Family time is at a premium. With mother and father both employed, kids in school and day care, plus commitments to outside activities, there's little time left over in a typical family day.

You want to spend that time together. You think in terms of having fun, bonding and doing something unforgettable. As a family that volunteers together, you an actually have the kind of family time you envision.

Decide how much time you can dedicate to volunteering, when you are free to do it and where you want to volunteer.

Wherever you choose to volunteer, an important consideration is time. Non-profits, schools, hospitals and other agencies will gladly work with you assigning tasks that can be done in the time allotted. Begin by look at everyone's schedules and decide when you can get together for an hour or two during the week or maybe one Saturday morning a month and devote that time to volunteering as a family.

Start small rather than taking on a huge commitment and finding out that it's more than you'd imagined. That's when many people decide volunteering is too much for them. After you find the ideal time and setting for family members to volunteer together and after you've done the actual volunteering for a month or more, you can reassess and decide if it would be feasible to increase your time commitment.

Most of you don't step out the front door and begin volunteering, unless you're doing volunteers tasks in home which is a possibility you can considering. If you are volunteering away from home, when figuring out a schedule, remember to include the time it takes to travel to and from the volunteer location.

You'll find dozens of possibilities for volunteering in your hometown. First check with the obvious ones such as Red Cross, libraries, scouting, hospice, schools and whatever else you can think of.

Go on-line and research "volunteer" and the name of your hometown and state. Simply typing in "volunteer" will bring you hundreds of opportunities.

What can a family do together? Your family could spend a morning once or twice a month at the local animal shelter, walking dogs or petting cats.

If you're an artistic bunch, how about creating a poster or collage based on a book or author and ask to put it up at the library. Or while the children are exploring their creativity, Mom and Dad could be nearby, shelving returned books.

Volunteering can consist of including a Fresh Air child in your family time for several weeks in the summer.

One weekend day helping to build a Habitat for Humanity house or sorting foods at a food bank is a short-term opportunity for your family to volunteer together.

Family time is more than just being together, having fun and supporting each other. It's also about teaching your children lifetime habits of giving to their fellow man. Now is the time to start instilling your values and the importance of volunteering.

Learn more about this author, Kathleen Richardson.
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