By Kate Lockyer
With many families feeling unable to donate charitably in the current economy, a local organisation is teaching kids the power of generosity by allowing them to donate their time instead.
Carolina Puleston, founder of Teneriffe not-for-profit commonkind said: “I grew up volunteering from a very young age, and now that I have kids, it is something that is really important to me that they also have an opportunity to do.”
The idea came in 2020, when she got her and her friends’ children to make cards for people in nursing homes who were isolated during the lockdown.
When she looked for other volunteering opportunities for her child, however, there were limited options due to the paperwork required to get children involved, despite charities facing a dip in volunteer numbers after COVID.
So, Ms Puleston created commonkind to provide age-appropriate community service opportunities for children, young people and families.
“The research supports that the younger you get involved in volunteering, the more likely you are to volunteer throughout your life,” she said.
commonkind works with charities including Stationery Aid, Baby Give Back, The Good Box, The Nappy Collective 3rd Space and OzCare.
They offer a monthly community session at New Farm Library, as well as sessions at schools and daycares; find out more at www.commonkind.org.
Ms Puleston said she would love to hear from anyone with professional skillsets like law or marketing who would like to help, as well as other charities with age-appropriate tasks.
Photography: Kateryna Sobolieva