A blanket drive for a homeless shelter. A canned food drive for the local food pantry. A workathon day to help seniors with yard work. The list of service projects is limited only by your imagination. Service projects during Thanksgiving and Christmas also help children keep their focus on the needs of others.

Such projects are an excellent way for club members to develop a sense of compassion and put their growing faith into action. In addition, many service projects give club members an opportunity to show your church and community what club is all about.

The Trailblazer, Pathfinder and Voyager leader plan books in the Pioneer program now feature an idea for a service project in each unit—in response to leader feedback on including this important element in the club year.  There are also ideas for service in the Discovery program plan books at the end of each activity award. Below are ideas for more service projects based on age.

 All Age-Groups

Month-long project. Develop a special giving project where club members commit themselves to giving in two or three different ways over a period of a month. Ideas:

• Give four compliments—one to a peer, one to an older child, one to a parent or other adult, and one to a grandparent or other senior.
• Give time to someone who needs cheering up.
• Give money to club, church, or a missionary.
• Give time by working on chores around their home or someone else's.

Grades 1 & 2

Environmental project. Hold a “green day”, and set up a project where kids can pick up litter in the community (at a park, around city hall, etc.).

Grades 3 & 4

Fun and games. Have club members plan and lead a game time for the Skipper or Scooter Club.
Missionary project. Let kids decide how to serve a missionary (pray, collect money, send notes or gifts to the missionary’s children, etc.).
Music skills. Help club members plan and conduct an all-club Songfest.
Board games. For the Board Games Activity Award, hold a board game collection day to collect games to give to needy children or to a senior citizens center.

Grades 5 & 6

Neighborhood helpers. Encourage your club members to be good Samaritans in the neighborhood. They might do yard work, provide free babysitting, carry groceries for someone, or help in other ways. 
Serving babies. Help the kids wash and repair toys in the church nursery. Teach them cleanliness and safety standards for babies.
Serving seniors. Assist older people in your church. Help your club determine what needs they could meet.
Toy drive. Collect toys for kids in the hospital or a shelter. Help club members wrap and deliver the toys.   
Eyeglasses drive. Collect old glasses from church members and neighbors. Send them to an agency that sends them to people in third-world countries.   
Workathon. Have kids get sponsors to pledge a specific amount of money for each hour they work. They could do work for individuals, work at the church, or do some other project. Give the funds to a cause of the group's choice.   
Pen pals. Become pen or e-mail pals with missionary kids. Learn about the countries they live in. Then have club members share what they learn with the group.