7 ways to make a difference to your community

1. Volunteer

Volunteering energy and skills to a local organization is a great way to give back to your community. Whether a hospital, food bank, youth group, senior’s home, or animal shelter there are tonnes of local organizations that would benefit from your time. A quick search online will help find local opportunities. Or, contact organizations you’re interested in helping out to be put in touch with their local team.

2. Donate Blood

With one donation you can save many lives, yet just one patient could require multiple donors. For heart surgery it’s up to five. Leukemia treatments, as many as eight donors a week. Emergency care for a car accident can use up to 50. Every donation makes a difference in someone’s life, and what greater gift could you give? Plus, they’ll give you a juice and a cookie. Everyone wins, so schedule your next donation today.

3. Become a Mentor

Become a mentor to someone who would benefit from your skills, knowledge, and experience. Maybe there’s someone in your social circles or profession you would like to help along the way.

4. Organize a Charitable Event

Find a cause you’re passionate about and organize on its behalf. Maybe you raise money for a senior’s program, or collect food donations for a community pantry. If you want to help but you’re stuck for ideas reach out to the organization you‘d like to help — they likely have suggestions on hand to pick from, or inspire your own.

5. Shop Local

Shopping local invests in your community. Spending money locally supports the local economy and your neighbors — by keeping money in your neighborhood, where it can be reinvested again through other shops and services. It’s a cycle that keeps on giving.

6. Attend Community Meetings

Community meetings are a great place to meet people from your neighbourhood while developing a deeper familiarity with that community. And it’s a great way to build feelings of belonging and ownership of the place you call home. And you never know, maybe you’ll discover a passion for local politics or activism along the way!

7. Organize a Clean Up

All you need to hold a successful clean up is a big box of garbage bags, a bigger box of recycling bags, a substantial supply of rubber gloves, a group of friends or volunteers, and a location that needs some love. And these days most public parks, beaches, and neighbourhood streets are in need of a little TLC, and sometimes folks just need a little inspiration to encourage them to help out. Lead the way, and see what follows!