One
of the things most near and dear to my heart is charity – the sharing of
love and caring with other people who are not as fortunate.
I have found that doing things
for other people, whether something as big as starting your own foundation
or as simple as dropping a few cans of food in a food-drive bin, makes me
feel wonderful. There is something inside us, as humans, that
rejoices in love and kindness, even for strangers.
In
the lists below there are thousands of causes for you to peruse, most with
links for more information. I’m sure that you can find at least one
that will tweak that special place in your heart.
If
you want to make a difference, but aren’t sure quite where to start,
scroll down a little further for a few of my favorite ideas to get
involved.
Please take a look and try a little charity for yourself.
J
Ending World Hunger and Helping the Needy
Family and Child Welfare, Abuse and Women’s
Rights
Adoption and Supporting Orphans
Animal Welfare and Environmental Conservation
Supporting Our Soldiers, Sailors and Marines
Supporting Education and Knowledge
Medical Research and Aid for the Disabled
Need a Few Ideas to Get Started?
For those of you who would like to get out and make a difference, but
don’t have much of an idea how to, or if you’re just looking for a few
more ways to help out, here are a few of my favorite ideas:
Super Easy Helpers…
-
Look
in your pantry – I guarantee there are things in there you’ve had for a
while but never used, or maybe things like corn that you have too many
cans of. Gather these things up in a few bags and donate them to
your local shelter.
-
Put an empty jar near your
dresser, or telephone, or where ever you will see it daily. When
your pockets or purse start to jingle, drop the spare change in.
Then donate it to your favorite cause. You’ll never even notice it
missing!
-
Cuss a little too much and
want to stop? Or want to quit smoking? Or snacking? Find an empty jar
and drop in a quarter (or dime or dollar – whatever’s in your budget)
every time you do it. Then donate to a charity. You’ll be
disciplining yourself and helping!
A Step up…
-
Look in your closet or storage
area – I bet there’s a lot of junk in there right? Go through it,
and if you haven’t used it in a year donate it to your local Goodwill or
another charity thrift store.
-
If you live in an area where
grocery stores or recycling centers will pay for cans and bottles, start
saving them instead of throwing them away. When you start to get a
pile cash them in and donate the money to a charity.
-
Volunteer at your local Humane
Society. They often need volunteers just to pay some extra
attention to the animals. Taking poor Fido on a walk will give you
some exercise too!
-
Start volunteering with
one-time events. Things like food drives, bottle drives, car
washes and Christmas gift wrapping take a lot of volunteers and they
won’t lock you into a regular schedule before you’re ready to take that
step. Call a few local charities and ask them if they’re planning
anything and then tell them you’ll show up to help.
Christmas is an especially good time for this as many groups need extra
people, including the March of Dimes wrapping booths and the Salvation
Army’s bell ringers.
-
Start visiting the website of
Amnesty International, America. They have constant projects of all
different topics that you can help with by writing a letter of sending
an e-mail. You can even be updated on your concerns through an
email action line!
Making a Commitment…
-
Find a charity that you think
really makes a difference and ask about volunteering. If you can’t
find a niche there, try another. Set aside a regular time to go in
and help.
-
Handy on the phone but can’t
get away from home? Some charities run hotlines that can be manned
from your home phone (thanks to modern technology, at not cost or danger
to you). Others may have tasks such as putting together mailers or
a newsletter, that can be done from home.
-
Make a regular donation.
Either set aside an certain amount or a percentage of your paycheck and
give it regularly. Government employees and military members can use the
Combined Federal Campaign. Many charities can also charge straight
to your credit card. If you want to see the difference you are
making, think about a child sponsorship program, such as World Vision or
Children, Inc. You will get updates on how your ‘baby’ is doing.
-
Start a new tradition.
We had a special one as I grew up; each child gave a child their age a
great Christmas gift – using an “Angel Tree” in a mall. We loved
it! As I turned into a teen I even started using my own money and
buying gifts for several children. We also annually give $100 of
groceries to the local food bank. If you ask what they need badly
first, it’s very appreciated – and fun!
