Homemade Valentine's Day Card: Volunteer Project

Invite your kid to spread the luv with folks at your local senior center

Submitted by
Sonam Adinolf

Have your kid bring some love to others. Drop by your local senior center and make valentines with them. All that cutting and gluing will give your kids a great opportunity to ask the residents about their own true loves. And who knows, maybe they'll pick up a few old-fashioned values like chivalry … and chastity.

Small paper doilies:
Pick them up at your local craft supply store, or snag them from under your next slice of coffee cake.
Heavy cardstock caper:
In pink or red, or both.
White glue
Gold paint pens
Scissors
Embellishments:
Like Victorian stickers, heart-shaped stickers, glitter, ribbon and lace.

Contact your local retirement or assisted living home and tell them your big plan—that you'd like to volunteer to help the residents make valentines. The volunteer coordinator should be able to help you plan your visit. If you're not sure where to start, try using Volunteer Match to help find a senior center in your area that is looking for volunteers.
Before you head over to the senior center, you and your kid will need to do a little prep work:
First, visit a craft store with her to load up on the supplies.
Then, help your kid cut up the card stock into card-sized rectangles. She can either make classic folded cards or flat note cards. Have her make one or two per resident.
Then have her cut enough doilies to fit one on top of each of the cards. You can cut the doilies into slightly smaller rectangles than the cards or she might want to cut them into hearts that will fit on the cards.
On Valentine's Day, head over to the retirement home.
Lay out the supplies and invite the residents to make cards.
Have them glue the doilies onto the card stock.
Encourage your kid to help the card-makers add the stickers, glitter, ribbon and lace to glitz up their cards.
While the residents are working, have your kid whip up a few valentines of her own. If you know someone at the senior center, she can make one for them. If not, the staff would certainly appreciate some holiday love!
For a finishing touch, she can ask the residents to write a Valentine's Day sentiment on the card with the gold pen.
Offer to mail the valentine if the resident made it for someone special. Offer to foot the bill for the postage and you'll give all the old folks that lovin' feelin'.