Yancarlos Jimenez, 11, discovered the rewards of community service last year when his New York City middle school held a Penny Harvest fundraiser. He and his schoolmates collected more than $2,600. The money was donated to a local soup
kitchen and a community health center. "I used to be a little selfish," Yancarlos confesses. "But now I know how good it feels when I help people."

The middle-school years are an ideal time for introducing kids to the concept of helping others. "At this age, a child's ability to see the world through someone else's eyes is rapidly expanding," says Marvin W. Berkowitz, Ph.D., a professor of character education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and author of Parenting for Good.

Preteens are also starting to develop abstract-reasoning skills. "As they get closer to age 12, they start to think about concepts like justice, peace, and fairness," Dr. Berkowitz says.

Helping Others Helps Everyone -
Experts have found that performing community service—in addition to its obvious value—also builds character: In a survey of 100,000 sixth- through 12th-graders by the Search Institute, a Minneapolis nonprofit that promotes healthy communities, kids who volunteered just one hour a week were less likely than their peers to abuse drugs or alcohol, smoke, or engage in destructive behavior. Schools have also realized the educational value of volunteering: Service-learning programs, where projects are linked to subjects kids are studying, are becoming part of the curriculum in more and more schools across the country. In one study of sixth-graders, children who were involved in service learning had higher scores on standardized tests. Plus, young volunteers learn skills that can help them build experience for their first after-school job.

Keep It Simple -
Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, 4-H, and other community and church groups offer lots of volunteer opportunities. But you can start your child on smaller projects right in your neighborhood. Encourage her to rake an elderly neighbor's yard or shovel snow, and suggest that she set aside some birthday and holiday gifts for toy drives. Here's another great thing you can do with your kid: Work at a soup kitchen or food bank on a regular basis.

Don't Make It A One-Shot Deal -
Researchers have found that children benefit most when they participate regularly in community service. Interacting directly with the people they are serving—whether it's an older child reading to a kindergartner or a middle-schooler playing chess with a resident in a nursing home—helps boost empathy and compassion. Allowing your child to decide what he wants to do will also develop his self-confidence.

Let It Begin At Home -
Starting out can be as easy as talking at home about causes you believe in, suggests Sheldon Berman, a school superintendent in Hudson, Massachusetts, and a board member of the National Center for Learning and Citizenship, in Denver. Berman and his wife read the solicitation letters they get from charities to their kids. Then they allow their children to choose their own causes. Herman's 8-year-old son has been sending some of his savings to a school for Native Americans; his 13-year-old has decided to send money to groups that work to save the South American Rain Forest. The Hermans also pitch in at fund-raising events and cleanups. "Parents are the best role models," Berman says.

Get The Gang Involved -
Hanging out with friends and being accepted by peers are of primary importance to preteens. Capitalize on this by involving the group in volunteer activities. Help your child organize a group to pick up litter, plant a community garden, or participate in a local renovation project. Doing something positive with friends can focus preteen energy away from the competitive world of clothes, popularity,
and possessions and onto the bigger world that we want them to embrace. At this age, when self-esteem can be fragile, there is little that is more essential than your child thinking, "I'm important to some¬one," says Henry Paul, M.D., child psychiatrist and author of Is My Teenager Okay? "Self-esteem has more to do with giving of oneself and knowing that it counts than with receiving all the praise and material gifts that we can give our kids."

OK the time is now! That's right, now! EVERYONE of all ages should take time to sit down and really look at their life today!

Do you feel good about you? Do you make a difference is someones life? Do you make a difference to our planet? Are you happy? Are you alone? Are you bored?
Why do you get out of bed each day?

Go on, don't just read the questions, but take the time to answer them NOW.

OK, so do you want to change any of your answers to those questions to ones that can make a difference in your life? It is all at your finger tip. There are wonderful web sites under (this web sites links: OTHER STUFF) take a little time and check them out. Take time to get ideas and write them down on how you can make a difference by helping out. Find things your good at to share your talents with others who like the same thing. Share your list with friends or family or even co-works and see if they my want to join you in helping out. Yes one person can make a difference and so can YOU!

DON'T say it: I am too busy. This is only an excuse and you know it. You only need to find something that will already fit into your life.

Do you go running? So why not see if someone else would benefit in running with you. Or maybe an elderly who has a dog - that dog could use a chance to go running.

Are you into crafts? Why not see if you could set up a class at a church, or school, or at Girl Scout/Boy Scout meeting to share that craft? Or put up a sign that says if you would like to know more about (your craft) then call. You could set up a one on one time to share your love of a craft with someone new.

The possibilities are endless, and you may not even need to look any farther then someone who live next door to you.

We at: By Loving Hands care, and want to hear from you. Share your ideas, tell us what you do to volunteer, tell us how it makes you feel, what are your helping hands doing to make a difference!

INSPIRATION * In February 2002 Patrick Droney was 9 and in the hospital, undergoing a blood plasma infusion for Von Willebrand syndrome—an inherited blood-clotting disorder. "I was like, 'There's no toys here,'" recalls Patrick, now 13. "There was this little girl with terminal brain cancer looking for them." With his July 24 birthday coming up, Patrick and sister Josephine—15 and also born with Von Willebrand— hatched a plan: Throw a "birthday" party and ask guests to bring toys, not for Patrick but for the hospital. About 150 people turned out at the Droneys' Lancaster, Pa., home with $4,000 in stuffed animals, electronic gadgets and other gifts.

IMPACT * The Droneys have raised more than $26,000 in cash and toys for such groups as the National Hemophilia Foundation and the Shelby Richter Fund, named for an Absecon, N. J., girl who died of sarcoma at 13. Says Shelby's mother, Charlene Ruark: "They've already done more than many people do their entire lives."

They gave up birthday parties to raise money for other sick kids.

*****

Copied from: April 3, 2006 - People Magazine