SIOUX CITY, IA -
The dog days of summer are almost here and after a while it's easy for the kids on summer vacation to get tired of watching TV or playing video games.
That's one of the reasons a group of Siouxland kids found a very helpful way to beat the summer blues: by giving back to the community.
When you're too young to have a job it's kind of hard to find ways to fill your summer break, but one group of Siouxland kids is fighting boredom with a paintbrush.
"It's been fairly easy," said Izaiah Burhman, a soon to be 8th grader at Sioux City's West Middle School as he was painting Tuesday. "We've just been painting up, priming the walls."
That's how more than a dozen kids were spending their summer break Tuesday, painting a classroom for the Community Action Agency of Siouxland's Head Start program.
"It makes me feel good," said Michael James, an 8th grader, as he was painting. "Because hopefully they'll be happy and if they're happy, I'll be happy."
"We've been cleaning up a little bit, which is what you're going to get, but basically it's becoming their project," said Alaire Willits, the Program Coordinator with the First Congregational United Church of Christ.
The group wanted a chance to volunteer after a Sunday school lesson, so everyone from kindergarten on up, decided losing a few days of summer break to paint and decorate would be the least they could do.
"You can do other things during other summer days, but just take a few days to help out the community," said Dayson Tucker, a 5th grader volunteer.
It's easy to be inspired by those kids and their paintbrushes, and maybe now you want to volunteer and give your time, but you just don't know where to look.
There are more opportunities out there than you probably realize and getting started is easier than you might think.
"There's something that's really available for almost everyone," said Kim DeWitt, Vice President of Volunteer Services at the Center for Siouxland.
The Siouxland Volunteer Center connects volunteers with opportunities from triathlons to disaster drills, and the folks there say first time volunteers usually want to help out again and again.
"(They say) that's a lot of fun and I'd like to do that again next year," said DeWitt. "Or what else do you have that's available?"
Just take a look at those young volunteers as an example.
"Young children can really make a difference, there are a lot of talents and gifts that they have," said Willits. "They understand, they would like a nice bright, clean classroom too."
If you're wondering why you should give your time and volunteer, the kids can give you the best reason.
"If we want our community to grow, we have to grow along with it," said Burhman. "So I think if we help the community then we can help ourselves too."
If you're interested in volunteering this summer and you'd like to learn more about the Siouxland Volunteer Center, please visit this web site: www.siouxlandvolunteercenter.org
