The holidays are coming closer, and this time of year usually gets everyone into the giving mood. While I think everyone should volunteer all throughout the year, starting now is better than never, of course.
Below are five different ways to give back to your community:
1. Volunteer at your favorite non-profit organization.
There are tons of places to volunteer near you, and it’s what many people do in order to give back to their community. There are many places and different ways to volunteer. You could volunteer at:
- An animal shelter.
- A soup kitchen.
- A food pantry.
- A food pantry for animals. Yes, these exist!
- A hospital.
- A retirement home.
- A cancer organization or some other medical-related organization.
- Local companies that host events to raise money for non-profits.
- Habitat For Humanity.
- A youth home.
- A national and/or state park.
- Red Cross.
- And more!
2. “Sponsor” a family.
Sponsoring a family is something that is a GREAT thing to do. You can sponsor a family in many different ways and for many different reasons. You may sponsor a single mother, single father, or a family with both parents and help them celebrate Christmas. You might sponsor a group of siblings with no parents get ready for school expenses and help them out by buying them pens, paper, and other school supplies.
There are many different ways to sponsor a family, and it can be a great thing to do. You will have to spend money, but the money might not be much to you but it may mean the world to the person you are helping.
3. Host a fundraiser.
If the organization you support and love needs funds, then a fundraiser may be needed. And who better than YOU to host the fundraiser? You will have to think about how you will raise money, how you will attract people to come to the fundraiser, what you will sell, how many people you need to help you out, and more.
Hosting a fundraiser can be difficult, but many non-profit organizations need money in order to stay afloat. There are expenses that need to be paid for just like with any other organization out there in order for it to run and be effective.
4. Donate items around your home.
If you are like me, then you probably have some things around your home that still work yet you have no use for them. However, that does not mean that they are worthless. You should look into donating your items so that someone else can have the opportunity to love them.
You never know, your trash may be someone else’s treasure.
5. Donate food.
Around the holidays, there are always plenty of ways to donate food. Right now, the gym I go to will shave $10 off your monthly price if you bring in 10 canned food items. This is a great way to save money, especially if you coupon for your canned goods to begin with.
You are also helping someone in need and it probably does not even take you much time.
Do you volunteer? Why or why not?
Image via Flickr by Daniel Thornton
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