Ages 5-14 · Book 5, Empathy · 4,299 places
Volunteering as a Family
Small, regular and unannounced, which is the version that leaves something behind in a child.
Built on Ellis Abel and the Helping Hand — “What matters more than earning a Gold Star?” A character series, not a curriculum with a worldview attached.
The five sessions
- Session 1
Pick the need first, from the people who actually have it
- Session 2
Read the story and name why helping cost him something
- Session 3
Plan the smallest useful thing, and do it this week
- Session 4
Do it without announcing it, and see how that feels
- Session 5
Say afterwards what changed for the person, not for us
Questions leaders ask
Is volunteering as a family in your area a religious program?
No. Ellis Abel is a character series. Each volume carries one named core value — this one is empathy — and the story does the teaching. There is no doctrine in it, nothing to opt out of, and it is used in public schools, libraries and secular programs as readily as anywhere else.
What ages does this work for?
Ages 5-14. The story is read aloud, so a child who cannot read yet is fully in it, and the discussion prompts are written in two bands so one adult can hold a mixed-age room.
We have tried things like this in your area before and stopped. Why is this different?
Because it is ten minutes and it survives a missed night. There is no streak to break and nothing to catch up on — you pick up at the next chapter.
What if my child will not talk about it?
Then read it anyway and say nothing. Children answer days later, in the car, about something else entirely. The prompts are there when they are ready, not a toll you have to pay to finish the book.
The rules that make it work
Helping has to cost something
Kindness that is free teaches nothing, and children over about eight already know it. The cost is named out loud in every session.
Notice first — it is an attention skill
Empathy gets taught as a feeling children are supposed to summon. It starts as noticing one specific person, which is trainable and testable.
Owning a mistake is the harder lesson
Helping a friend is easier than admitting you were the one who caused the problem. The book teaches both, and this is the one adults skip.
Do not announce it
The moment helping becomes a thing you are seen doing, it becomes a performance. The follow-up asks what changed for the other person, never how the helper felt.
Success is bigger than the award
The gold star is in the title for a reason. A room that only celebrates outcomes has already taught the lesson this book is arguing with.
Adults go first, with a real mistake
An adult naming something they got wrong, at a cost, changes a room faster than any activity in it.
Family Volunteering by metro area
Northeast
- Family Volunteering — New York, NY
- Family Volunteering — Philadelphia, PA
- Family Volunteering — Boston, MA
- Family Volunteering — Pittsburgh, PA
- Family Volunteering — Providence, RI
- Family Volunteering — Hartford, CT
- Family Volunteering — Buffalo, NY
- Family Volunteering — Rochester, NY
- Family Volunteering — Bridgeport, CT
- Family Volunteering — Albany, NY
- Family Volunteering — Worcester, MA
- Family Volunteering — Allentown, PA
- Family Volunteering — Poughkeepsie metro area, NY
- Family Volunteering — Syracuse, NY
- Family Volunteering — Harrisburg, PA
- Family Volunteering — New Haven, CT
- Family Volunteering — Portland, ME
- Family Volunteering — Scranton, PA
- Family Volunteering — Lancaster, PA
- Family Volunteering — York, PA
- Family Volunteering — Springfield, MA
- Family Volunteering — Waterbury, CT
- Family Volunteering — Reading, PA
- Family Volunteering — Manchester, NH
- Family Volunteering — Trenton, NJ
- Family Volunteering — Atlantic City, NJ
- Family Volunteering — Utica, NY
- Family Volunteering — Norwich, CT
- Family Volunteering — Erie, PA
- Family Volunteering — Binghamton, NY
- Family Volunteering — Barnstable, MA
- Family Volunteering — Burlington, VT
- Family Volunteering — Kingston, NY
- Family Volunteering — Amherst, MA
- Family Volunteering — Chambersburg, PA
- Family Volunteering — Bangor, ME
- Family Volunteering — State College, PA
- Family Volunteering — Vineland, NJ
- Family Volunteering — Lebanon, PA
