Now you have finished cleaning up from the nights fun and merriment, and its time to set foot firmly into the new year. Its time to sit down and set-forth your goals and resolutions.
Are you still pondering your New Years resolutions? Looking for ideas on how you can help a child in need in 2011. You care about what is going on in this world and about what is happening to our children, and I know you are always asking yourself, “What can I do?”, “Do I help children here at home or overseas?”, and your find yourself saying “Can I do more?”.
For myself my resolutions are to increase my ability to use my voice to aid children across the globe and increase my writing and impact to promote change. Last year I vowed to sustainably expand the anti-trafficking non-profit that I founded the year prior, Bridge to Freedom Foundation. The journey to do just that has been truly exciting, as it has been challenging, as we continue to lay the foundation and help survivors move into thriving lives. You can read our End of Year Review here and see what all we were able to do in 2010.
Now you don’t have to resolve to set up a nonprofit or fund for children, but why not find the way that best fits into your life that enables you to have a more lasting impact to a cause that is close to your heart.
Therefore I wanted to give you a small list of easy things you can do this year to help a child around the world, or a child right here at home. I do hope this list is more than inspiring and you not only get into the spirit of volunteering for the New Year, but that you find your cause, and your way to help. I realize that you will often have to look into a number of causes before you find the one that you really feel both connected too, but also make an impact in. For myself I have always been involved in a number of causes or one off charity events, however it took me years to find the place where I was not just helpful and got that tingle of a good feeling, but were I knew was actually making some sort of lasting difference fore those who I was working to help. That is not to say that I, nor you couldn’t always do a bit more, we all can. Nonetheless it is about finding the cause which begins to resonate with in your every pore is the hardest part, and once you do, it is the most rewarding feeling you will ever find in your life, as it isn’t something your doing for yourself…when its no longer a cause but something you do because its right and you become part of the cause itself. Working in anti-trafficking isn’t a cause for me, nor is it really a passion, but more a part of my life, a normal thing to work to end as its right and I know the work myself and my organization are working to achieve is not only needed, but will work. OK, I guess I am passionate, but its become ingrained more than something I do because giving back is a good idea. When you are truly passionate I think it resonates within you and people feel that. Thus this is my New Years wish for you; I hope you find that cause, person, etc., that gives you passion, hope, courage and drive and that you never let it go!
So what can you do this New Years?
- Host dinners to raise awareness for any cause and invite friends to donate a set amount as they enter, and then use the evening to begin discussions and inform your guests about the cause and how they can be more involved.
- Gather a group and collect and deliver books and toys, or go paint murals on the wall of a children’s hospital or community center.
- Become a Foster Parent
- Volunteer once a month at a local soup kitchen
- Donate your unused and needed items to those in need or a charity resale shop
- Host a fundraiser for your favorite charity; you can easily do a dinner at home and ask friends to contribute or bring a donated item, host a happy hour, hold a donations drive at your school or church…be creative and have fun!
- Council children and teens of abuse
- Volunteer at a shelter for battered women
- Become a Big Brother or Sister
- Write, talk, share information about your cause and get other motivated or simply raise awareness
- Volunteer to work on a crisis hot line
- Volunteer to work at the local community/children’s center or on an after school program
- Donate your time, your resources (not just money)…share your skills
- Volunteer Overseas – there are a number of organizations that do short and long-term projects. Check with your church or school about mission trips, or contact a locally based organization and see how you can help.
- Help build a Habitat for Humanity House
- Get your church or community involved and start your own project (my church managed to get a school and church built in Guatemala…just imagine what you can do).
- Get your children involved, its never too early to find a cause and what better way to educate your children on their local and/or global community than to do a charity project.
- Blog about a cause – social media is a great way to spread the word and learn more while your at it.
Check out my holiday posts for some ideas on organizations and causes that may be of interest to you this year. Regardless of what you do know your impact will be felt, there is no such thing as a small amount of kindness.