Oh the new year. A chance to start over, to change your ways, to make resolutions you’ll never keep. Not this year. A fresh start means a chance to really make an impact in your community, in your house, in someone’s life. This year, let’s dream big and become an influence to match. Here is a list of ways to get started:
Volunteer
When you think about ways to be of service, you can generally give one of three things: your time, your talent, or your treasure. Time is so incredibly valuable, and it might be easy to forget that. There are plenty of non-profit organizations that need your time, so don’t commit to something you have no interest in. You can find ways to do what you’re passionate about and good at, like event planning, working with kids, or public relations. (That’s where your talent comes in). Whether you’re merely helping to walk dogs at the local animal shelter, or you’re doing the important work of answering phones for a crisis hotline, organizations will be grateful to have you.
- The Capuchin Soup Kitchen’s Earthworks Urban Farm
- Detroit Dog Rescue
- Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids of Michigan
- Brilliant Detroit – Creating Kid Success Neighborhoods
- Soar Detroit
- Services for Older Citizens
- Feed the Need Novi
- Wayne County SAFE
- Care House Oakland County
- Penrickton Center for the Blind
- Fair Michigan
- Covenant House Michigan
- Downtown Boxing Gym Youth Program
- Macomb Foster Closet
- Samaritan House
- Vista Maria
Donate
Yep, this is where your treasure comes in, so research and give to the causes that matter most to you if financially possible. If writing a check just doesn’t do it for you, give in ways where you’ll have a chance to see exactly how your money is changing lives. Make a microloan through Kiva, sponsor a sister in a war-torn nation through Women for Women, create a scholarship fund and keep in touch with the recipients, or pay for playground equipment where you can watch children play for years to come. The list of possibilities is endless.
- Forgotten Harvest
- Humble Designs
- Downtown Boxing Gym Youth Program
- Macomb Foster Closet
- Salvation Army
- St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Stores
Sit on a Committee
There are more committees in need of your input than just the PTO (not that there’s anything wrong with the PTO). If you’re looking to be a part of something a little further-reaching, there are so many local, national, and worldwide groups that need your help. Getting a behind the scenes peek at how everything is run can give you a new appreciation for just how they do their thing. Find a cause or topic that interests you, check out a board meeting or public event, and get started.
Run for Office
What better way to impact your community than to hold public office? Running a campaign is time consuming and expensive for many, but if you have the time and drive (and a fabulous network to tap into), you have real potential to be the change you wish to see in the world.
