"Our children are our future."
If there is one thing we can all agree on, it’s that children offer us hope for a better tomorrow. It is our shared responsibility to instill the necessary values in children for kind and well-rounded adults. One might say it's our job...to plant the seeds of caring.
In 2017, Brandy Jemczura, the founder of Seeds of Caring, wanted to share her values of social change with her children. As a teacher and a social worker, Brandy was no stranger to being involved in the community. After searching for ways to get her own children involved in service projects, she realized there were hardly any non-profit, community outreach programs centered around providing children experiences to give back to their communities. She took matters into her own hands and started Seeds of Caring.
Seeds of Caring is a 501(c)(3) organization focused on teaching children to make the biggest difference every day. Striving to instill gratitude, curiosity, growth, and integrity in their young volunteers, most projects are designed with children ages 2 to 12 in mind. The organization utilizes three pillars to enhance the community: service projects, social action, and community building. After years of growth and seeing the difference Seeds of Caring made in Columbus, Ohio, Brandy chose to expand the organization into Indianapolis and its surrounding cities.
The Indianapolis Program Manager, Blair Everett, shares a story similar to Brandy. Blair spent most of her twenties volunteering, and also wanted to pass on the idea to her children that community matters. Blair hopes the largest impact made by Seeds of Caring is providing children with the “social skills, confidence, and awareness to become empathetic leaders.”
Blair's favorite volunteer opportunity has been the Sack Lunch Project. Children decorate paper bags, fill them with a sandwich and some snacks, and then the lunches are delivered to homeless shelters. Long after the lunches are gone, she has been told recipients hold on to the bags because of the joy they feel seeing the artwork of the young volunteers.
Aside from working to involve children ages 2 to 12, Seeds of Caring sets itself apart by allowing all service projects to be completed remotely. This allows families to get involved in a timeframe that works best with their schedule and in the comfort of their own homes. Summer, a young volunteer with Seeds of Caring, shared, "I like being a part of Seeds of Caring because it makes me feel good to know I am helping people. I also like knowing even though I am a small part of a much larger effort, we all can help the community."
To join a service project:
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Visit seedsofcaring.org/indianapolis.
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Select the project best suited for your family, friends, sports team, etc.
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Read through the packet sent to your email. Then gather your supplies.
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Complete the project on your own timeline in your own space.
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Drop off the project at an ambassador’s home for distribution using the specified dates in your packet.
Yes, our children are the future, but instilling values and creating change starts in the present. Seeds of Caring is an organization that is passionate about this idea and wants to kickstart change by helping children grow into leaders who break down barriers and create a "full community."
Projects for August and September 2023:
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Book Drive for Indy Book Project
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Welcome Kits for New Americans for Exodus Refugee
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Cards & Crafts for Family Promise of Greater Indianapolis
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Treat Our Animals Well for IndyHumane (active during September)
