Good Stuff To Do!
 
  Good Stuff To Do is a non-sectarian community program created by Hyde Park Union Church to give young families an early taste for community service and civic responsibility. Families with children ages 4-12 are invited to select five service projects a year at such places as the Community Food Pantry, the Neighborhood Soup Kitchen, our local Fire House, our Public Library and more. All projects are located in our neighborhood and can be completed in a couple of hours.  
 

Children who complete five projects in a year will be recognized in the Hyde Park Herald, receive a Good Stuff t-shirt, and be invited to place their painted handprint on the hallway of the Community Food Pantry. Our annual goal is to reach 1500 project hours completed by chilcren 12 and under (with their parents) as service to our wider community.

Sign up for Good Stuff To Do!

What can children contribute to our community?
While experts debate the origins of altruism, even young children get very excited about doing something for others. Not only can a young child, under the supervision of their own parents, plant flowers at the fire house, serve cupcakes at the soup kitchen, pre-pack grocery bags for the food pantry, or participate in lakefront cleanup, these activities help young children manage their concerns about the world. Opportunities for families to engage in projects provide parents with time to talk with their children about values, vacation, and service at levels appropriate for a child.

How does the program work?
Families register with the Good Stuff To Do program. We encourage families to be open to new experiences however families may also list projects for which they would particularly like to volunteer. Good Stuff volunteer staff will work with parents to schedule actual project dates. One week before their project, families receive a reminder and "Tips for Doing Good Stuff." Children receive a Good Stuff Record on which to record their activities throughout the year. Families are encouraged to complete five projects a year. Families that do five projects or more receive: a Good Stuff t-shirt, an invitation to make a hand-print in the Food Pantry hallway and mention in the Hyde Park Herald

Some families are already engaged in "good stuff" on their own. Families are invited to document community service in the neighborhood that is not organized by Good Stuff To Do and have it counted as part of their total.

Can children do Good Stuff with someone other than a parent or legal guardian?
All families will complete a permission form. Parents may authorize children to do aa project with a relative, sitter or friend. The maximum number of children per project is generally three (or two families with a total of four children on certain projects).