MARQUETTE -- Helping others...and having fun while doing it.  That was the goal of Family Volunteer Day held at the Marquette County YMCA.

Kids and their families had the chance to participate in hands-on service projects to help various organizations in the U.P.

Kids made blankets for the Harbor House, decorated cards for troops, and made ornaments for seniors.  Organizers hoped it would help encourage youth to continue helping others.

"I think volunteering as a family really strengthens family bonds and increases communication and really is just a great benefit to the entire community as a whole," says Jaime Engvall of the AmeriCorps VISTA.

This is the second year the U.P. Volunteer Network has hosted a Volunteer Day in Marquette County.