Family Volunteer Day is celebrated annually on the Saturday before Thanksgiving or two days after the third Thursday in November, on November 20 this year. Volunteering allows people to serve others and give back to society. Families can come together and help other families build a holistic community or neighborhood that thrives on an atmosphere of collaborative compassion and empathy.
History of Family Volunteer Day
People have been volunteering for many years. During the American Civil War in the 1800s, women volunteered their time to sew supplies for the soldiers fighting in the war. Most of the time, volunteers are trained for their work in medicine, education, and rescue operations. Sometimes, volunteering work takes place in emergencies during a natural disaster. There is even a new type of volunteering that has branched out in recent years, known as volunteer tourism.
Family volunteering is when families work together to support their communities or neighborhoods, which strengthens the community and the family. To appreciate this humble and kind effort, Points of Light created Family Volunteer Day in 1990. The day is sponsored by Disney’s Friends for Change and managed by generationOn, the youth and family service division of Points of Light. They inspire, equip, and mobilize the youth to make an impact through service, service-learning, and leadership development. They also focus on strengthening existing networks, creating pervasive calls to action, and advocating for infrastructure.
When they created this day, they also endeavored to provide an opportunity to use this occasion as a tool to help parents raise kind and compassionate kids. Family volunteering can be extremely fun, regardless of the number of family members involved, and it can encourage a family to spend quality time together.
Family Volunteer Day timeline
The word ‘volunteering’ is first recorded in a non-military sense.
An American nurse, Clara Barton, creates the American Red Cross for disaster relief operations.
The United States Government establishes the Peace Corps as an independent agency and volunteer program.
A study by Tourism and Research Marketing finds that 1.6 million people take part in volunteering projects where they have to travel internationally.
Family Volunteer Day FAQs
What are the principles of volunteering?
Some of the principles of volunteering are that volunteering should benefit the community, volunteer work is unpaid, volunteering is a matter of choice, and volunteering cannot be a substitute for paid work.
What are the characteristics of a volunteer?
Volunteers are fearless, can think creatively to help, possess infinite patience, are driven by passion, eager to work, and humble.
What is a volunteer family?
Families are matched with volunteers in the community to aid them in developing coping and parenting strategies. Volunteers are community locals who are willing to extend their support and friendship to those in need.
Family Volunteer Day Activities
Learn about different cultures
Cultural immersion is an unmatched experience and can expand your horizons about the different cultures you will volunteer to help. Even if you are not volunteering, it is important to be aware of different cultures and sentiments to live harmoniously.
Sign up for volunteering
Sign up with your family to volunteer at your local center and do your bit in contributing to society. Your efforts and time will aid in creating a thriving community.
Donate resources
Donate whatever you can in terms of books, clothes, shoes, home items, or funds. These hand-me-downs can be useful to someone who cannot afford them and ease their financial burden.
5 Important Facts About Volunteering
Adds to the country’s economy
In Australia, volunteers end up contributing close to $200 million to the country’s economy.
Improves mental health
Volunteering gives you inner satisfaction, and the feeling of helping someone can improve your mental health.
Fundraising is popular
The most popular type of volunteering is often fundraising activities for various causes.
India for volunteering
People often tout India as the most popular country to volunteer, owing to the range of volunteering projects available there.
Skill-based volunteering
People practice skill-based volunteering where they teach other people skills such as writing, photography, reading, etc.
Why We Love Family Volunteer Day
Children learn to care for others
Through family volunteering, parents can instill the value of caring in children from an early age. Children see families looking after each other and learn empathy, compassion, and love. Thus, it is important to promote Family Volunteer Day to help children learn the spirit of volunteerism.
Uplifts families
Volunteer families help other families out in the community and serve a higher purpose in serving others, uplifting the families in need of emotional or physical support. Families can benefit from the help they receive and live happier lives.
Builds communities
They say, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” and communities or neighborhoods aren’t either. Families volunteering can build, uplift, and change entire communities for the better.
Family Volunteer Day dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | November 19 | Saturday |
| 2023 | November 18 | Saturday |
| 2024 | November 23 | Saturday |
| 2025 | November 22 | Saturday |
| 2026 | November 21 | Saturday |
Log In With Google