Seniors + Elders
Retirement can often give us the opportunity to volunteer - spend one morning a week reading with kids at a local elementary school or get involved with a local nonprofit.
What can you do?
Parenting is challenging at times (and for most people very often!) for all parents.
Acknowledging this and offering support goes a long way.
Volunteer.
Read to kids at the local library, tutor at Del Norte Reads, volunteer at one of the local schools, help with food security in our community at the Community Food Council, or volunteer with Rural Human Services. There are many opportunities in our community to help the families around you.
Get to know the families that live around you.
Meet the kids and talk to the parents so that they know you are there if they ever need help. Social connection and social support are the cornerstones of family well-being and child safety.
Once you know a family, offer to babysit so that parents can enjoy a night off.
Get involved with a cause you care deeply about.
Be a powerful voice by becoming a Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer and advocating for foster children in our community.
Tell a parent that you know parenting is a challenge and normalize the challenge.
Family Resource Center of the Redwoods and Del Norte Child Care Council both offer parenting support, classes, and playgroups.
Help keep children safe in times of crisis.
Options like Wraparound Services, Family Stabilizations, and Voluntary Family Maintenance can give families support until they can get back on their feet.
“Fill in” for a friend or neighbor when they can’t attend a child’s dance recital or soccer game.
Learn how to intervene in a situation where you are concerned about domestic violence.
National Domestic Violence Hotline has more information.
Show the kids in your neighborhood what it means to be a good neighbor.
Say hello when you see each other outside, and offering to do things like collect a family's mail while they're on vacation.
Knit baby hats or blankets for the annual Community Baby Shower at the Family Resource Center of the Redwoods.
Connect patients with county support systems.
Del Norte County Maternal Child Health offers resources to help women enroll in Medi-Cal; support during and after pregnancy from public health nurses; and Healthy Families America, a free family support and parent education home visiting program.
Join CAPC and get involved in more ways to prevent child abuse and neglect in Del Norte County.
Help expecting parents.
Let them know about First5’s New Parent Kit which they should receive through their OB provider.