- Family Volunteering — Johnstown, PA
- Family Volunteering — Pittsfield, MA
- Family Volunteering — Glens Falls, NY
- Family Volunteering — Altoona, PA
- Family Volunteering — Lewiston, ME
- Family Volunteering — Williamsport, PA
- Family Volunteering — Watertown, NY
- Family Volunteering — Gettysburg, PA
- Family Volunteering — Ithaca, NY
- Family Volunteering — Elmira, NY
Midwest
- Family Volunteering — Chicago, IL
- Family Volunteering — Detroit, MI
- Family Volunteering — Minneapolis, MN
- Family Volunteering — St. Louis, MO
- Family Volunteering — Cincinnati, OH
- Family Volunteering — Kansas City, MO
- Family Volunteering — Columbus, OH
- Family Volunteering — Indianapolis, IN
- Family Volunteering — Cleveland, OH
- Family Volunteering — Milwaukee, WI
- Family Volunteering — Grand Rapids, MI
- Family Volunteering — Omaha, NE
- Family Volunteering — Dayton, OH
- Family Volunteering — Des Moines, IA
- Family Volunteering — Madison, WI
- Family Volunteering — Akron, OH
- Family Volunteering — Wichita, KS
- Family Volunteering — Toledo, OH
- Family Volunteering — Springfield, MO
- Family Volunteering — Lansing, MI
- Family Volunteering — Fort Wayne, IN
- Family Volunteering — Youngstown, OH
- Family Volunteering — Flint, MI
- Family Volunteering — Canton, OH
- Family Volunteering — Davenport, IA
- Family Volunteering — Ann Arbor, MI
- Family Volunteering — Peoria, IL
- Family Volunteering — Lincoln, NE
- Family Volunteering — Rockford, IL
- Family Volunteering — Green Bay, WI
- Family Volunteering — South Bend, IN
- Family Volunteering — Sioux Falls, SD
- Family Volunteering — Duluth, MN
- Family Volunteering — Cedar Rapids, IA
- Family Volunteering — Evansville, IN
- Family Volunteering — Fargo, ND
- Family Volunteering — Kalamazoo, MI
- Family Volunteering — Appleton, WI
- Family Volunteering — Champaign, IL
- Family Volunteering — Topeka, KS
- Family Volunteering — Rochester, MN
- Family Volunteering — Lafayette, IN
- Family Volunteering — Columbia, MO
- Family Volunteering — Joplin, MO
- Family Volunteering — Elkhart, IN
- Family Volunteering — Springfield, IL
- Family Volunteering — St. Cloud, MN
- Family Volunteering — Racine, WI
- Family Volunteering — Saginaw, MI
- Family Volunteering — Iowa City, IA
- Family Volunteering — Muskegon, MI
- Family Volunteering — Eau Claire, WI
- Family Volunteering — Oshkosh, WI
- Family Volunteering — Bloomington, IL
- Family Volunteering — La Crosse, WI
- Family Volunteering — Terre Haute, IN
- Family Volunteering — Waterloo, IA
- Family Volunteering — Kenosha, WI
- Family Volunteering — Janesville, WI
- Family Volunteering — Bloomington, IN
- Family Volunteering — Jackson, MI
- Family Volunteering — Traverse City, MI
- Family Volunteering — Rapid City, SD
- Family Volunteering — Monroe, MI
- Family Volunteering — Jefferson City, MO
- Family Volunteering — Niles, MI
- Family Volunteering — Sioux City, IA
- Family Volunteering — Bismarck, ND
- Family Volunteering — Wausau, WI
- Family Volunteering — Manhattan, KS
- Family Volunteering — Springfield, OH
- Family Volunteering — Battle Creek, MI
- Family Volunteering — Ames, IA
- Family Volunteering — Mansfield, OH
- Family Volunteering — Lawrence, KS
- Family Volunteering — St. Joseph, MO
- Family Volunteering — Sheboygan, WI
- Family Volunteering — Muncie, IN
- Family Volunteering — Sandusky, OH
- Family Volunteering — Michigan City, IN
- Family Volunteering — Kankakee, IL
- Family Volunteering — Grand Forks, ND
- Family Volunteering — Mankato, MN
- Family Volunteering — Fond du Lac, WI
- Family Volunteering — Bay City, MI
- Family Volunteering — Lima, OH
- Family Volunteering — Dubuque, IA
- Family Volunteering — Decatur, IL
- Family Volunteering — Cape Girardeau, MO
- Family Volunteering — Columbus, IN
- Family Volunteering — Kokomo, IN
- Family Volunteering — Midland, MI
- Family Volunteering — Grand Island, NE
- Family Volunteering — Minot, ND
South
- Family Volunteering — Dallas, TX
- Family Volunteering — Houston, TX
- Family Volunteering — Atlanta, GA
- Family Volunteering — Washington, DC
- Family Volunteering — Miami, FL
- Family Volunteering — Tampa, FL
- Family Volunteering — Orlando, FL
- Family Volunteering — Charlotte, NC
- Family Volunteering — Baltimore, MD
- Family Volunteering — San Antonio, TX
- Family Volunteering — Austin, TX
