1. Change yourself. If you can’t help yourself how can you expect to help others?
2. Help out in your community. Change starts in the home. Help out in your community. Find out ways to help your city (what are the major problems?). Volunteer at your local recreational center, homeless shelter, school, animal shelter, detention center, prison, RedCross, donate your time, money or things you don’t use anymore to your local Salvation Army, Goodwill or any other store with a cause, volunteer at your local fire station, or volunteer at a hospital nearby, you can even lend your neighbor a helping hand, the possibilities are endless.
3. Random acts of kindness. Hold the door open for the person behind you. Say please and thank you, show respect to everyone. Smile. Let someone cut in front of you when you’re driving on the highway, give someone a coupon that you know you won’t use when you’re in that store, say excuse me, tip your waitress, all these things require little to no effort yet can change someone’s entire day around, little things add up to make a huge impact. Plus it makes you feel better about yourself.
4. Group Work. There is no denying that one individual can light the flame to a revolution but the more the merrier right? Gather all your friends one afternoon and do something positive.
5. Join an organization. Can’t find a job? Want to hold off on jumping into the real world yet? Not quite ready for college? Want to make a huge difference? Join Habitat for Humanity and build houses for people in your community. Help set up blood drives with Red Cross all over your city. Also, check out United We Serve for ideas and opportunities. If you haven’t found anything that peeks your interest you can always start your own!
6. The environment needs help too. Recycle, take shorter showers, walk or ride your bike to the store instead of driving, carpool with friends, and unplug appliances that you aren’t using. You can donate stuff you can’t use to a charity. Try Upcycling, check out DIY tutorials so you can learn how to re-vamp your old things to make them new again, need ideas? Click here. See if you can make something you want out of stuff you already have instead of buying it new. You can let your creativity shine and help the environment!
7. Taking it abroad. Find reputable, well known charities that you can volunteer at overseas.The Peace Corps, which offers a variety of programs, is a great way to help out if you don’t mind the time commitment of 27 months. Other programs can last anywhere from a day to a year depending on the organization and the programs are just about endless. While you’re on spring break or studying abroad for the summer you can always check out children orphanages that could use your time, even if it’s just for a day. *Please note that when volunteering abroad, you should look for a credible volunteer program that has your safety as their number one priority, so make sure you do your research!*
**This post will be updated periodically with any new information.**
