On volunteer opportunities for children:

I don't have children, myself, and I largely steer clear of 'family' events and issues when I post here, but child rearing does enter my brain sometimes, in between curmudgeonly rants about the local music scene and searches for the next great local happy hour.  And if there's one thing I'm pretty sure I would do as a parent, it would be to instill a sense of volunteerism in my child.  Empathy (even for those of us who tend towards the misanthropic) seems to me to be the most important thing you could pass on to a child - more important than the sports teams, the music lessons, etc., and definitely more important than the acquisition of "stuff".  So what do you do?  How do you help kids to learn about helping their fellow man, or standing up for things that have no voice, like pets or the enviroment? 

Volunteer Delaware has some ideas.  From their blog - http://networkedblogs.com/q9sh5:

"Almost every day, a parent contacts me about wanting their child to volunteer. No matter the age, I encourage the parent to work with the child to find a volunteer opportunity that speaks to their interests. The feeling this child gets by helping others or supporting those who do through donations of money or time is the best way to feel rich and set them on the path of service for a lifetime.

Below are some ways for children, or even this child within us all, to give back and have fun.

For older children, being a youth mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America or the Boys and Girls Clubs of America may be a great opportunity. Both organizations provide youth mentors to children and is a great way for teens to share their love of a particular subject with a younger child. Contact your local club to find out about youth mentoring or one of the other many volunteering opportunities they may have.  For more information about BBSSA, go to www.bbbsa.org for Boys and Girls, visit http://www.bgca.org/

Locks of Love is one charity that encourages participants to work as a team. It is not unusual to hear of specific girl’s organizations or groups, such as a youth group, school club, or other entity, encouraging all members to grow their hair and donate it when it has grown enough. The donated hair is used to make wigs and hairpieces that are given to children who have lost their hair due to medical conditions. The hair is provided free of charge or for a fee that is set based on a family’s income.
Go to www.locksoflove.org to learn more about this very special charity.

Ger creative! Host your own food drive though a local food bank, collect school supplies for those in need in your school district, have a bake sale to raise funds for a local youth organization…your creativity is the only limit. "