Service Crew 52

The Idea

 I run a little church playgroup once a week and it was super important to me to help the kids feel the spirit of Christ this December, but coming up with a service project for babies and toddlers was a real challenge! I finally found an adult day care and nursing home that was willing to simply color with us and it was the sweetest experience. On our way home, my friend mentioned to me that her sister did something called 52 Weeks of Service with her family and I instantly knew it was calling my name. Life right now for us is very simple. Our weekly plans include a few hours of preschool, a Bible study class, and grocery store trips. We have lots of free time for endless pretend play, park trips, and library visits. I'm not complaining, I'm relishing it! But at the same time, I figured this was the perfect season for us to devote one of those afternoons each week to a mini service project before sports, music lessons, and other activities start demanding our attention. 

The Plan
We're starting our own little three man club, Service Crew 52 and we're going to do a service project each week of 2017, 52 projects in total. We made our own list instead of using the book because I've got to keep things on a preschool level. I'm making us some "club uniforms" to wear each time we do a project, just little caps that say "52" on them. Every Monday afternoon the kids will open our service box and put on their service hats and we'll get to work on our project! I'm going to document our adventures on Instagram at @servicecrew52 so I can make a chatbook for the kids at the end and we can remember how happy it made us to help others. I'm going to post our plan for the weeks ahead at the beginning of each month but... we reserve the right to be flexible and rearrange when necessary. We are having a new baby this year after all! Anyway, we'd love for anyone who is interested to join us or tag us in your own posts- we'd love to see your awesome ideas!

The List

1. Write Thank you notes to last years primary teachers 
2. Take dinner to a family with a new baby
3. Shovel snow from a neighbors driveway
4. Take treats to the local fire department
5. Wash/ Clean someone's car
6.   Donate food to the food pantry
7. Take Flowers to a widow
8. Offer someone without a car a ride
9. Deliver a gift to the missionaries
10. Babysit for someone for free
11. Leave a Thank you gift for your mailman
12. Take warm dinner to a homeless person
13. Donate books to your local library
14. Take stuffed animals to the police department
15. Pick up trash at a local park
16. Coloring with residents at a nursing home
17. Write Thank you notes to military
18. Put flowers on graves
19. Write Thank you notes to school teachers
20. Deliver blanket & movie to a patient at a children's hospital
21. Free popsicle/lemonade stand on running trail
22. Participate in a charity walk/ run
23. Spend the morning at an animal shelter 
24. Leave compliments in chalk messages for friends
25. Rake leaves for a neighbor
26. Sing at a nursing home
27. Donate toys to a shelter
28. Invite someone Lonely over for dinner 
29. FaceTime/ call great grandparents and ask abut their day
30. Deliver a Christmas tree to a family who can't afford one
31. Pray for someone who is struggling every prayer for a week
32. Leave spare diapers/wipes in changing tables around town
33. Make "get well soon" cards and take them to a rehab
34. Help each other with chores around the house
35. Clean the church building
36. Donate school supplies
37. Donate baby supplies to a pregnancy crisis center
38. Put away shopping carts in a parking lot
39. Host a game night at a nursing home
40. Hand out treats to students on College campus during finals
41. Send a "box of sunshine" package to someone
42. Pass out water bottles/ Gatorade to construction workers on a hot day
43. Cheer at a special olympics or special needs sports event
44. Donate outgrown clothing
45. Feed ducks/ make bird feeders for neighborhood animals
46. Take a "Thank-you" gift or treats to Bishop/pastor
47. Post a kind/uplifting message/picture on social media
48. Take dad breakfast in bed/ give him a foot massage 
49. Gift to the trash man
50. Take donuts to our bible study class
51. Mail paintings/drawings to our family missionaries
52. Ding dong ditch treats to our neighbors