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Beyond the Lemonade Stand: Raising Charitable Kids
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Reprinted with permission from Family Matters, the newsletter of Jewish Family Service of Colorado, November-December 2014.
When Ari Levine was just eight years old, he asked his friends not to bring presents to his birthday party and, instead, to bring donations of food for the Weinberg Food Pantry at Jewish Family Service. Ari said, “I did something for a person that really helped them. It’s like giving a million bucks!” When Jamie Resnik was seeking a volunteer activity to do with her two young children, ages six and four, Nancy Benyamin, JFS Volunteer Services director, suggested they fill bags for the Weinberg Food Pantry with..... Click Here to Read More
Grandparents Take Social Action
By Sharon Morton
At the age of 7, Michael already considered himself a philanthropist and social activist. Each year, Michael, his brother, Steven, and cousins Matthew, Jordyn, and Gillian carefully decide how to spend their "philanthropy budget." One year, Michael spotted some mittens on sale for only 65 cents. He consulted with his team and the children spent $100 to buy as many..... Click Here to Read More
Jewish Grandparents Step Up
By H. Glenn Rosenkrantz, for The Covenant Foundation
Chicago, Nov 25, 2013—Esther Bley pulled out her smart phone and proudly passed around an image of her college-aged granddaughter, Sarah, in full tikun olam mode. The University of Iowa student was outfitted in construction gear, helping to build a house as part of a community service project. To Bley, who fell just a note shy of declaring her the model grandchild, it was the perfect representation of Jewish values passed to - and living in - a new generation.
“When I saw that picture, I just kvelled,” she said while attending a program at her synagogue to equip grandparents with..... Click Here to Read More
By Audrey Friedman Marcus
Reprinted with permission from Family Matters, the newsletter of Jewish Family Service of Colorado, November-December 2014.
When Ari Levine was just eight years old, he asked his friends not to bring presents to his birthday party and, instead, to bring donations of food for the Weinberg Food Pantry at Jewish Family Service. Ari said, “I did something for a person that really helped them. It’s like giving a million bucks!” When Jamie Resnik was seeking a volunteer activity to do with her two young children, ages six and four, Nancy Benyamin, JFS Volunteer Services director, suggested they fill bags for the Weinberg Food Pantry with..... Click Here to Read More
Grandparents Take Social Action
By Sharon Morton
At the age of 7, Michael already considered himself a philanthropist and social activist. Each year, Michael, his brother, Steven, and cousins Matthew, Jordyn, and Gillian carefully decide how to spend their "philanthropy budget." One year, Michael spotted some mittens on sale for only 65 cents. He consulted with his team and the children spent $100 to buy as many..... Click Here to Read More
Jewish Grandparents Step Up
By H. Glenn Rosenkrantz, for The Covenant Foundation
Chicago, Nov 25, 2013—Esther Bley pulled out her smart phone and proudly passed around an image of her college-aged granddaughter, Sarah, in full tikun olam mode. The University of Iowa student was outfitted in construction gear, helping to build a house as part of a community service project. To Bley, who fell just a note shy of declaring her the model grandchild, it was the perfect representation of Jewish values passed to - and living in - a new generation.
“When I saw that picture, I just kvelled,” she said while attending a program at her synagogue to equip grandparents with..... Click Here to Read More
HELP YOUR GRANDCHILD/GRANDFRIEND TO BECOME A LIFELONG PHILANTHROPIST
GOALS:
To develop a philanthropy fund for a grandchild when they are first born or very young that can be an important part of the child learning to be a philanthropist and a mentch as a young adult and throughout his/her life.
To teach younger generations the Religious roots of social action so they will know why a philanthropy fund is important.
To engage in service programs with grandparents and/or grandchildren so that everyone knows that a job of a philanthropist is to give of his money, his time and his voice to repair the home, community and/or the world.
To teach the next generation that they have a responsibility to repair the world.
STEPS:
At the time of you r grandchild 1s 7th birthday (approximately) you can open a special philanthropy fund bank account.
Take the child out for the day or away for the weekend. Discuss words like Philanthropist, Philanthropy, Philanthropic and Mentch. Explain that there is a small
fund set aside for their philanthropic causes. Whenever they want to spend some of the money, they need to tell you what they want to do, why they chose that project, and how do they feel it will help.
Create a ceremony where the child will announce that he/she is now a Lifelong Philanthropist because he/she is a Mentch.
The child will then receive a certificate that he/she is now a lifetime philanthropist.
Periodically , hold club meetings to decide how the child will spend his/her philanthropy money.
Also teach words like Matching Grant, Gemilut Chasadim, Tzedakah, Tiku n Olam and know that service might accompany the sending of money to various causes.
Decide on tzedakah gifts to be given to the child a couple of times a year, ie, a tzedakah box, a photo album for service projects, a bank to remind them of their
responsibility to do charitable actions, etc. Buy books, films, videos that you can share with your grandchild. Participate in social action activities or trips for you and your grandchildren. At the end of each activity and/or charitable donation, write a short note, and keep a journal of these special moments. Try to accompany them with pictures.
1. Why did you choose that philanthropic cause?
2. How did it feel to donate to them?
3. What difference will your contribution make?
Keep a photo album that will show his/her acts of kindness from a very early age.
Grandparents for Social Action Sharon Morton, 847-477-2955
[email protected]
56 Ellendale Rd. Deerfield, Ill.60015
www.grandparentsforsocialaction.org
