'one kind act, always sparks another'
it's that time of year where every store is asking you if you'd like to donate to 'xyz', santa is sitting outside the grocery store.. and honestly if you can give money i think it's wonderful to help fund cures for diseases, rescue animals from being euthanized, and provide beds and food to homeless and less fortunate. but sadly, not all of us are able to do this, so here are a few ways to give back this year that don't include donating money.
volunteer at a soup kitchen
there are so many soup kitchens looking for servers, cooks, runners / cleaning staff for the holidays. i've done a few in the past and it's such a rewarding experience. the people are always so appreciative, friendly, and often times it's the best day of their year being surrounded by so much love.
donate blankets, games, clothes, accessories to shelters, hospitals, nursing homes
items that are in great shape but don't fit or are no longer used don't need to go to goodwill necessarily. i've brought blankets and dog beds to dog shelters, clothes to homeless shelters, and games and books to hospitals.
volunteer at a nursing home or hospital
this is something that can be done year round. the people both whom work in these facilities and are patients or residents love having new faces around. it offers a whole new energy to the place. personally i prefer going to children's hospitals, i've even brought kaiya, my puppy with me. it's a lot easier than we think. read a book to them, ask about their aspirations or play a game.
ask others to donate in your name
although it's tempting to ask for those expensive items that we won't buy ourselves, asking for someone to donate money for you is truly an incredible gift. and the person who donates will feel good too, so it's a two for one!
raise money for a charitable event
this can be a fundraiser. or a dinner where an association ask companies and individuals to donate their time, money, venue space, for the cause. throughout the year there are charity walks at local schools that support finding cures and funding research and science for fighting disease. the walk event typically requests a donation but it can be from someone other than you so ask your community to donate and you'll walk for them.
give someone a compliment
like i said, one kind act always sparks another. that compliment could change someone's mood or entire day around.
sort and disperse food from canned food drives
volunteers are always needed, whatever charity you feel passionate about or if there is something happening in your community, ask how you can help out.
plant a tree
giving back doesn't have to be directly to another human. it can be to a community, to our home, to anything or anyone.
clean up your neighborhood or park
usually the only day we remember this is Earth Day. but any day of the year we can join together to pickup garbage and recycle bottles thrown out on the side of the road.
recycle
if you don't separate your garbage from your recycling, what is stopping you? if recycling doesn't get picked up at your house, see where the closest recycling center is and gather lots of plastic, paper, and glass and bring it over. get others involved by offering to take theirs as well.
donating time, money..these things should be 'selfless' but nothing in life is truly selfless. we love the feeling we get when we do something for someone else. and that, is a great and beautiful thing because it makes us better humans to each other, to the earth, to animals and mammals...that emotion sparks joy and thus we continue to give what we can, and hopefully cause a chain reaction of kind gestures.
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