Ever since I heard about the Honeycomb Project I've been waiting for an activity to come along that would be great for my family to participate in. The Honeycomb Project is a nonprofit organization that organizes volunteer events for families. The different types of activities range from beautifying a City park to packing groceries for a food pantry to packing school supplies for at risk youth, with about one offered per month.
This past weekend my family participated in a beach clean up event. A few days prior to the event I received an email reminding me that it was coming up, telling me where the group would be meeting, and what I should bring. This email was obviously very helpful when planning to go to an event with your children. When we got there we were given name tags and signed in. The event started on time and we were given a brief explanation of what we would be doing. We then went off in groups to collect and tally garbage from the beach and picnic areas. After collecting garbage for about 45 minutes we went back to the beach house to weigh how much we had collected. There were apples, granola bars, and water set out for snacking on. The event was very well organized. I only wish there was a little bit more of a sense of community or working together. Mostly it felt like we were picking up trash by ourselves.
On the organization's website (thehoneycombproject.org) there is a calendar of upcoming events and also a place to sign up for the newsletter. Registration for each event is done on the website and opens about a month prior to the event. Some events can be tough to get into and will fill up on the first day of registration. The first event I tried to sign my family up for was a work day at a park and registration was full by the end of the first day and we were not able to sign up. There is usually a wait list you can add your name to. When you sign up you are encouraged to donate some money towards the event. They have suggested donations to cover snacks or other materials that will be utilized during your activity, starting around $15. You do not need to give money in order to participate, however. The registration details generally provide a suggested minimum age for kids but you should keep in mind that you need to watch your kids during the entire time. Children will not be entertained in any way and should come prepared to participate.
My daughters may have been a bit young for the beach clean up event but I really want them to be exposed to volunteer work at a young age. Their favorite part of the day was when we were done and they got to go play on the beach but I still think it was good for them. I definitely recommend the Honeycomb Project if you are looking for a way for your family to do volunteer work together.
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