Everyone has heard the expression, “charity begins at home.” When I hear that expression, I always add the words, “but it doesn’t have to stay there.”
The world is full of people who are fortunate. Often when people think about what makes a person fortunate, they think about money and material goods. They think people are fortunate if they have enough to meet all their needs and many of their wants. That is one way to be fortunate, but not the only way. Another way to be fortunate is to be able to give what you have to others.
Often when people think about helping others they are reluctant because they think they don’t have a lot to offer. Others think they need more experience, more money, more time. The fact is in order to give you simply need to start where you are, with what you have. Here are a few ways I have been charitable in my neighborhood that cost almost no money, but yielded great benefits.
- tutoring program for children living on you street
- volunteering with the school home and school association
- giving speeches at the local school to help other parents
- starting a day camp and lunch program at a local church
Take time today to start doing charitable work of your own. Darron Lamkin, pictured above, is an engineer who does charitable work by teaching teens how to transform everyday objects into incredible feats of design. He found his work as an engineer lonely so he decided to teach engineering workshops to teens in his hometown of Oklahoma City. When he started his program “Class Matters” he funded the program with money he saved from his engineering job while living on almost no money. A grant from Verizon funded his program and enabled him to get proper equipment so that he could give the students a great learning experience. Click here to read more about his story and how a grant from Verizon is helping change lives.
Another way you can do charitable work and be a help to others is through HopeLine. Through HopeLine, Verizon gives cash grants, cell phones, cell phone minutes and other resources to programs that help victims and survivors of domestic violence. Cell phones and cell phone minutes allow survivors to keep connected to family members, their children’s schools, law enforcement and medical providers. These phones offer a lifeline and hope to people in need. From the comfort of your home you can give your old phone to HopeLine so that it can be processed and the money from the phone can be used to help HopeLine continue its good work. Click here to read more about HopeLine and how you can help Verizon make life better for survivors of domestic violence.
Take time today to look at your skills, interests and available time. When you want to start doing charitable work, those things are a good place to start. Offer what you have to the world. Do not worry that what you have to offer isn’t good enough. Just as there is a lid for every pot, there is work that you can do to make the world around you a better place. Use what you have. The question for you is, what do you have to offer and when will you start sharing it with the world?
I’ve donated a few phones to that program with Verizon. I really, really am glad they’re doing that one.
My family would love to volunteer at an animal shelter too! I think I’ll look into that soon. 🙂
Love the idea of giving back. This is something i really want to do more of with my children. I want them to love to help others.
Loving the idea of giving back and being charitable citizens. I like to volunteer with my friends – we started doing it at a young age and it just stuck with us ever since!
Lisa Favre
http://marblecrumbs.com
Charity for sure starts at home! I love when I see my kids want to help out with things I do- and also friends and family getting involved. Spreading the responsibility we all have to lift each other up is so important!
I think charity is such a wonderful thing. Even if you can give back just a little, that’s always great. I try to help out as much as I can.
I love this post. I think it is so important to serve others and to let your children serve and see you serve. We have to teach the next generation to think of others.
Giving back is so important. It also sets a good example for the younger generation.
I think giving back is so important. I also think so many don’t do it because they think they don’t have the time or resources. You can do little things to help, though.
We volunteer regularly in our family! I love that we are able to help others.
Volunteering is so important, it’s also a great lesson to teach your kids. We have lots of local agencies we like to donate our time to.
Love this!! It is so true something so little to us can make a huge difference to someone else!! Great example to set for kids too!
We like to volunteer at the local food bank. It is a great way to help out our community.
Charity is very important. There are so many people who need assistance and it is important that we give back.
There are plenty of ways people can help support their community. Sadly some just don’t bother to look. I have a nonprofit.
My daughter started a book club third grade. Not only has she continued her love for reading and book clubs into junior high, but she’s provided a lot of students with books and the grade school has continued to have a book club as well!
Our family loves to volunteer! It’s so much fun to volunteer together. I think it’s a good life lesson and a bonding experience. It opens up so many areas for discussion.
I volunteer my time whenever I can. I enjoy giving back to my local community!
I’ve taught my kids to volunteer whenever possible. I ran a youth group for lgbt kids. I’ve organized clothing drives for women looking to interview for a job. It’s about giving back. It feels good.
I agree that charity starts at home. We volunteer at the food bank as a family. It is important to model good behavior to your kids and teach them compassion and caring for others