to a group of fans during a boys basketball game. I prepared a five-minute devotion that included a Bible verse and a short prayer. The devotion can be as simple as relating an experience in how faith helped in a real-life situation or sharing a favorite verse or Bible story.

You can find a league for your child or volunteer at www.upward.org. You can also check out the "Our Ministries" section of Sylvania First United Methodist Church's website at www.sylvaniafirst.org.

Another volunteer opportunity for working with children is staffing the Family Center at the Toledo Museum of Art. The Family Center is a free playroom and craft room offering free themed art activities for children ages 1 to 10 and their caregivers. It supports the museum's mission of integrating art into people's lives by giving children a space to create and learn about art.

Volunteers greet visitors, get out supplies and clean up the rooms. The museum staff plans all of the projects, which relate to a work in the museum's collection or the current season. Visitors to the Family Center are encouraged to make any craft project they wish, so volunteers learn where supplies are kept so they may pull out any materials that visitors request.

The museum requires volunteers to work 36 hours in a year. You can volunteer by visiting the museum's website http://www.toledomuseum.org/about/jobs-volunteer/volunteer-opportunities.