Teachable Moments: Getting My Girls to Love Giving Back

As an adult, I have a multitude of opportunities to give back to my community.

There are hoards of non-profits that would be glad to have my help sorting, delivering, filing, collecting and so on down this line. And I do all of these, as frequently as I can, for the charities I choose to support, when my time allows.

But it is so much harder with kids.

So many charities have a minimum age requirement or a number of regulations prohibiting kids from getting involved. And I get it. It isn't because they are being unwelcoming, it's an insurance and liability thing. But it is still frustrating.

This is where Wee Volunteer, a Dallas-based nonprofit, comes in. Wee Volunteer is a volunteer agency and nonprofit started by a mom with my same struggles. She had the desire to give back and support her community, but she had two young kids at home who were often not allowed to attend when she volunteered at local organizations for a number of reasons.

And so Wee Volunteer was born. Wee Volunteer creates opportunities for young kids to contribute to the community in a meaningful way. Check out their Website here: weevolunteer.org.

Yesterday, my Girl Scout troop participated in their Wipe Out Graffiti project, and it was so very great. The girls dressed in old clothes and we drove them over to an industrial and rundown area of Dallas, just off I30 and North Hampton Rd. (about a 25-30 minute drive from south Arlington). There is a privately-owned, aluminum-sided building in this area where graffiti, as long as it isn't profane or obscene, is allowed and encouraged because the building's owner applied for a graffiti permit from the City of Dallas. But next to this building is a second building where graffiti is not allowed but is often tagged anyway.

The building where graffiti is allowed.

Wee Volunteer encourages organizations, from Scouts to sororities to mommy groups and church groups, to come in and paint over the illegal graffiti. The organization pays $150, which covers the cost of the paint and supplies.

The painters. Before.

When you arrive, Code Compliance officers from the City come and talk to the kids about graffiti. Because I, too, thought, what's the big deal? Who cares? As long as it is grotesque or obscene, who honestly cares?

Hard at work.

But hearing the compliance officers talk was an important part of this process for the girls. You see, graffiti, as pretty as it can be, is often illegal. And, as silly as this might sound, graffiti is a gateway crime, much the way marijuana is a gateway drug. It was important that our girls understand that graffiti should only be created at sites where it is legal. Pretty or not, if they paint graffiti where it is not wanted, it is a punishable offense. And the building, structure or area they tag will never again look the same once it is graffitied.

Wee Volunteer handout.

The girls had a great time painting the aluminum walls with rollers and gray paint. They got messy (some, like my two, incredibly so), were encouraged to run around with the paint and not worry about drips or spills, and got to listen to KidzBop on the radio provided by Wee Volunteers. We were there for a full hour, start to finish.

I love this project because it is something they can see. I encourage my girls to help me sort out old toys for charity. But they can't see the work they've done. They put a toy in a box and we drop it at a donation station and that's it. They trust (and I trust) that this toy will find its way into the hands of a wonderful child who will give it more life. But my girls don't see that. Likewise, we've volunteered here locally, sorting bread and cans for charities. While this is work that needs doing, again, they can't see how this matters or what impact it will have. At the end of the Wee Volunteer project, the girls were able to see the building look fresh again, without loads of graffiti everywhere. They were able to see their contributions and the difference they made.

The painters. After.

Wee Volunteer is working on projects in Arlington, and they already have several in Fort Worth. What I've taken from this is: never underestimate the power of kids with big hearts and the right tools.

I think it's time I email the City of Arlington and see if they have any areas of the city consumed with graffiti that need to be repainted. Because painting is fun. And painting with a purpose but without lines is even more fun!

Covered. In paint. In mud. You know it. The sign of a good time, am I right?