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On the surface, cooking with kids and community service might seem like they have nothing in common.  But if you just take a moment to consider it, they share several characteristics.  Both require a serving of cooperation, a dash of patience and a pinch of creativity.

Think it might not be worth the effort?  Close your eyes and recall the expression on your child’s face when you praised her cooking or his participation in the kitchen.  Now, imagine her sharing the fruits of her labor with a hungry child, or selling his treats at a bake sale…and then donating the proceeds to a cause he cares about.

Here are some of my favorite organizations that encourage children to use cooking as a vehicle to help the needy.

• Spread the Bread – Provides children with opportunities to volunteer by baking bread and offering it to their heroes and those in need.
• Drop In & Decorate – Encourages people to bake cookies, invite friends/family to help decorate them, and then donate the beautiful cookies to local food pantries, emergency shelters, senior centers, lunch programs (etc.), making real connections with members of their community.
• Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation – Inspires children nationwide to raise money to “fight childhood cancer, one cup at a time.”
• Cookies for Kids’ Cancer – Raises funds to support research for new and improved therapies for pediatric cancer through local bake sales.

Are your kids animal lovers?  Some kids who might be reluctant to cook for themselves may jump at the opportunity to cook for their canine companions or feline friends!

• My cooking with kids workshops at the Marin Humane Society Summer Camp are some of the most popular classes I teach.   The children enjoy the opportunity to give the shelter animals extra love with home-made treats.
• At an upcoming family event, our 4H group will be baking home-made dog, cat, horse and bird treats to sell.  All proceeds will help feed hungry children through the Great American Bake Sale, sponsored by Share Our Strength.

Cooking with your kids and doing community service are two of the most amazing experiences you can share.  Both activities teach them valuable skills – some for the body and some for the soul.