Volunteering fosters endless growth for children and the community. There are plenty of worthy nonprofits that welcome families who want to volunteer together in the St. Louis region and beyond. Here are a few suggestions for places to volunteer with your family.

The Mid-East Area Agency on Aging's Meals on Wheels program brings nutritionally balanced meals to eligible homebound people age 60 and older. Volunteers pick up about a dozen hot lunches at mid-day at a senior center and then deliver them to homebound seniors. The project takes about 90 minutes, depending on the length of route, one day a week or every other week. Along with delivering meals, volunteers and their children can provide welcomed companionship to seniors.

To volunteer, call Carolyn Amacher at 636-207-0847, ext. 118, or visit the Mid-East Area Agency on Aging website.

Work in a Warehouse
St. Louis Area Foodbank

The St. Louis Area Foodbank receives a variety of products from community food drives, local and national food manufacturers, and the Department of Agriculture. The food is then distributed to more than 500 partner agencies, including soup kitchens, pantries and shelters, which serve families in need throughout the metro area. The majority of the foods received need to be repackaged before distribution, and that's where volunteers step in.

Families can volunteer together to inspect, sort and repackage donated items; label and repackage bulk food donations; and help with assembling food boxes for low-income elderly individuals. Volunteers can sign up for a three hour shift on the St. Louis Foodbank website or by calling 314-292-5397. Young volunteers must be 3 or older.

Clean a Stream
The Open Space Council for the St. Louis Region

The Open Space Council for the St. Louis Region is committed to conserving, protecting and sustaining land and water resources throughout the area. To that end, they've been organizing Operation Clean Stream for the past 44 years. Volunteers are needed each year to help restore the Meramec River and its tributaries by removing litter.

Operation Clean Stream is Aug. 27-28; new volunteers should meet at Greentree Park (2150 Marshall Road, Kirkwood, Mo., 63122) at 9 a.m. on Aug. 27. There is no age requirement as long as children have adult supervision. All supplies are provided, however organizers welcome volunteers who can bring their own canoes and kayaks. For more information or to volunteer, call 636-451-6090 or visit the Open Space Council website.

Help a Baby

The Nurses for Newborns Foundation prevents infant mortality, child abuse and neglect by supporting babies born with medical problems and to at-risk families. In addition to providing medical care, the organization also provides diapers, formula, baby food, clothing, bedding and cribs.

Volunteers are needed to sort and organize clothing donations by season and size, stock shelves, hang baby clothing, clean toys, package diapers, and more. With supervision from an adult, children of any age can volunteer and can work Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and on the second Saturday of each month between 9 a.m. and noon. Call Elisa Reeves for more information at 314-544-3433, ext. 317, or visit the Nurses for Newborns website.

Comfort a Shelter Pet
Purina Pet Project

You can help Purina Farms make life a bit more comfortable for shelter animals during the Purina Pet Project Event, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Purina Farms in Gray Summit, Mo. Pet lovers can assemble and decorate dog beds, cat towers, pet blankets and more. Enjoy exciting games, prizes, pet demonstrations, photo booths, a pet tag machine, balloon making, face painting, vendors, refreshments, and, of course, adoptable pets. Families can bring pet food, towels, blankets, pet toys and supplies to donate to local shelters.

The event benefits the Humane Society of Missouri, Love a Golden Rescue, Five Acres Animal Shelter, Gateway Pet Guardians, K9 Rescue and Rehab, Act Now Rescue, Tenth Life Cat Rescue, and Angel Acres.

For more information, call Kristin Stapleton at 314-982-1000 or visit the Purina Farms website.

Other Ways to Help
A great way for your family to help others is to collect donations for area organizations. Here are the wish lists of two area organizations.

• Voices for Children provides advocates for abused and neglected foster children and needs new baby and youth items, including toys, books, blankets, sports equipment, and more. Find out more. 
• The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Metro St. Louis provides a home-away-from-home for families with seriously ill children. The charity needs a variety of food, personal care, and home goods. Find out more.

Are you looking for even more volunteer ideas? Doing Good Together has recently expanded to St. Louis and offers a monthly newsletter that features volunteer opportunities for families at several nonprofit organizations. Visit Doing Good Together to sign up.

Jennifer Lin is a nonprofit arts consultant specializing in marketing, public relations, and social media and also writes for CultureMama. She has worked for performing and visual arts organizations including the Sacramento Opera, the Washington Performing Arts Society, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, and the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art.

Best Bets articles represent the views and the research completed by St. Louis Sprout & About journalists and are not driven by advertising or requests by vendors or venues. Best Bets do not imply an endorsement of a business or activity.

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