Food Drives, etc (looking for ideas)

[Pepperth]

For the holiday season, I am looking for ways for me and the daycare kids give back to the community. The first thing I will do is hold a canned food drive. What incentives can I offer the families (cheap ones) or how can I make it fun for the kids? I don't transport the kids anywhere, so driving to drop off donations isn't an option.

What other service ideas can we perform from the comfort of my playroom? These kids love "projects" so I may as well use it for good.

[Blackcat31]

My DCK's choose a charity every year.

We've done food drives, coats, hats/mittens, smoke detectors, care packages for veterans, pet supplies for animal shelters, blankets for homeless, cards for elderly etc...

I just tell the parents that I like to have an equal mix of giving and getting this time of the year since most kids are focused solely on what they are getting. I let them know what we are collecting and the date it must be dropped off at daycare by.

I then take the items and photograph the kids with it all and write up a little blurb and submit it to our local newspaper. Works as great advertising too.

I've never had to offer parents an incentive to give so I've been lucky there. Most want to help and if the charity and/or items I have requested works for them I usually end up with ALOT more than I anticipated so it's definitely been a win-win activity!

[Controlled Chaos]

I have a monthly theme - this month its gratitude and thankfulness. We are making books filled with art projects around different things we are thankful for (food, animals, people, toys etc.)

Part of gratitude for me is giving back. So we are doing a food drive for a local food pantry. I read books to the children about giving and thankfulness. The children decorate boxes, then we put the boxes by the front door. I drop off the donations every Sunday and take a picture to post for parents and kids to see. It can be simple. I like to encourage parents to let their child pick out a can or box of pasta etc. at the store so it feels like they are contributing. I don't offer incentives. Its optional.

[Luvnmykidz]

We are doing a warm winter drive. We're collecting coats, hats, scarves, gloves, socks, and blankets. These items will be donated to the homeless shelters in our county. We're setting up a table at a grocery store and my Dck's families will be a part of the collection process, by volunteering time as well as donating items. For December each child will participate in Toys for Tots and bring an item in to be donated. We will take a trip to the fire department near us to drop these toys off. Lastly I'm teaching the children to knit on knitting looms. They are making hats and scarves to be donated. I think it's important to teach the children how they can help others, and the importance of giving back to the community.