Renucci House
290 Ransom St., Grand Rapids
spectrum-health.org, (616) 391-1790
What kid doesn't love homemade cookies, cakes, brownies or pies? This volunteer opportunity centers around yummy baked goods. Guests at the Renucci House are families of Spectrum Health patients who live more than 45 miles away from Grand Rapids. It provides a comfy place to stay while visiting sick relatives. This is where your family comes in. Just gather up the ingredients for your favorite baked treats and head to the Renucci House dining room. Your family is welcome to come in and use their three fully-equipped kitchen areas to make (and sample) homemade goodies to leave for the guests, bringing a little home away from home to the Renucci House.
Camp O'Malley
7360 Thornapple Dales Dr., Alto
campomalley.org, 616-871-6551
This volunteer project is great for families with active, outdoorsy kids. You'll be outside in the crisp fall air romping through the leaves - did I mention raking them? - in order to help complete the fall clean up of Camp O'Malley. Camp O'Malley is a character-building camp for inner-city kids who may not otherwise be able to afford the summer camp experience. Serving approximately 500 deserving young people, Camp O'Malley works to build leadership and healthy life skills and to instill a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and influence. Bundle up in your outdoor play clothes, make a steaming thermos of hot cocoa and plan an outing in huge leaf piles while helping maintain the grounds of this worthwhile camp.
Soups On! Bowl Painting Party
Catholic Charities West Michigan
soupsonforall.org, (616) 498-1656
If your family carries some creative, artistic genes, or if not, this is an excellent way to get involved in community giving. Spread out the newspapers, turn your dining room into a ceramics studio and spend an afternoon letting your artsy juices flow painting pottery. For $8 per person, all of the supplies including brushes, paints and soup bowls are delivered to a location of your choice and your masterpieces are picked up the next day.
The finished bowls are donated to Soups On!, a fundraiser held at The B.O.B. in January to raise money for God's Kitchen (Grand Rapids), Christian Community Center (Muskegon Heights) and Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry (Muskegon). Most of the bowls are given as thank-yous to guests of the fundraiser, but the most beautiful are sold in a silent auction to raise additional money for the soup kitchens. Each year, the event calls for 1,500 bowls painted by community volunteers in Grand Rapids and the Lakeshore.
American Red Cross of Greater Grand Rapids
1050 Fuller Avenue, Grand Rapids
greatergrandrapids.redcross.org, (616) 456-8661
An organization recognized for providing relief to those in the direst straits, the American Red Cross of Greater Grand Rapids is a natural place to look for a family volunteer opportunity. This holiday season, the Red Cross plans to distribute a million holiday cards to service men and women and their families in the United States and around the world. Your whole family can help Greater Grand Rapid's local chapter meet its goal of 2,000 cards. Personalize the cards with messages from your family and individual signatures or make a family road trip delivering the season's greetings to local Veteran's Homes and Hospitals.
Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan
1323 Cedar Street, Grand Rapids
wmrmh.org, 616.776.1300
Does your family have something that you love to do together on a regular basis? Maybe a game night or a movie night? What's fun about this volunteer project is your family basically does what it loves to do already but invites the residents of Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan to join in. Just plan a themed activity, head over to the Ronald McDonald House with the supplies you'll need and provide a family event to make the residents feel more at home while staying in the house. Some past family-hosted events have been dessert nights, arts and craft nights and tea parties.
