My 9-year-old son used to complain there was "no good food in the house," that he struggled to find the "right pillow" and was, at times, "bored." (Yes, we live in Potomac. He's hardly short on the necessities — or luxuries — of living.) A few months ago, he voiced these complaints one too many times. And I decided to do something about it.

For years, I'd said things like "Some kids would be thrilled to have 'fill-in-the-blank,'" or tried to convey he should appreciate what he has – from the comfy bed and soft blankets to the Nintendo DSi and the dozen games to go with it. But it never seemed to sink in. I decided to take him with me to a place I'd long wanted to volunteer: A Wider Circle in Silver Spring, Md.

We set out on a hot and humid August morning, leaving his little brother at home because he didn't meet the age requirement and because I wanted this to be a special experience with just us. When we arrived at A Wider Circle, an organization that provides basic need items – like food, furniture, beds and linens – to families transitioning out of poverty, the volunteer coordinator told us it was "The Day of 100 Mattresses." Sure enough, 100 mattresses were stacked in part of the warehouse and 100 families were coming to get beds today. Max was quiet, and a bit shocked and sprang into action.

Just a few minutes later, I turned to find him and there he was: high on top of a stack of dozens of mattresses right along with adult volunteers and Wider Circle workers, moving as part of the team to get the mattresses down and out. No attitude. No boredom. Just involvement. He seemed, well, proud to be a part of it (the fun of climbing on the mattresses didn't hurt either). He worked hard. He got sweaty, as the day crept into the mid-90s and there was no air conditioning in the facility.

An hour later, he was by my side, assigned to check expiration dates on a hundred shelves of canned soup, pasta and more. He took his job seriously, didn't rush and voiced no complaints. 

At the end of our three-hour shift, the last thing he did was grab the end of one more mattress to bring it out to the loading dock for a mother who stood excitedly just outside the door. To see her appreciation spoke volumes; it conveyed way, way more than my years of wise remarks to him ever could.

I took him to volunteer because I wanted to, because it was the right thing to do and because I felt it would be a memorable experience for him.

It was hard to find a day to do it, but we did. This holiday season, make time to volunteer with your kids and give back. You'll get a lot in return. 

• For four great tips on how to give back this holiday season with your children, and talk to them about volunteering in a meaningful way, check out these tips from educator Dr. Mary Zurn. 
• To search for a Potomac area volunteer opportunity that fits your family, visit the Montgomery County Volunteer Center website.