- Family Volunteering — Nashville, TN
- Family Volunteering — Virginia Beach, VA
- Family Volunteering — Jacksonville, FL
- Family Volunteering — Raleigh, NC
- Family Volunteering — Oklahoma City, OK
- Family Volunteering — Louisville, KY
- Family Volunteering — Richmond, VA
- Family Volunteering — Memphis, TN
- Family Volunteering — Birmingham, AL
- Family Volunteering — Tulsa, OK
- Family Volunteering — Greenville, SC
- Family Volunteering — New Orleans, LA
- Family Volunteering — Knoxville, TN
- Family Volunteering — Sarasota metro area, FL
- Family Volunteering — McAllen, TX
- Family Volunteering — Charleston, SC
- Family Volunteering — Baton Rouge, LA
- Family Volunteering — El Paso, TX
- Family Volunteering — Columbia, SC
- Family Volunteering — Cape Coral, FL
- Family Volunteering — Lakeland, FL
- Family Volunteering — Greensboro, NC
- Family Volunteering — Little Rock, AR
- Family Volunteering — Deltona, FL
- Family Volunteering — Winston-Salem, NC
- Family Volunteering — Palm Bay, FL
- Family Volunteering — Augusta, GA
- Family Volunteering — Durham, NC
- Family Volunteering — Fayetteville, AR
- Family Volunteering — Jackson, MS
- Family Volunteering — Chattanooga, TN
- Family Volunteering — Port St. Lucie, FL
- Family Volunteering — Huntsville, AL
- Family Volunteering — Pensacola, FL
- Family Volunteering — Lexington, KY
- Family Volunteering — Killeen, TX
- Family Volunteering — Wilmington, NC
- Family Volunteering — Corpus Christi, TX
- Family Volunteering — Ocala, FL
- Family Volunteering — Savannah, GA
- Family Volunteering — Brownsville, TX
- Family Volunteering — Gulfport, MS
- Family Volunteering — Myrtle Beach, SC
- Family Volunteering — Lafayette, LA
- Family Volunteering — Asheville, NC
- Family Volunteering — Naples, FL
- Family Volunteering — Mobile, AL
- Family Volunteering — Spartanburg, SC
- Family Volunteering — Beaumont, TX
- Family Volunteering — Tallahassee, FL
- Family Volunteering — Fayetteville, NC
- Family Volunteering — Montgomery, AL
- Family Volunteering — Shreveport, LA
- Family Volunteering — Hickory, NC
- Family Volunteering — Lubbock, TX
- Family Volunteering — Huntington, WV
- Family Volunteering — Gainesville, FL
- Family Volunteering — Clarksville, TN
- Family Volunteering — Columbus, GA
- Family Volunteering — Roanoke, VA
- Family Volunteering — Hagerstown, MD
- Family Volunteering — Fort Walton Beach metro area, FL
- Family Volunteering — Kingsport, TN
- Family Volunteering — Waco, TX
- Family Volunteering — Longview, TX
- Family Volunteering — College Station, TX
- Family Volunteering — Tuscaloosa, AL
- Family Volunteering — Laredo, TX
- Family Volunteering — Slidell, LA
- Family Volunteering — Amarillo, TX
- Family Volunteering — Lynchburg, VA
- Family Volunteering — Daphne, AL
- Family Volunteering — Tyler, TX
- Family Volunteering — Lake Charles, LA
- Family Volunteering — Hilton Head Island, SC
- Family Volunteering — Macon, GA
- Family Volunteering — Fort Smith, AR
- Family Volunteering — Panama City, FL
- Family Volunteering — Charlottesville, VA
- Family Volunteering — Gainesville, GA
- Family Volunteering — Athens, GA
- Family Volunteering — Monroe, LA
- Family Volunteering — Punta Gorda, FL
- Family Volunteering — Jacksonville, NC
- Family Volunteering — Johnson City, TN
- Family Volunteering — Lexington Park, MD
- Family Volunteering — Warner Robins, GA
- Family Volunteering — Auburn, AL
- Family Volunteering — Florence, SC
- Family Volunteering — Charleston, WV
- Family Volunteering — Houma, LA
- Family Volunteering — Bowling Green, KY
- Family Volunteering — Dover, DE
- Family Volunteering — Midland, TX
- Family Volunteering — Burlington, NC
- Family Volunteering — Abilene, TX
- Family Volunteering — Jackson, TN
- Family Volunteering — Greenville, NC
- Family Volunteering — Blacksburg, VA
- Family Volunteering — Odessa, TX
- Family Volunteering — Vero Beach metro area, FL
- Family Volunteering — Homosassa Springs, FL
- Family Volunteering — Decatur, AL
- Family Volunteering — Hattiesburg, MS
- Family Volunteering — The Villages metro area, FL
- Family Volunteering — Florence, AL
- Family Volunteering — Dothan, AL
- Family Volunteering — Sherman, TX
- Family Volunteering — Valdosta, GA
- Family Volunteering — Winchester, VA
