11 Ways Kids Can Turn Their Passion Projects Into Volunteer Opportunities

Diving into crafts, projects and new activities with kids is fun. It exposes them to new experiences, encourages creativity and can even help them discover a new passion.

But sometimes that new passion can lead to a house overflowing with half of your local craft store’s inventory. How many loaves of bread or desserts can you eat if you have a kid obsessed with baking? One can only wear so many handmade scarves and hats, and, if you’re like me, you’ve got homemade drawings and cards poking out of multiple drawers.

Why not take that creativity and add in some community involvement? There are lots of ways that your aspiring baker, crafter, ball of boundless energy or party planner can enjoy an activity they love while supporting a worthy cause in Seattle. The following are organizations your family can connect with to allow your child to use their passion projects to support their community.

For your budding baker

Community Loaves

If, like the rest of us, your kid became obsessed with “The Great British Baking Show” or “Nailed It!” and is now compelled to bake everything, check out Community Loaves. This nonprofit strives “to nurture strong communities through the connection, training and empowerment of home-based bakers to reduce hunger and promote wellness.” To meet this goal, it works with volunteer bakers (of all skill levels) across California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Volunteers bake and package bread and cookies, which then are given to local food banks. Volunteers are provided with two recipes — Honey Oat Sandwich Loaf and Breader Together Energy Cookies — and donations are collected twice a month at local neighborhood hubs. There is no required minimum donation, simply bake what you can.

For Goodness Cakes

If baking desserts is where your kid’s passion lies, you’ll want to join the Sprinkle Squad (an excellent name for volunteers) today. For Goodness Cakes volunteers make and hand-deliver birthday and graduation cakes to children experiencing foster care and other youths overcoming adversity. Volunteers must be 18 to register, but the organization welcomes younger bakers as long as they are supervised by an adult. 

Pastry Project

The Pastry Project’s goal is to make pastry education and employment more equitable. It provides 14 weeks of free baking and pastry skills training, soft skills practice, and job placement assistance to individuals with barriers to education and employment. This excellent training opportunity is supported by Pastry Kit subscriptions. When you subscribe, you’ll receive a box each month containing nonperishable ingredients and recipe instructions. Past Pastry Kits have included ube blondies, cheesy garlic knots, milk tea scones and brown butter banana cupcakes. After you bake your monthly goodie, pick a neighbor and surprise them with a special treat.

For crafty kids

Love For Our Elders

If you have a prolific artist or writer at home, this could be a truly impactful org on which to focus their skills. Love For Our Elders works to end social isolation faced by so many in old age. On its website, you’ll find the names and short descriptions of elders (nominated by a loved one) who want to receive letters. Simply click “I’ll write” to send one of them a letter. The website contains letter guidelines (no glitter, make sure it’s legible, be kind, etc.) and all the other info you will need. Encourage your kids to write some kind words, and drawings are always welcome. When you are done, take a walk together to your closest mailbox and send your letter. We bet you’ll be inspired to write more than one. If you’d like to write to seniors at a specific facility, check out the volunteer opportunities at Letters Against Isolation.

A Million Thanks

If you’d like to send a letter or drawings to someone in the military — active, reserve or veterans — check out A Million Thanks. You’ll find letter guidelines on its website and information about where to send or drop off your letters. This nonprofit started in 2004 and has sent more than 14 million letters to date.

Knit-It-All

If your child has discovered the joy of knitting or crocheting, chances are you have a few (dozen) scarves and hats within arm’s reach. Point your fiber artist toward Knit-It-Alls and put those fabulous creations to work in the community. Volunteers with Knit-It-Alls knit and crochet warm clothing items (hats, scarves, mittens and more) year-round and donate them to Solid Ground, which distributes them to people experiencing homelessness in Seattle and King County. 
Note: Volunteers younger than 18 will need a parent or guardian to complete and sign the youth volunteer waiver.

For athletic kids

Run 2 Be Fit

If you’ve got a kid who is always on the go, then you know any excuse to burn some energy is always a good thing. Since they are bound to be running, why not have them enter some kid races and run for a good cause? Run 2 Be Fit has lots of fun-themed 5K runs that support a variety of organizations, from the Everett Animal Shelter to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to Toevember. There are lots of races that have kid fun run options.

City Fruit

Do you have a kid who loves to climb everything they see? Give them a bag next time they scale your fruit trees and turn their climbing joy into a fruit collection expedition. City Fruit collects excess fruit from local trees and shares it with those experiencing food insecurity.

Beach cleanup

When the sun comes out (or even when it doesn’t), kids love heading to the beach. So why not help make it a little more beautiful? Keep a few bags (and some plastic gloves) in the back of your car and have your kids spend 10 minutes collecting any trash they see before playtime. Or join an organized cleanup and challenge your kids to see who can pick up the most trash.

For future party planners

Birthday Dreams

Are you parenting a social butterfly who seems to be organizing slumber parties, get-togethers and movie nights every time you turn around? Teach your aspiring event planner to use their social powers and skills to do good.

Birthday Dreams is a nonprofit that provides birthday parties to kids experiencing homelessness, and partners with more than 80 shelters in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties. It encourages kids to get involved in a variety of ways, from raising money to decorating party hats and making cards. Have your little party planner organize a time for their friends to get together to support this great organization. 

Food Lifeline

Next time your party planner wants to organize a weekend get-together, have them gather some people to spend time at Food Lifeline. Groups can volunteer to sort and organize food headed for local food banks, all while hanging out together and having fun. You will be amazed at the impact you can have in just a few hours!

No matter what activity or volunteer opportunity your child chooses to pursue, be sure to always encourage their passions and interests. Everyone can make a difference in their community!