Youth Activties: 7 Ways For Youth to Connect with Those in Need

Halloween is Monday, Election Day is in 12 days, Veterans Day is in 15 days and Thanksgiving is four weeks from today! It might seem far away, but it’s time to start planning and promoting your Thanksgiving-related projects, events and meals. Many Auxiliaries sponsor food and coat drives for those in need, and some sponsor Thanksgiving meals at their Post home or in their communities. These are great projects to get youth in your community involved in.

Some ideas:

• Work with a youth group on fall yard clean up (rake leaves, clean gutters, mow, etc.) for a veteran or senior citizen.
• Encourage youth to write thank you cards to veterans that say: “I am thankful for your service and my freedom” to be mailed or given to veterans at a dinner or in the hospitals/nursing homes.
• Partner with a local youth group to collect nonperishable items for food baskets. Ask them to help assemble and deliver the baskets with Post and Auxiliary members.
• Ask a youth group to make Thanksgiving table/tray favors or placemats to be taken to local hospitals, nursing homes or other medical facilities.
• Sponsor a Thanksgiving dinner at your Post home. Invite members of the community to join veterans at the dinner and extend a personal invitation to homeless veterans and homeless families as well.
  • Ask your Post/Auxiliary youth group, local scout troop, JROTC, or other youth group to help set up, staff the serving line, refill water and coffee, deliver desserts, bus tables and cleanup. Most importantly, encourage youth to engage with veterans and/or homeless veterans/families at the dinner.
  • Sponsor a winter clothing drive with a youth group in your community.
    • Contact your local homeless shelter or social service agency to find out where these items are needed.
    • Set up a collection site(s) for “gently used” or new winter coats, hats, gloves, scarves and boots. State the charities they will be donated to.
      • Some of the youth and Auxiliary members may be interested in making some of these items in knit or crochet. If a youth doesn’t know how to knit or crochet and would like to learn, encourage an Auxiliary member to take the time to teach them how.
• Ask youth to assemble care packages for the homeless. Be sure to put food items in a separate bag within the care package to keep them from taking on the taste of the personal care items. Items most requested include:
  • Toiletries: Baby wipes, lip balm, unscented hand and body lotion, and sunscreen.
    *Leave out anything with alcohol such as mouthwash and hand sanitizer.
  • Food Items: Applesauce and pudding cups, trail mix and beef jerky.
  • Misc. Items: Travel coffee mugs or cups, gift cards, socks and band aids.

These are some of the opportunities for young people to get involved with this season. There are others your Auxiliary may choose to sponsor. I encourage your Auxiliary to select one or two projects and let your Auxiliary be the link that connects youth with those in need this fall.