Back to School, Back to Serving: How Your Family Can Make a Difference
For many families, the start of a new school year brings excitement — fresh notebooks, sharpened pencils, and the anticipation of new friends and experiences. But for others, it’s a season of stress. Rising costs for school supplies, clothing, and extracurricular activities can be overwhelming. Some parents worry about how their children will get the academic support they need, or how to arrange care when the school day ends but their workday doesn’t.
This season offers us an opportunity: to look beyond our own routines and ask how we might make the start of the year a little brighter for others.
Why Back-to-School Is a Perfect Time to Serve
The transition into a new school year affects more than just students and parents — it impacts teachers, staff, and the broader community. Needs become more visible during this time, making it easier to identify tangible ways to help. Serving now can set a tone for the year ahead — one of generosity, empathy, and neighborliness.
Practical Ways to Help
Here are a few ways your family can step in and serve this season:
Provide Extra Supplies
Many schools — especially those with limited budgets — struggle to provide enough supplies for every student. Consider donating backpacks, notebooks, art supplies, or gift cards to local schools or organizations.
Support Teachers Directly
Teachers often spend their own money on classroom essentials. Ask a local teacher what’s on their wishlist, or partner with your school’s parent organization to sponsor classroom needs.
Volunteer Your Time
Offer to help with after-school programs, reading groups, or tutoring sessions. Even a few hours a week can make a big difference.
Think Beyond the School Day
For families with parents who work long hours, after-school care is critical. Look into community programs that need volunteers or mentors — or start a small initiative within your neighborhood to help.
Include Your Kids in the Effort
Serving together as a family turns acts of kindness into shared experiences. Let your children help choose school supplies to donate or volunteer alongside you, so they see the impact firsthand.
Serving Starts with Seeing
Sometimes, the hardest part of serving is simply noticing the needs around us. This back-to-school season, take a moment to ask:
Who in our community might be feeling the strain of this transition?
How can our family help lighten that load?
Serving doesn’t have to be grand or complicated. Often, it’s the smallest acts of kindness — a backpack filled with supplies, a listening ear after school, a few hours spent helping with homework — that ripple outward in powerful ways.
This school year, let’s not just prepare our own families for success — let’s help others start strong too.
