It was once said that people will judge you by your actions, not your intentions. Showing that we are caring, responsible and engaged members of our community requires that we are not selfish but rather giving and sharing community members. What can we give? There are so many needs in the community and there are many individuals who are working to meet the needs.
Not all of the needs require that we spend money. In fact some of the most valuable gifts that we can give is to share our talents with others. So we ask ourselves, “What am I good at, that could be shared with others”? It may be teaching or tutoring, fixing things for others, painting or other things around the house. It could be leading a fundraising effort or bringing awareness to others about needs in the community.
The way we show our willingness to give of our time and talents will have an affect on our children as they watch us and take their cues from us. If they see us showing our good citizenship by helping others, they will be able to see themselves doing that also. We can encourage that by guiding them to making cards for others, or sharing their toys or clothes they have grown out of with those in need. Letting them see how they can can be active in the community even at a young age, will create better citizens of the future.