Zoua Vue and her 11-year-old son, Nathaniel Yang, a fifth-grader at Hope Community Academy in St. Paul, joined the American Heart Association's Heart Walk.

When the weekend arrives, Zoua and her son Nathaniel, 11, are on the move. The spring Heart Walk, sponsored by the American Heart Association, was a recent event on their calendar, and they wouldn't have missed it, rain or shine.

Zoua, a health information service support representative at the St. Paul Heart Clinic in St. Paul, said getting financial pledge support from family and friends before the event and looking forward to a Saturday morning outdoors show her son that supporting a cause to help others is important.

"Plus, it's lots of fun to be together," she says just before setting off on the trail along the Mississippi River. "We not only get exercise in the fresh air, but it's also a way for him to meet the people I work with every day. The little things we do like this make me feel joyful as a mom."

Her comments weren't surprising. Raising a child to be a contributor to society and not merely a consumer can be a challenge in our culture, but when parents and other caring adults reach out with young kids to volunteer and give to their communities through organized roll-up-your-shirtsleeves projects, fundraising walks and bike rides or other events for charity, children develop gratitude for their own blessings while learning lessons in citizenship and compassion. And there's a bonus: It feels good!

We all know service to others helps make our community and our world a better place. But what do kids learn from the service they do?

  • They
    Advertisement
    learn to think of others:     Children can be very egocentric and tend to act as if the world revolves around them. Volunteering can help children stretch and think about others rather than focus primarily on themselves.

  • They learn to be effective: The experience demonstrates to children they can have an impact and make a difference in another person's life.

  • They learn to be empathetic: Through serving others, children often derive insight into the reasons some people need help.

  • They learn to be compassionate: Service activities help children develop a giving heart. We serve others not because we are superior or better but because we are fortunate to be able to serve.

    Consider penciling in a "giving back" time to volunteer or participate in a fundraising activity your family can do during less structured, longer summer days. It's not only good for others but also good for you and your family.

    Donna Erickson's award-winning television series, "Donna's Day," is airing on public television nationwide. Watch it in the Twin Cities at 7:30 a.m. Fridays on tptLife on channels 13 and 17. Sign up for Donna's e-newsletter at donnasday.com. Her latest book is "Donna Erickson's Fabulous Funstuff for Families."