Tucson Family Volunteers is a nonprofit organization, started about four years ago, which collaborates with other local nonprofits to create family-friendly volunteer projects.
Their latest project took place on June 22 and consisted of bagging dog food to give to give to the homeless to make sure their pets don’t go hungry.
Its projects like this one that its founder, Victoria Hannley wanted to see in the community.
“I was just a mom with three young kids looking for places to volunteer with my own three kids and I was surprised at how hard it was to find places where you can take your kids in,” Hannely said.
So the Tucsonan created her own organization aimed at creating those opportunities for kids ages 4 to 13.
Hannley said, “Our mission is that you’re never too young to volunteer.”
Some of their projects include park clean-ups, community gardening, and stuffing backpacks during the back to school season. The youth volunteers are at the center of all the projects.
“When you expose them to the needs within the community and you instill in them and expose them to different people, different causes, get them out to environments that are outside of their comfort zone, you begin to plant the seeds of kindness and empathy,” Hannley said.
Aside from getting youth involved and active in the community, Hannley says this work is so important right now.
She said, “I think the need to help our fellow community members is greater today than it probably ever has been.”
