Make the World a Better Place: An Idea List

• Invite the youth to pick the fruit off your half-harvested fruit trees to donate to a local food bank.



• Instead of throwing your cans away for a homeless person to dig out, take them to a homeless shelter to give to those who collect cans for recycling.



• Participate in a local Walk-a-thon.



• Use birthday parties and family Christmas as a chance to request donations of toys or books (in lieu of gifts) to be donated to a local women's shelter or a family in need.



• Participate in a community clean-up (at a park or at the school, etc.)



• Help your kids make colored placemats and seasonal cards for the local Meals-on-Wheels.



• Organize a lemonade stand or yard sale and give the profits to a local charity, or use the money to buy something needed by the local shelter.



• Visit a nursing home. Adopt a grandma, offer to perform a talent, or teach a skill.



• Keep extra snacks and water in the car to give away to those who might need it.



• Program the phone number to the local animal rescue group into your cell phone to call when you come across and animal in trouble.



• Consider giving a gift in the name of a family member or friend through Heifer International (or another charity) instead of a traditional gift.



• Call a shelter in advance and ask what food items they most need. Take your children grocery shopping to obtain those items and then to deliver them to the shelter.



• Go to the hunger site daily and click on the link to help feed starving people around the world.



• Consider finding and using a your local freecycle organization as an alternative to throwing out perfectly good items that others might want. Also you can get neat stuff for free!



• When you go to the post office, buy the breast cancer stamps for just a few cents more in order to help fund research.



• Read aloud to your child books about homelessness that are at their level of understanding and talk with them of the hardships that losing a home would bring.



• Consider buying free range eggs for a dollar or two more to help promote better conditions for chickens.



• If you're an athlete, consider entering your local AIDS walk or breast cancer 5K .



• When in the market for a pet, consider adopting from your local shelter or rescue group in order to save a wonderful animal's life.



• Learn how to crochet/knit leper bandages, scarfs and hats for the church Humanitarian Services or for a local organization.


From the Church's
Humanitarian Service's Website:


• Give generously to the Church’s Humanitarian Aid Fund. All money donated to this fund goes to help the poor and needy of the world without regard to race, religion or nationality.



• Donate usable items, including clean clothing, to Deseret Industries. Not only will this benefit the needy within your community, but surplus items are sent to the Latter-day Saint Humanitarian Center for future relief efforts.



• Volunteer to work at bishops’ storehouses, canneries and welfare farms. Some of the commodities produced at these facilities are used to provide humanitarian aid.



• Volunteer at an agency that assists people in your community. Established community organizations offer many opportunities to serve, including providing meals to the homeless, teaching adults to read and mentoring at-risk youth. Such service not only blesses those in need, but also fosters unity between Church members and the community. Go to www.volunteermatch.org to find such opportunities in your area./li>
  
  
• Contact your bishop about serving a mission. Opportunities are listed in a bulletin sent to him each month.



Please let me know if you have any more great ideas!

Sources

"The Difference a Day Makes" by Karen M. Jones
Everyday Things To Do To Make the World a Better Place Exponent II Blog
Do You Have Any Spare Change? Roxcy Blog
LDS Humanitarian Services
Union Station Foundation