Here are family-friendly social action projects, especially good for older kids. All of them already exist, so it’s easy to “plug into” them:

1. Walk for Hunger – the first Sunday in May; walkers raise $ from sponsors; 20 miles total, but a group can go after church and walk together for part of the walk. www.projectbread.org
2. City Year Serve-a-thon – day of service on projects in low-income communities; volunteers raise $ from sponsors. www.cityyear.org/boston.aspx
3. Habitat for Humanity – building projects, must be 16 years old. www.habitatboston.org
4. Greater Boston Food Bank – sorting donated food, must be 14. www.gbfb.org
5. The Hunger Banquet -- your church can organize using the template at attendees divided into segments of world population, with poorest getting rice only, richest getting banquet. www.oxfamamerica.org/whatyoucando
6. BOOYAH! A youth and family volunteering program through Boston Cares. http://www.bostoncares.org/AboutUs/index.php/booyah/home.html