Community is basically when two or more people work together to form something bigger than themselves. It could be a group of people living in the same city, work colleagues, family, or even a worldwide organization.
It’s great for people to come together and pool their resources, knowledge, and time together as a unit, and there are a lot of ways in which you can give back to your community.
1. Make a Donation
This is the most popular way to give back, and it’s a classic no-brainer. The amount you donate doesn’t even have to be much – it could be as little as $5. Larger donations are always welcome, but if you can’t manage that, then any amount is helpful.
What you donate should also depend on the size and the needs of your community. In the case of not-for-profit organizations, there are a lot of things you can give to them.
It could be in the form of money, physical possessions (e.g. books, toys), or even materials (e.g. yarn), since here it’s all about helping people out in whatever way is possible. Many charities also accept volunteers who are willing to help out on certain projects and events.
You can also help by having a food drive for your local soup kitchen, church pantry, or shelter. This will not only bring joy to someone else’s life but it’ll also make you feel great inside.
2. Be A Mentor
If there is someone who has the knowledge and skills that you have, but they are having trouble getting to where you are now in life, then being a mentor could be beneficial for both of you.
Mentoring is basically working together with someone else to help them achieve their goals, like passing an exam or learning a new skill. Mentorship programs are usually run by schools and community centers, where someone with relevant skills can sign up to be a mentor.
For this program, they will pair you up with someone who needs your help, and you will meet with them, either in person or online, and work together to achieve the goals that they’ve set.
It’s a little more involved than the other ways of helping your community, but it’s also very rewarding. Not only do you get to learn new things from this person, but it’s also an opportunity to give back.
3. Be An Advocate
Advocacy is basically when you speak up for someone else who can’t speak for themselves. Advocates usually stand up and fight against injustices towards other minorities from the main group in society.
When it comes to advocacy, it’s important to listen to your community and understand what they want, and what they feel is unjust or unfair. If we’re not a part of a group, we can sometimes have misconceptions about their experiences, and that’s where the problem starts.
So to avoid this from happening, it’s important to listen and understand what they’re going through first-hand. This is because if we have a better understanding of the situation from their point of view, then we can properly push for change.
There are a lot of ways that people can advocate for other minorities: standing in solidarity at a rally, picketing an office, talking about issues on social media, or even writing to the press.
4. Join An Organization
Joining an organization is one of the best ways to get involved, and it’s also a good way to meet new people who share similar interests. Organizations usually have specific agendas for what they want to change or fix within their community. When they need help, members of the community usually come together to give it. There are tons of organizations out there that can fit most people’s interests, so make sure to take a look around and see what you like.
5. Create A Group
When you want to make a change, sometimes it’s best to take action with people who feel the same way. This is when creating a group comes in handy. What you should do here is get together with other people who are passionate about the same things that you are, and see how much support you can gain for your cause. It might be hard to get people to join you in your mission at first, but when they see how committed you are, they will want to help out too.
6. Make A Petition
Making a petition is another way that you can reach out and bring about change. These petitions can either be online or offline, depending on what fits your group and what they want to accomplish. The point of a petition is to focus on a specific issue within your community and to try to enforce the local authorities to take it seriously. You can do this by gathering as many signatures as you can from people who agree with your cause and send them over to the local authorities for consideration.
It’s not always easy to choose between all the things that you want to do, but it’s important that you find the time to help out your community. It might not seem like much, but if everyone helped their communities just one day a year, then we would be able to make a huge difference.