Almost everyone starts a new year with plans to do more with their life. Some plan to exercise more, others hope to earn more, but how many start the year with the intention to give more?
Giving back provides an instant boost of happiness and self-esteem. Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Unfortunately many people don’t think they can squeeze another activity into their busy schedule. Here are seven easy ways you can make a difference:
Volunteer
More than 6 million Australians volunteer each year, performing a wide range of duties. Some use it as way to gain new skills or add to their CV. Others see it as a way to meet people, or try something new. Making a difference or having a sense of purpose are popular reasons for volunteering. It’s a two-way exchange – you give but you also gain. Find national volunteer opportunities at www.govolunteer.com.au or simply approach an organisation you want to support.
Corporate (or employee) volunteering is on the rise. More and more companies see this as a great way to give back to the community and to also attract new employees. Corporate volunteering happens in lots of ways – the most common being an allocated (paid) day for each employee to volunteer, or a day when the whole organisation releases employees to volunteer. Your workplace might already have a volunteer program in place and you don’t even know it.
Sign a petition
What issues are you passionate about? Perhaps it’s the plight of refugees, human rights violations, child trafficking or maybe it’s helping the indigenous community.
Change.org is the world’s largest petition platform, empowering people everywhere to create change. Petitions address a huge range of local, state, national and global issues, from saving trees in neighbourhood parks to addressing rape issues in India. And they work. Each day, ordinary people are winning campaigns on issues they are passionate about. Jump online and find a petition you can sign, or even create your own.
Write an article
If you’re a budding (or published) writer and have a passion for a particular issue, many community organisations would value your help writing for their brochures, website, and campaigns. It’s a chance to follow your passion, hone your skills, build a writing portfolio and promote a worthy cause. Instead of aimlessly web surfing on your next lunch break, help a valuable organisation get their message out and be part of the solution.
Reduce your carbon footprint
Environmental volunteering programs are also popular. Whether it’s planting trees or cleaning up a beach, there’s something to suit everyone’s skills, interests and availability. Set aside a few hours a month to care for your local park, beach, or river. Contact your local support groups and charities to find out how you can help or visit www.landcare.com.au
You can also significantly reduce your carbon footprint by drinking tap water, walking to work, and eating mindfully. Every bit counts, so tweak a few bad habits and try to live more sustainably.
Give blood
For many people, blood donors are their lifelines. Currently only 1 in 30 people give blood, but 1 in 3 people will need blood in their lifetime. Every week Australia needs over 27,000 blood donations.
The majority of donated blood goes to people with cancer, as well as people who have suffered traumatic accidents, burns or those undergoing surgery. It only takes an hour (includes interview and refreshments), so can even be done during a lunch break. Find your nearest blood donor centre at www.donateblood.com.au.
Volunteer online
Many productive people don’t volunteer because they’re time poor. But the good news is that the internet provides the opportunity for you to volunteer without leaving your house or even getting up from your desk.
A small but growing number of Australians are going online to volunteer their expertise, according to figures from the United Nations, whose Volunteers Programme connects development organisations with volunteers to collaborate online for peace and development projects.
Share your skills, knowledge and ideas from a computer anywhere in the world. Discover the many possibilities of helping development organisations at www.onlinevolunteering.org.
Donate
There are many worthy organisations and charities that rely heavily on individual donations. And every little bit helps. Making a monthly donation to your chosen charity is a great way to feel connected to a cause and make an ongoing difference. But here’s the easiest and fastest donation you can make:
Freerice.com is a non-profit website run by the United Nations World Food Program. It’s essentially a vocabulary challenge that donates rice to the needy with every question you get right. Take just five minutes out of your day to reduce hunger and know that somewhere in the world, a person is eating rice that you helped provide.
It’s never been easier to create change and make a difference.