- Family Volunteering — Wichita Falls, TX
- Family Volunteering — Rocky Mount, NC
- Family Volunteering — Alexandria, LA
- Family Volunteering — Dalton, GA
- Family Volunteering — Texarkana, TX
- Family Volunteering — Albany, GA
- Family Volunteering — Morgantown, WV
- Family Volunteering — Hammond, LA
- Family Volunteering — Harrisonburg, VA
- Family Volunteering — Jonesboro, AR
- Family Volunteering — Wheeling, WV
- Family Volunteering — Cleveland, TN
- Family Volunteering — Salisbury, MD
- Family Volunteering — Staunton, VA
- Family Volunteering — Morristown, TN
- Family Volunteering — Elizabethtown, KY
- Family Volunteering — Lawton, OK
- Family Volunteering — Goldsboro, NC
- Family Volunteering — San Angelo, TX
- Family Volunteering — Brunswick, GA
- Family Volunteering — Anniston, AL
- Family Volunteering — Owensboro, KY
- Family Volunteering — Steubenville, WV
- Family Volunteering — Sebring, FL
- Family Volunteering — Pinehurst, NC
- Family Volunteering — Beckley, WV
- Family Volunteering — Sumter, SC
- Family Volunteering — Gadsden, AL
- Family Volunteering — Paducah, KY
- Family Volunteering — Rome, GA
- Family Volunteering — Victoria, TX
- Family Volunteering — Hot Springs, AR
- Family Volunteering — Hinesville, GA
- Family Volunteering — Parkersburg, WV
- Family Volunteering — Enid, OK
- Family Volunteering — Eagle Pass, TX
West
- Family Volunteering — Los Angeles, CA
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- Family Volunteering — Honolulu, HI
- Family Volunteering — Bakersfield, CA
- Family Volunteering — Albuquerque, NM
- Family Volunteering — Boise, ID
- Family Volunteering — Oxnard, CA
- Family Volunteering — Stockton, CA
- Family Volunteering — Colorado Springs, CO
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- Family Volunteering — Spokane, WA
- Family Volunteering — Reno, NV
- Family Volunteering — Modesto, CA
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- Family Volunteering — Visalia, CA
- Family Volunteering — Vallejo, CA
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- Family Volunteering — Santa Maria, CA
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- Family Volunteering — Anchorage, AK
- Family Volunteering — Eugene, OR
- Family Volunteering — Greeley, CO
- Family Volunteering — Fort Collins, CO
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- Family Volunteering — Kennewick, WA
- Family Volunteering — Olympia, WA
- Family Volunteering — Merced, CA
- Family Volunteering — Bremerton, WA
- Family Volunteering — San Luis Obispo, CA
- Family Volunteering — Bend, OR
- Family Volunteering — Yakima, WA
- Family Volunteering — Santa Cruz, CA
- Family Volunteering — Prescott metro area, AZ
- Family Volunteering — Bellingham, WA
- Family Volunteering — Las Cruces, NM
- Family Volunteering — Lake Havasu City, AZ
- Family Volunteering — Yuma, AZ
- Family Volunteering — Medford, OR
- Family Volunteering — St. George, UT
- Family Volunteering — Chico, CA
- Family Volunteering — Billings, MT
- Family Volunteering — Coeur d'Alene, ID
- Family Volunteering — Yuba City, CA
- Family Volunteering — Redding, CA
- Family Volunteering — El Centro, CA
- Family Volunteering — Idaho Falls, ID
- Family Volunteering — Pueblo, CO
- Family Volunteering — Grand Junction, CO
- Family Volunteering — Logan, UT
- Family Volunteering — Maui, HI
- Family Volunteering — Santa Fe, NM
- Family Volunteering — Hanford, CA
- Family Volunteering — Flagstaff, AZ
- Family Volunteering — Mount Vernon, WA
- Family Volunteering — Napa, CA
- Family Volunteering — Albany, OR
- Family Volunteering — Bozeman, MT
- Family Volunteering — Missoula, MT
- Family Volunteering — Wenatchee, WA
- Family Volunteering — Sierra Vista, AZ
- Family Volunteering — Twin Falls, ID
- Family Volunteering — Farmington, NM
- Family Volunteering — Longview, WA
- Family Volunteering — Cheyenne, WY
- Family Volunteering — Corvallis, OR
- Family Volunteering — Helena, MT
- Family Volunteering — Fairbanks, AK
- Family Volunteering — Pocatello, ID
- Family Volunteering — Grants Pass, OR
- Family Volunteering — Great Falls, MT
- Family Volunteering — Casper, WY
- Family Volunteering — Lewiston, ID
- Family Volunteering — Walla Walla, WA
- Family Volunteering — Carson City, NV
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