Manners Matter: Helper's Guide

Group Activities: Caring in Action

The Right Foot

Whenever there is a high-profile tragedy, you inevitable hear heartwarming stories about incredible acts of kindness and generosity. Indeed, tragedy often brings strangers together as no other event can. But wherever you live, there are opportunities to help someone nearly every hour of every day. It is good to respond to crises, but it is even better to find opportunities to be helpful every day. Unfortunately, there never seems to be a shortage of people in need.

Civil Action

Have a group of youth select and complete a charitable project that will improve the community, or have them to help individuals, who are sick, shut in, or less fortunate. Younger children may need more direction from you while older youth may be able to develop and coordinate projects on their own. Provide ideas and guidance as necessary.

Here are a few projects the group might consider:

• Make cards or gifts to deliver to people in hospitals or nursing homes.
• Hold a bake sale to raise money for community charity or to help a family in need.
• Perform a play or concert for the children's ward or hospital.
• Make a scrapbook or activity book for a sick classmate.
• Plant and tend a garden to beautify someone's life. If the group plants a vegetable garden, the produce can be donated to a soup kitchen, homeless shelter, or a food bank.
• Collect toys or clothing for children living in a battered women's shelter.

Extra Polish

Encourage children to form a club or response team that monitors and respond to community needs. The local fire department or rescue squad can provide names of families in need.

Finishing School

Share

• What kind of responses did you get from the people you helped?
• How did this project make you feel?
• What was the hardest part of the project?

Process

• How did you decide what kind of project to work on?
• How can you determine whether people will need or want your help?
• What does being caring have to do with etiquette?

Generalize

• In what ways have other people helped you when you were sick or going through a difficult time?

Apply

• How can you become a happier, more sociable person by being attentive to others' needs?
• What ideas that were unused in this project can you carry out on your own?