RALEIGH, N.C. — It’s the season of giving and one nonprofit recently gave children and their families a place to do that.

Activate Good, which works in and around the Triangle, has a mission to connect volunteers with organizations to do service projects. But it added a new program, Activate Kids, that will get children involved at a younger age. 

The group didn’t have many opportunities for kids ages 5 to 10 to volunteer and it’s something parents involved with the group wanted.

Activate Kids had its first service event on Dec. 16. Leslie Douglas was one of many parents there with her family. She said she is excited for more opportunities for her daughter, Briana, to learn about the importance of giving back.

“I think volunteering at a young age helps create some core values and it helps set up this idea, there’s so much of who we are and what we do, day-to-day habits that are formed, when you are young,” Douglas said. “ I think it makes it easier for her [Briana] to make it part of her routine as she gets older. It’s something that she will feel good about, she will feel positive about.”

Briana is 7 years old and she’s in second grade. Douglas said Briana has a dream of making a difference.

“She has such a compassionate heart,” Douglas said. “Even when she was little, like when she was a baby, before she could talk, she would get really upset about litter.”

Now with the Activate Kids program up and running, it will give Briana more opportunities to make that difference.

“We were like looking for opportunities for my daughter to volunteer and there’s like not a ton of volunteer opportunities for young children in the area besides like monetary donations,” Douglas said. “I wanted her to learn like the giving of time, talent, treasure, so beyond the monetary, what could she do with her time that would make a difference and really impact the community.”

Douglas said not only will it teach Briana these core values, but it will also be a good family activity where she can make memories. Douglas said she grew up volunteering with her mom and she’s glad she can continue that tradition with Briana.

Activate Good started in 2005. It has more than 600 community partners throughout the Triangle.

Activate Kids will have service project events every month.