Faith Curriculum Library: Tapestry of Faith: Love Surrounds Us: A Program on the UU Principles and Beloved Community for Grades K-1

Faith In Action: Service Fair

Materials for Activity

  • Names and contact numbers for local organizations, including other faith communities, that might need volunteers

Preparation for Activity

  • Contact your congregational leadership for permission to hold a service fair. Set a date and time, preferably just after a Sunday worship service to attract maximum attendance.
  • Contact the service organizations and invite them to set up a table at your fair or to provide materials such as posters and newsletters to display at the fair. Ask organizational representatives to staff their tables for an hour or so while members of the congregation peruse all the volunteer opportunities. Ask participants and their family members to staff tables for organizations that cannot send someone to your fair.
  • Advertise the service fair in congregational communications. Have the children create posters announcing the event.
  • For the fair, set up tables in a large room. Be sure to arrange for adults to help set up.

Description of Activity

Participants volunteer themselves, and have the opportunity to encourage others in your congregation to become volunteers.

Explain that the fair can help match people with particular gifts with an organization or group that needs help. Consider offering refreshments and having participants set up and serve. Business cards, flyers, brochures, and/or sign-up sheets should all be part of the display. Remember, that this may be an ideal opportunity for getting volunteers for various needs in your congregation, such as helping with mailings or child care.

At the close of your fair, facilitate organizations to follow up with interested volunteers. Publicly thank the organizations that were present; you might report in your congregational newsletter or on your website how many organizations attended the service fair and how many people signed up to volunteer with a service organization.

Including All Participants

If participants have limited mobility or abilities, pair them with an adult at a table. If some participants are unavailable for the fair day, consider asking them to sign "thank you" notes after the fair to send to organizations and groups that were present.