By Molly Gold, founder of Go Mom Inc.

Fall traditionally finds families submerged in their own schedules, trying to settle into new routines as the school year begins to unfold. Every time we hear about an earthquake or a hurricane on the evening news, we are dramatically reminded that our daily lives can be devastated overnight, leaving us to pick up the pieces and literally start from scratch.

We've gathered three easy strategies to enable Moms go beyond their family schedules and make an impact in their communities. Consider these:

Include Your Children
Across the nation, you will find tremendous examples of kids taking matters into their own hands and raising money for children who are now suffering. Make this effort stick at home by choosing an ongoing opportunity for your family to serve as a group. From shopping for seniors to making care packages for a local children's hospital, there are hands-on ways for your children to experience volunteerism first hand with your support and respect. Your local school is a great place to start, asking for ways to support any budget shortfalls for supplies, support for the arts, or literacy programs. Have a family meeting to discuss possible activities, decide as a group where to put your energy, and then protect that commitment on every calendar you own. It will make a difference for generations to come…you can bank on it!

Trim the Fat
Pull out your planner and review your family schedules for the next few months. If you are like most Moms, you are on a roll and already thinking about Thanksgiving, and dare I mention Christmas? All the while, feeling a bit weary from the after-school carpool rotation, new homework standards, and perhaps adjusting to an increased workload thanks to a new promotion at work. Clarify your priorities and with your partner's support, remove anything that is not essential to the well-being of either yourself or your family members. Time is precious and must be protected so we may use it wisely. By keeping your schedule clean and intentional, you make room to do more within your community and make it count.

Lead By Example
It goes without saying that charitable opportunities abound and you can almost effortlessly provide an example of community activism by choosing a cause and incorporating it into your schedule. We challenge you to put your organizational skills to good use and get out in your community now. Perhaps there is a local Humane Society that needs help scheduling volunteers to work with relocated refugee pets. Maybe your religious community offers an ongoing drive for donated supplies to send to other communities and needs well-organized volunteers to process paperwork. Put your take charge attitude to work and give of yourself. This will shape your family's perspective by modeling optimism, patriotism, and compassion as you show them how these daily family management skills have a very necessary place in the world around us.

GO MOM!® INC Founder, Molly Gold, is a 41-year-old mother of three and the creator of The GO MOM!® product line. Find out more about GO MOM products at www.GOMOMINC.com.  Gold is known for her keen insights into Family Scheduling and has been featured both in print and on air media. She currently serves as the Home Management Expert at Kenmore.com, as the Family Time Management Expert for Time Makeover on Fine Living Network, and as Family Scheduling Expert at BlueSuitMom.com.