We have many opportunities to give back to our communities, both on a hyperlocal level and within the greater global community. From donating money or our time, to sharing our skills with neighbors or other members of our community. No matter how you choose to do it, giving back will always make a difference and it will most certainly touch lives.

It’s not how you choose to do it, it’s about the act. Within even the smallest of deeds, we can illicit change and ignite the inspiration in others around us to do the same. Below are 10 simple ways you can help to contribute to this common good.

Please feel free to leave comments below and share any other ideas that you have!

10 Ways to Help

1) Donate Money or Time
This may seem like the most simple idea, but this is all it takes and it doesn’t have to be much, of either one. Find a local charity, non-profit or cause, give a few dollars when you can. Donate a few free hours when you have them. It may seem small and insignificant, but it isn’t, every little bit makes a difference.

2) Purchase from Brands Who Give Back to the Community
From local stores and businesses to larger national corporations, you can always choose to spend your dollars with companies that give back. Whether you round up at the register with a small local business for their local charity of choice or purchase from companies that seek to support causes within their own local communities, you have the power to spend your dollars with companies wanting to make more than a profit. Read more about how Tom’s of Maine participates in giving back to the community here.

3) Offer Your Services and Talents to Your Local Community
If you are a yoga teacher, give your time by creating community-oriented, donation-based classes, teach classes at a local women’s shelter or to under-privileged children. If you love spending time with animals, give your time at your local animal shelter, walking the dogs or spending time playing with the cats. If your dog is great with people and is known to bring a smile to people’s faces, consider bringing your pooch to a local veterans club, hospital or a senior center and share this joy with people who could use it. If you are a chef, organize meal-focused events at a nearby community farm, where all the profits are donated to a non-profit organization or urban farm in your community.  If you are a handy-man, give your time to a local neighbor that is in need of some extra hands.

4) Connect with Your Online Community
Community doesn’t have to just mean the actual community you physically reside in. In this vast and connected world, we have an opportunity to also use our social media outlets for good. The internet and our varying social media platforms offer us the chance connect to people we have never met, but are in our lives for some reason or another. Whether these strangers are suffering great loss or are in need of support to help bring their talents and visions to the world – we can help each other, no matter the distances that separate us.

5) Use Donor’s Choose to Give to Schools in Your Area.
With back-to-school upon us, this revolutionary charity is a great way to help classrooms from your area, in need. Local public school teachers from all over the US post project requests and you can find the one that you feel called to support and give whatever amount you choose.

6) Partner with Local Organizations and Businesses
There are tons of organizations and business within your community looking for volunteers to give their time to existing causes and events and others that would be more than willing to partner with you to support the charity of your choice. Find a business that aligns with your mission and your charity, ask them to provide their services, products, location or simply their promotional outlets, for a charity event you organize.

7) Donate Your Excess / Make Extra
If you have clothes you no longer need, school and art supplies, excess food, fruit and veggies from your garden – consider donating it. There are many organizations in your local community set up to collect these very things from thrift stores to food banks, local classrooms and so on. In some communities, you may even find non-profits set up to come to your home garden, pick excess fruits and veggies that would otherwise be wasted and donate to local families in need. If you are making cookies or a large pot of soup for your own family, considering making a double batch when you can. Share with a local family going through a tough time, bring them by your local police station or senior center.

8) Turn Your Waste Into Something Great
Join one of TerraCycle’s more than 40 Brigades and collect your non-recyclable or hard to recycle waste, to be turned into new products ranging from recycled park benches to upcycled backpacks. Create an event or party around your Brigade and encourage others from your community to join in, clean up and collect waste to be repurposed into something new! If you have (or know) a company that produces packaging or waste, you can even create your own Brigade!

9) Organize a Team Within Your Community. Tackle Varying Projects and Campaigns Together.
There is no denying that there is power in numbers. Connect with your local peers and create a team, you will be able to take on so much more as a group. Assign each person a list of duties and tasks. Together your team can organize events like a monthly beach or park clean-up, you can host clothing drives at your school, food collections at your church, you can form a team of dog walkers for your local animal shelter, and so on. You can all split your time and your skills and together your combined efforts can make an even bigger difference in your community.

10) Share Your Own #OneWaytoHelp
As part of the 50 States for Good initiative, Tom’s of Maine is encouraging consumers to share on Twitter and Instagram one way they would like to help out their community by using the #onewaytohelp hashtag. By sharing how you’d like to help, including #entry and #yourstate (e.g. #CA, #NY, #MA, etc) you will be entered for a chance to have your cause supported. Tom’s will be randomly selecting one person from every state and the District of Columbia to give $20,000 to the local nonprofit of their choice! Learn more here.

Here is a sample tweet:

I’d love the @TomsofMaine funds to help Farm Lot 59, a local non-profit, woman-owned urban farm here in Long Beach. #OneWaytoHelp #entry #CA

 

 

 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Tom’s of Maine. All content, ideas and words are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that allow me to create new and special content like this for Tasty Yummies.