Community Service with a Smile

My 12-year-old son, Andrew, is a great kid. But like many children these days, he's had a lot of things handed to him. So after hearing about the importance of a child's "moral compass," my wife and I felt we needed to make sure his was pointed in the right direction.

We decided the best way to accomplish this was by having him learn what it was like to do something for someone else. And we thought, Why not do it as a family? "Everyone complains about the lack of quality time; well, volunteering together is practically the best quality time you can get," says Diana O'Neill, executive director of the Long Island Volunteer Center in Hempstead, New York. "And to truly learn how to serve an organization and its mission, you have to roll up your sleeves and get involved."

Studies by Independent Sector, a coalition of charitable groups and foundations, have shown that about half of Americans who volunteer do so with family members. The effects of such experiences can be profound: According to Youth Service America, kids who volunteer just an hour a week are 50 percent less likely to abuse drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes. And when they donate their time with their parents, they're twice as likely to continue volunteering as adults. "All community service projects build character. But when a kid volunteers with a parent, there's an added benefit -- a strengthening of their bond," says Michael Organ, executive director of Charity Guide.

The tricky part is getting your kids on board, which can seem as formidable a task as trying to save the rain forests. Here's how not to announce your plan:

"Every Saturday we're going to the local food pantry and bagging groceries for the homeless. Got it?" This is the must-eat-spinach approach, and it's almost guaranteed not to work. Instead get them to cooperate by igniting their interest.