5 Easy Ways to Help Others

Have you ever wondered how you can help others without spending a lot of money? Or perhaps you are just reading this article for fun! Either way, this article is sure to give you multiple ways to easily help others. Going from easiest to hardest and including facts about these problems, here are 5 easy ways to help others!

1. Be Kind

Yes, this may sound simple, but it has a huge impact! This also has a lot of room for flexibility, so it is a great way to do something when you are limited.

ABOUT THE ISSUE: Kindness not only makes you feel good, but it can help make many people feel better as well. When someone does something kind for you, you instantly will feel better and will be in a better mood, even if you don't notice it. So many people in the world don't receive the everyday kindness and attention that we do, so it is important to be kind to others.

TIME COMMITMENT: 1 second!

IDEAS:

1. Smile. Yes, simply smiling can help brighten someone's day!

2. "Pay it forward" by paying for someone's Starbucks drink or parking ticket behind you

3. Put away a family member's laundry. I promise it will make you feel good!

4. Leave a dollar on a vending machine

5. Write a letter to someone who haven't contacted in a while, or even to a stranger!

6. Compliment a family member or friend

7. Give a hug :)

2. Donate Used Items

Pretty much everyone reading this probably has old, outgrown clothes or things saved for a garage sale that will never come. However, donating them to people in need is a super quick and easy way to get rid of them AND help others!

ABOUT THE ISSUE: Whether you know it or not, hundreds of thousands of people in the US can't afford clothes, and often resort to wearing the same pair of clothes until they can't anymore. They have too many other things they need to pay for that there isn't money for clothes. You probably don't pay much attention to the fact that you have a closet full of clothes when others don't even have a warm coat for the winter, however you can help change that! Also, this doesn't just apply to clothes, but many other things!

TIME COMMITMENT: Just the amount of time it takes driving to and from the place you are donating to!

IDEAS:

1. Coats & jackets

2. Clothes

3. Sports equipment/balls

4. Toys & Dolls

5. Books

6. Games

7. Baby Items (Such as high chairs, cribs, etc.)

8. Basically everything!

3. Birthday & Event Donations

I understand, who would want to give up their birthday presents? However, I have done this for many years straight for my birthday parties and it has always been worth it.

ABOUT THE ISSUE: Yes, birthday gifts are amazing, but you probably have taken them for granted. Some people don't even get birthday presents! However, instead of getting toys and things that you don't even need, what if you could give the gift of life?

TIME COMMITMENT: Just the amount of time it takes driving to and from the place you are donating to!

IDEAS:

1. Backpacks & school supplies- Your school

2. "Foster Kits"*- Foster Programs

3. Blankets, books, and stuffed animals- Project Night Night

4. Pajamas- Pajama Project or local children's center

5. Blankets- Project Linus or local children's center

6. Pet food, blankets, and supplies- Animal Humane Society

7. Birthday Party Kit*- Local children's center

8. Children Hospital Kit*- Local Children's Hospital

9. There are many other ideas to explore, these are just starters!

*Foster Kit can Include: Backpack, blanket, stuffed animal, game, toiletries, etc.

*Birthday Party Kit can Include: Cake mix, frosting, decorations, candles, plates/utensils/cups, party favors, etc.

*Children Hospital Kit can Include: Stuffed animal, coloring pages, crayons, toy, craft kit, etc.

4. Organize a Trash Cleanup

This is a very simple way to make a big change! Although it might seem big, it really isn't and can be as easy as going outside and picking up trash on a walk!

ABOUT THE ISSUE: Did you know that 3 in 4 people have admitted to littering in the last 5 years? Or that the average amount of steps walked with trash before littering is 12? What about that $11.5 billion is spent on litter clean up each year? You can probably understand that littering is a huge problem, and if we want to save our Earth, we have to fix it.

TIME COMMITMENT: This can range from 5 minutes to 5 hours, depending on some factors

STEPS: (Only applies to organized cleanups)

1. Ask some friends, family, or other people you know if they would like to organize a group litter cleanup

2. Set up a specific date and time to be sure everyone is there together

3. Be prepared with simple supplies such as trash bags, gloves, and trash grabbers

4. Pick up that litter!

5. Set Up a Local Food Drive

This may seem daunting, but it really isn't. There are many different ways to organize a food drive, and all of them are fairly simple.

ABOUT THE ISSUE: Right now, hundreds of thousands of children, seniors, and adults are wondering how they will get their next meal. In fact, 1 in 7 Americans rely on food pantries for their basic food needs. Because of COVID-19, food pantries are giving 2.5 times the amount of food to people in need prior the pandemic. However, that doesn't mean that 2.5 times the amount of people are donating. Especially after the holiday season has passed, people pretty much forget about donating to food pantries, and there are far less food drives. The good news is that you can help in solving this!

TIME COMMITMENT: Although food drives typically last from a day or two to a couple months, there really isn't that much work involved. The only time needed is planning time and coordinating the drop off and pick up.

STEPS: Before you go planning anything, it is very important to contact others and confirm that the food drive will be allowed.

1. Contact the place that will host the food drive (Could be your school, place of worship, or even a local grocery store) and confirm that they will allow it. If you don't have connections to that place, that doesn't mean you can't do a drive there! Instead, we recommend sending them a formal letter or speaking to the manager stating who you are, what you want to do, and reasons why they should do it.

2. Contact the place that the donations will be donated to (Research local food pantries in your area- Look for ones that are an official organization and have a website) and confirm that they will accept the donations (This is also the time to organize pickup times for the food by the food pantry if doing that, but it is not necessary)

3. Once confirmed that it is allowed, start advertising and spreading the word! A great way to do this is through social media using platforms such as FaceBook or Twitter. if you don't have an account though, there are plenty of other ways to let others know what you are doing! If you are doing it at your school, ask if you can put up posters in the hallways, mention it on the morning announcements, or send an email to everyone. You can also ask local businesses if you can hang up signs, and telling your friends and family to spread the word is also great!

4. Start the food drive! This literally just involves putting a box or bin where you want it, and then waiting! If you are planning on doing a one day food drive outside a grocery store for example, then you might also set up a booth and stay there to educate people. However, this wouldn't make sense for a multi week or month drive, in which case you can ignore that. Another tip is setting up a monetary donation container next to it, which allows people to donate cash and coins even if they don't donate food. ($1 buys 3 meals, so this is still very valuable!)

5. This is the last and final step which just involves transporting the food to the food bank or pantry. Be sure to set up a time slot to deliver the food to the food pantry though!

*If you aren't sure where to begin, try asking your local grocery store if they can set up a donation bin! This will guarantee many donations and will be very easy for people to donate!

Don't know where to start? Don't worry! This doesn't mean that you can't do it! Feel free to discuss your ideas with the BLEEM members by asking us a question below, or we would love to schedule a time to talk with you. Thank you for reading!

-Lauren, BLEEM Co-founder