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November 18, 2022 | 4 min read
The holidays, thanksgiving in particular, is a common time to be generous with both time and money. In our post a few weeks ago, we discussed how to get ready for the last campaign push by focusing on cash donations. This week we’ll cover what you can do to help make the world a little brighter.
There are so many ways to get involved, it’s almost hard to wrap your head around it. Think of stuff like working at a food bank or volunteering to work the Salvation Army basket for the angel tree program. A quick internet search will provide results for local charities including where and how to get started. After all, volunteering yourself could be a great way to learn how to best structure your own volunteering programs.
But we understand life can get all life about things, and maybe there’s not time or capacity to get involved as a volunteer just yet. Being the change you want to see does not have to be the largest action, but rather can be started by many little – but meaningful – actions.
For today’s Friday Five we will be breaking down some random acts of kindness. If you are not familiar with the principle, it’s that each act of kindness will cause the recipient to do something kind in turn, keeping the cycle of kindness going.
Here are a few ideas.
The little things, in our humble opinion, really matter. This small act does not take more than a few seconds but can change the course of someone’s entire day and shift their mood for the better. And all because you were kind while going about your daily routine. So next time, go ahead and hold that door.
Most of us amass stuff rapidly, if not somewhat silently, pace. Have you ever looked around your place and thought, “where did all of this come from?” Yeah, us as well. As we enter the gifting season, take stock of the items you don’t need / rarely use / know would make a better living in another home and donate. Also consider that while the end of the year brings holidays and time spent with friends and family, it also brings the cold.
Especially for northern states. This makes for the perfect time to go through your blankets, coats, socks, and any other garments that can make all the difference to a new owner. Any material that provides warmth would be of utmost value for more people than you think. So if you’re not going to wear it – maybe even on the verge of getting a new one – consider donating it to someone in need.
As cities, towns, and all other communities have grown, so has the amount of garbage and litter which has collected in our parks, beaches, and even roads. Be part of the cleanup efforts we need to keep our planet healthy and vibrant. All you need are gloves, trashbags and the willingness to be a part of positive change.
Grab a friend, or a few, and make it an event. By the time you fill a bag, you will be amazed at how much better the area looks. You will also have a tangible result to show your hard work. With any luck, some onlookers may even join in to help! But as always, give back safely and obey all laws and regulations. Safety first.
Giving a part of yourself sounds a little wonky, we get it, but can be quite impactful. What do we mean by this? For starters, donating blood or hair are safe, sustainable and crucial ways to help those experience severe illness or injury. There may not be the additional benefit of seeing the person you helped, but you can know it made all the difference to them! In fact, we here at DonorNinja are blood donors and hair donors ourselves.
For a lot of us, the holidays are a time of giving, largely predicated from a position of having a little extra. Sure, sometimes we stretch the budget a bit to make that little extra magic happen. But by and large, we’re able to give because we have the means to do so.
What tends to get lost in the season are those who are not able to celebrate because of any number of circumstances/hardships. So let’s try not to forget to give them a hand, too. There are any number of ways to sponsor a family, classroom, child, etc to make sure their holiday is a little warmer and brighter. Look around for what makes sense for you, do what you can and feel a little better that someone in need had a more merry holiday season because of your generosity.
Random acts of kindness are not limited to what is on the list. Taking time to think about someone else and make their day is all it takes. Let us know some of your favorite acts of kindness that you partake in!
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