National Day of Giving

Today, in addition to being Martin Luther King, Jr Day, is also National Day of Service.

I think that is fabulous and really great. Despite that, I am not doing anything special or out of the ordinary today. Mostly because I had my head in a cave and was unaware of this day until, well, a few hours ago.

My contribution today is going to list a few ways that we can all help out - year round and not just on one day. I think if today you start thinking about ways you can help out that is a good step for National Day of Service. So here are ways you and I can give back:

• Give food to local food pantry
• Volunteer a few hours at food pantry
• Volunteer at a soup kitchen
• Bring a few dinners to a family you know is struggling
• Bring food to an elderly neighbor (or shovel their driveway, mow their lawn, help them plant flowers, etc)
• Call the local school and see where they need help.
• Call your town - can you help fix up a bad lot, help clean up parks/playgrounds, pick up trash at the local forest preserve, etc.
• Call a local animal shelter and see if they need any supplies or if you can help out for a few hours taking care of animals.
• Call your local library and see if they take book donations or need help reshelving or if they need help with story hour or anything like that
• See if Habitat for Humanities is doing any projects in your area and help out there.
• Do you have a hobby that you can use to give back. If you are a photography, offer to take pictures of kids with Santa at a community Christmas party. If you are a knitter, make hats and scarves to be passed out to those who need them.
• Most place run school supply drives in the fall - watch for school supplies to go on sale and bulk up then with the intent to give them.
• Do you own a business? Run a food drive - give customers a discount on services if they bring in food (or coats or shoes or toys or whatever the need is in your community)
• Start a Dining For Women Group
• Start a book club and every time you meet, members bring a book that you donate to a place in need in your area
• Offer to babysit for the single mom who never gets a break for free.
• Play Bunco with the girls? Next time ask people to bring canned goods with them.
• Visit Volunteer Match and see what they recommend for you
• Knitters can find ways to give back with their knitting here and here
• Here is a great page with ideas for crafters who want to give back.
• Make some items or donate supples to The Preemie Project
• Here is a page with patterns for chemohats
• If you are a photographer, sign up with Flashes of Hope
• See if you can help out Project Linus
• Help Soldier Wishes out
• Soldier Angel has many ways you can help out
• Mark Eat So They Can on your calendar now so when October rolls around, you can be ready!
• Host a Bead Party
• Go check out Random Acts of Kindness foundation and get some great ideas!

There are a TON of ways you can give back to with your time and talent. This list is not complete in any way, shape, or form. But hopefully it is a list that will get you thinking about ways you can help out.

And please, leave comments on other ways to help out (I'll add any ideas to this list)- and if you are doing something today or what you plan to do this year in order to give back.