Food & Clothing Bank Teaches Kids Power of Giving Back
Harvest Compassion Center, a local food and clothing bank located in North Phoenix, is giving kids the opportunity to give back with Serving SPROUTS or “Small People Reaching Out Unselfishly to Serve.”
The program encourages children to give back to their community, and demonstrates to them the work it takes to earn a dollar by providing them with a goal of earning $28 each month to donate. That’s enough money for Harvest Compassion Center to feed one family.
“It’s about teaching them to work hard and earn $28, one dollar at a time,” said Nicolee Thompson, executive director of Harvest Compassion Center.
Children earn the money by babysitting, walking dogs, tutoring other students, and may other creative ways. Children of any age are encouraged to participate, with some as young as two participating as a Serving SPROUT family, so money earning activities may vary wildly, but all carry the theme of hard work.
While younger children may not be earning money on their own, they still attend events, and begin to learn what it means to make a difference in the community.
The program aims to cultivate the spirit of giving in children, which they will hopefully continue for the rest of their lives.
“If we can teach and show children the needs in our community while they’re young, it helps them to develop compassion,” she said.
For older children with their own entrepreneurial ventures, Serving Sprout even hosts bi-monthly expos that allow participants to operate their own mini-businesses, and choose how much of the profit they want to give back to the Harvest Compassion Center.
The center also takes Serving SPROUT participants to other nonprofits, where they can help out with other events and activities, and learn about other causes to support.
Harvest Compassion Center also regularly hosts school field trips and other children’s groups at the center on days they aren’t open to the public.
Since it opened six years ago, Harvest Compassion Center and its Chandler sister location have served over 18,000 families.
