Community Creators: inexpensive

Friday, October 26, 2012

You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give.-- Winston Churchill

(part 3 of a blog deluge)

Offer a free class for others in your area and teach your talent. Think particularly in terms of what you can teach to kids or parents that they would normally have to pay for, and offer it free.
Volunteer at a consistent time each week at your local school. Reading to children or listening to children read takes a lot of volunteer time, but has huge payoffs.

Organize a neighborhood swap meet.
Grow food in a community garden or volunteer to help in a community garden.
Check out http://treeutah.org/ and help plant trees.
help cook or serve a meal at the homeless shelter.
adopt a "grand friend" and write letters to him/her.
spend some time visiting, singing, or reading to others at a rest home, nursing home, or assisted-living facility.
hold an afternoon dance at a senior citizen center.
Tutor.
plant flowers in public areas that could use some color.
offer to pass out election materials.
Help build a home for Habitat for Humanity.
organize a book drive for your local school or library.
start a book club for your area.
participate in a marathon for your favorite charity.
coach a children's sports team.

There are many wonderful things that will never be done if you don't do them. -Charles D. Gill

Short on time and cash, but want to help out in your community anyway? Here is a non-exhaustive list of ideas:

go out of your way to introduce yourself to others at the park, and your kids sporting events and recitals. Get to know people even if you don't know if you will ever bump into them again. I tried this the other night at a school skating party. Turns out the women and I knew mutual friends. While we may or may not ever bump into each other again, and may not even remember each others' names, I had a more enjoyable evening chatting with her than I would have otherwise.

Invite other people to join you in a pickup game of soccer, basketball, tag, etc. at the park, or in your front yard.

Chat with people when you see them get the mail, put out the garbage, mow the lawn or shovel the walk.

Join the PTA, registering takes less than 10 minutes, costs $6 and at a minimum you have added to the budget that provides your child and your neighbors' children with school carnivals, book fairs, fun runs, 6th grade graduation, school-recognition of birthdays and a host of other extra-curriculars.

Respond to canned food drives, and requests for coats, clothing and books. Almost everyone has more of something than they really need.

teach English or learn a language needed in your neighborhood on Facebook for a half hour a week using Language Exchange, because hey, the world is one really big community and it would be nice if we understood each other.

pick one of the ideas presented in this video about the best birthday idea ever!