Community Helpers
Who helps in your town? Let's meet them!
Hi! I'm Rosa. 👋
Look out your window. Lots of people are busy helping. Some put out fires. Some bring the mail. Some help you learn.
These people are called community helpers. Let's meet them!
We help each other
A community is a place where people live, work and play together.
In a community, people help each other. A farmer grows food. A bus driver takes kids to school. A teacher helps them learn.
Every job helps someone. When we all help, our community is a happy, safe place to live.
Meet the helpers
Here are ten helpers you might see in your town. Tap 🔊 to hear each name.
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Firefighter
- Firefighters put out fires.
- They help people who are sick or hurt, too.
- They teach us how to stay safe from fire.
- Tools they use
- A hose, a ladder, a helmet and a big fire truck.
- Where you might see them
- At the fire station, or on a fire truck with its lights on.
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Police officer
- Police officers help keep people safe.
- They help if you are lost.
- They help cars and people cross the street safely.
- Tools they use
- A badge, a radio and a police car.
- Where you might see them
- On the street, at the police station, or visiting your school.
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Doctor
- Doctors help us stay healthy.
- They check your body at a checkup.
- They help you get better when you are sick.
- Tools they use
- A stethoscope to listen to your heart, and a light to look in your ears.
- Where you might see them
- At a doctor's office, a clinic or a hospital.
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Nurse
- Nurses take care of people who are sick or hurt.
- They check how you feel.
- They give medicine and put on bandages.
- Tools they use
- A thermometer, bandages and a blood pressure cuff.
- Where you might see them
- At a hospital, a doctor's office, or the school nurse's room.
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Teacher
- Teachers help us learn.
- They teach reading, math and much more.
- They help us learn to be kind and work together.
- Tools they use
- Books, markers, a board and lots of good questions.
- Where you might see them
- At school, in your classroom.
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Mail carrier
- Mail carriers bring letters and packages.
- They take mail to homes and stores.
- They go out in sun, rain and snow.
- Tools they use
- A mail bag, a scanner and a mail truck.
- Where you might see them
- Walking on your street, or driving a mail truck.
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Librarian
- Librarians help you find books.
- They read stories at story time.
- They help you find answers to your questions.
- Tools they use
- Books, computers and a library card scanner.
- Where you might see them
- At the library, and sometimes at your school.
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Farmer
- Farmers grow food for us to eat.
- They plant seeds and care for plants.
- Some farmers raise animals like cows and chickens.
- Tools they use
- Seeds, shovels, water and a tractor.
- Where you might see them
- On a farm, or selling food at a farmers market.
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Sanitation worker
- Sanitation workers pick up trash and recycling.
- They help keep our streets clean.
- Recycling can be made into new things.
- Tools they use
- A garbage truck, a recycling truck and work gloves.
- Where you might see them
- On your street on trash day.
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Bus driver
- Bus drivers take people where they need to go.
- School bus drivers take kids to school and home.
- They drive carefully and keep riders safe.
- Tools they use
- A bus, mirrors and a stop sign that swings out.
- Where you might see them
- At the bus stop, or driving down your street.
You can be a helper too!
You don't need a uniform to help. Here are some ways kids help every day.
- Put your toys away.
- Put trash and recycling in the right bin.
- Help a friend who feels sad.
- Take good care of library books.
- Say thank you to a helper you see.
- Help set the table at home.
Words to know
Tap 🔊 to hear each word.
- Community
A community is a place where people live, work and play together.
- Helper
A helper is someone who does things to make life better for others.
- Tool
A tool is a thing that helps you do a job, like a hose or a book.
- Uniform
A uniform is special clothes for a job. It helps you know who the helper is.
- Emergency
An emergency is when someone needs help right away, like a fire.
Game: Who Does What?
How to play: tap a helper. Then tap the job that helper does. Match all five to win! You can use the Tab and Enter keys too.
Helpers
What they do
Quick quiz
Five quick questions. Pick one answer for each, then check!
For grown-ups
This lesson is for ages 5 to 7 (grades K-2). It takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Tap "Read it to me" at the top and the page will read itself aloud. Here are some safety ideas to talk about together.
- 911 is for emergencies. An emergency is when someone needs the police, the fire department or an ambulance right away. Explain that 911 is not for games or pretend calls.
- Practice what to say. The 911 call-taker will ask where the emergency is, so help your child learn your street address. Teach them to answer questions and not to hang up until the call-taker says it's OK.
- Make a home fire escape plan. Draw your home with two ways out of each room, pick a meeting place outside, and practice the plan twice a year (NFPA).
- Get out, stay out. When the smoke alarm sounds, get out right away. Once you're out, stay out, and never go back inside a burning building. Tell the firefighters if someone is missing (NFPA).
- Crawl low under smoke. During your fire drill, have everyone practice getting low and going under the smoke to the exit (NFPA).
- Lost in a store or park? Agree ahead of time on who to ask for help, such as a store worker at the checkout or a police officer, and practice saying a grown-up's name and phone number.
- Say hello to helpers. Many fire stations, libraries and post offices welcome visits. Call ahead to ask. Afterward, your child could make a thank-you card or drawing for a helper they met.
Talk about it: Which helper did you see this week? What job would you like to try when you grow up? How did you help someone today?
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Firefighters (firefighters put out fires, treat sick or injured people, and teach fire safety; most of their calls are medical emergencies), Police and Detectives, Physicians and Surgeons, Registered Nurses, Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers, Librarians and Library Media Specialists, Postal Service Workers (mail carriers deliver mail to homes and businesses, in all kinds of weather), Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers, Hand Laborers and Material Movers (includes refuse and recyclable material collectors), and Bus Drivers.
- United States Postal Service: About USPS
- 911.gov (National 911 Program): Calling 911
- NFPA: Home fire escape planning (two ways out, outside meeting place, practice twice a year, get out and stay out, get low under smoke) and U.S. Fire Administration: Home fire safety
- Ready.gov: Ready Kids
Credits: Words, drawings, game and quiz by Rosa for Jugami Community. Every picture on this page is original art drawn in SVG for Jugami. No ads, no tracking, and nothing you tap is saved or sent anywhere.