APRIL 2017 12 | FRONTDOORSMEDIA .COM They founded Families Giving Back in 2012 and since then the nonprofit has hosted 100 or so events and totaled between 1,500-2,000 volunteer hours a year. It has led events with some of the most recognized nonprofit organizations in the Valley, including Phoenix Children’s Hospital, St. Vincent de Paul, Valley of the Sun United Way, Free Arts for Abused Children of AZ, Keep Phoenix Beautiful and Banner Cardon Children’s Medical Center, benefiting causes that are dear to Geyser and Sklar: children and well- being. The Families Giving Back model has worked so well they now get calls from nonprofits around the country that have heard about its success. Theirs was the first organization in the history of both St. Mary’s Food Bank and Phoenix Children’s Hospital to volunteer on-site with children under the age of 12 and 16 respectively. Whether it’s hosting a sock drive, cleaning up trash or readying Thanksgiving meals, the events serve a practical purpose — they produce a tangible end product that serves a need. But there is also something happening beneath the surface at the events. The kids who attend begin to develop more empathy. COVER STORY CONTINUED They start to get the helping habit. For example, The Wall Street Journal conducted an email discussion among experts on the topic of “How to Raise Your Child to Be a Philanthropist.” Alison Powell, senior director at the Bridgespan Group, a nonprofit consulting group for philanthropists, wrote as part of the discussion: “Embedded in philanthropy is often the concept of empathy, a critical social and emotional skill. Ultimately, if parents value philanthropy and wish to support empathy development in their children, it is likely they will want to pass this value on to their children.” Families Giving Back checked two boxes for Geyser and Sklar: It provided simple opportunities for families to spend time giving back to their community and gave them a chance to shape their children to be the type of kids, as Geyser said, whose first instinct will be to help a child who has fallen, not laugh at them. Photo Credit: Families Giving Back

APRIL 2017 FRONTDOORSMEDIA .COM | 13 Kids who attend their volunteer events beam with pride and a sense of responsibility. On a recent Saturday morning at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, a hundred or so parents and children were busy fashioning cards and door hangers and assembling arts and crafts for young patients. Assembly lines of parents side by side with kids filled the room. A buzz of upbeat energy charged through the place. “You can see that they have a sense of pride,” said Sklar. “There’s nothing better as a parent than looking at your child do something good and feel good doing it.” Sklar said she and Geyser have been seeing more and more in the media about the importance of empathy and its effect on happiness, emotional intelligence, success and community involvement. “Getting children involved in volunteering definitely helps them develop empathy, which will impact their lives for years to come,” Sklar said. “Through our volunteer events and projects, we not only help to instill the importance of helping others, but also the importance of treating all people, regardless of their age, gender, race, or circumstances with the same respect and compassion.” One of their favorite things, both women said, is watching their kids interact with those they are helping. All differences seem to fall away. According to studies, of the 44% of adults who volunteer for a cause, two- thirds started at young age. And children who volunteer are more likely to feel connected to their communities, do better Getting children involved in volunteering definitely helps them develop empathy, which will impact their lives for years to come.” COVER STORY CONTINUED