Posts tagged volunteer
How to Give: The 365give Top 5 Ways to “Give” for Free
Nov 5th
The Globe & Mail newspaper has been running a series on giving over the last few weeks. It’s an excellent series worth reading. One of the interesting catch phrases they have used is ”The New Philanthropy.” After giving back everyday for 365 days I can tell you that be a philanthropist is no longer just the rich giving large sums of money to the charity of their choice. It is every day people giving in small ways when they can with their time, crowdfunding a personal favourite cause or “texting” donation for disaster relief. We have learned that even $10 can make a multi million dollar difference if we all give together.
Wikipedia defines philanthropy perfectly in today’s society:
“Philanthropy etymologically means “the love of humanity“—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of “what it is to be human,” or “human potential.” In modern practical terms, it is “private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of life“
I’m not an expert on giving / philanthropy by any means. I don’t have millions of dollars to give through a foundation nor do I have hours to volunteer or travel to remote parts of the world to save lives. But what I do have is a little time everyday to “love humanity,” Whether it is a person, an animal or the planet we can all be philanthropist. Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada posed a question this week on Facebook that you should answer.
“If you had 1 hour to help change the world what would you do?”
I want to help you discover the “new philanthropist” in yourself. I discovered so many ways to give that I never even consider or new existed during my 365 days of giving. Many of them do not even cost a dime. All you have to do is like, tweet or click and you can show your “love for humanity”. Social media has given us all the opportunity to be a philanthropist. Find your favourite medium whether is be Twitter, Facebook or just using the internet. We can all give a minute of our time to change the world.
The 365give Top 5 Ways to Give for Free
Click it for Good: This site is the creation of Jan van Voorst (Founder Planetsave.com news/ co-founder of Planetsave.) The site is grass-roots and user friendly. It allows you to help causes that support the planet without emptying your pocket but instead by spreading the word. All you have to do is click a button and share a post with your friends and you have made a donation. Sponsors make the donation for you! (Day 317)
JustCoz: This platform that enables charities, non-profits and NGOs to greatly increase their social media reach by way of tweet and status donations. Building on what is known as the “donation by action” paradigm, the bring forward the utilization of social power into the realm of passion. JustCoz enables people to make a difference by exposing their audience to messages which reflect their owns set of values and truths, and everything is done automatically, without the need to repeatedly engage in sorting through messages for those worth repeating. (Day 283)
The JustCoz Effect
Care2: This will allow you to become a 365 day giver. Care2 has a “daily action” that with just a click you can change the world. They refer to it as the “fast, easy and free way to make a difference everyday. (Day 289)
Freerice: A great way to teach your kids about philanthropy and they will learn along the way. It’s a bit like online trivial pursuit game that feeds the hungry around the world. For each answer you get right Freerice donates 10 grains of rice to the World Food Programme to help end hunger. (Day 31)
The Hunger Site: Whether you have a passion for helping feed the hungry, breast cancer, Rainforests, animals, child health, literacy, veterans, or autism you can give right from this site. You don’t need to be on Facebook or Twitter you can just click to give. Choose you passion and click every day. (Day 321)
Now we have no excuse not to give. Free and fast. Forget an hour our of your day in just 30 seconds you can give.
Do you have a favourite site you like to give by clicking? Which one of these is your favourite? Your feedback and comments are valuable to 365give. The more we can inspire others to give and share opinions and views on giving the more we can change the world one give at a time.
For daily philanthropic news and views follow me on Facebook or Twitter. Let’s change the world together.
The Happiness Pill: Find the Secret Here!
Oct 28th
We all have times in our life when we go looking for happiness.
We want that magic pill that will suddenly make the world light up in front of our eyes.
Some think its money that will bring happiness: The ability to buy happiness in the form of a new pair of shoes, a new house or maybe a long vacation would be the key. .
Some think it’s the “perfect” romantic love in your life: That feeling of a first kiss, a first date, the flutter of your heart as it falls head over heels “in love.”
Some even think fame is the magic pill to happiness: Being recognized by millions, your name shouted from a red carpet or fans clamoring to get a picture.
We look so far out of ourselves for happiness. We look to others, we look to possessions, we look for that secret remedy to feel happier about who we are on the outside in hopes it will make us happy on the inside.
What if I told you I found the remedy? The secret to happiness!
The one thing in the world that no matter when you do it, how often you do it or who you do it for will make you feel happy. I will tell you this, it’s addictive and it’s a feeling you will want every day once you start. It doesn’t matter what your race, religion or sex.
We can all have happiness every day in our lives.
I recently took stock on the happiness level in my life. How could I possibly be more happy than the day my 2nd adopted son came home just a few weeks ago. Talk about happiness! The happiness my husband gives me every day or the glorious place I live in the world. (Vancouver, BC).
But there is one thing that became my focus every day for 365 days. It is the magic – it is the happiness remedy. I am truly happy from the inside out when I am giving.
It could be volunteering, using my fundraising expertise to help not-for-profit organizations, working with the homeless on the street, even picking up garbage at my local beach.
My magic pill is simple. It’s called the GIVE pill – a natural remedy that doesn’t have to cost you money.
It is being of service to others, knowing you did something in your day to help another living creature, whether it’s a human being, an animal, or our planet. The greatest thing about giving is it makes you feel good on the inside. It doesn’t matter what you look like, how much your income may or may not be, how big your house is or what brand of shoes you are wearing.
Giving will make you feel happy – every day.
So if you are looking for that “thing” that will make you jump out of bed in the morning with a spring in your step – find a way to GIVE. It will bring you the happiness you have been looking for – after 365 days of giving I can guarantee it works.
What is your favourite way to give? Share your happiness pill with us.
Need some inspiration. Check out any of the last 365 days of giving. Let us know which is your favourite.
Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give. - Eleanor Roosevelt
Day 339: Volunteering Turns Your Passion into Commitment
Sep 16th
Do you have a passion for a specific cause?
Maybe it’s hunger, homlessness, child abuse, animal rescue, disaster relief or our planet. If you want to really turn your passion into a lifetime commitment- volunteer.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk4qcpncfeo
Day 339: Give 339
I recently volunteered at Mission Possible which I posted about on Day 308: Passion to Purpose. I have been a long time advocate and supporter of the homeless for many years. I volunteered for over a decade in Toronto before moving to Vancouver. Since becoming a Mother (just 4 years now) I have found it challenging to find the time to volunteer. Buy spending just one morning at Mission Possible it made my passion for helping the homeless and marginalized turn back to a commitment to make a difference.
With the fall weather on us it is time to clean out the closets and prepare for the cool days. My husband and I normally drop our cloths down at the local Thrift Store as a donation but this time I wanted our gently used clothing to go directly to the people that need it most. No purchasing required. At Mission Possible every Tuesday morning volunteers assist people to choose cloths from their “boutique” that they may not otherwise be able to afford. They can use reuse anything from cloths, shoes, accessories, bags, boots, and blankets.
My volunteer time with them may have been short and sweet but I was reminded I must do what I can to help. My cloths get given directly to people that need them and they are reused (good for the planet) by someone that will appreciate them.
If you have a passion for a cause go spend some time with what ever organization will make you a life long supporter. It’s easy to write a cheque ( a little old school mind you) or make an online donation but to go and see how hard all the charity organizations work to help so many makes your4 time and money seem so much more real.
Who have you volunteered for lately? Did it change your commitment to a cause?
Time Commitment: 1/2 to drive and drop the cloths
Cost: 0
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