!The past year has opened our eyes to the difficult situations many people are facing outside of our sphere. As a social enterprise, we believe in the importance of giving back to our community but we recognize that spans a wide range of causes and even locations. In order to provide a roadmap to giving back, we’ve outlined several ways to do so as safely as you please during this time.
Time
While not all of us are able to safely volunteer our time at for example, a shelter, there are other ways we can donate our time.
Look into groups in your local area that are organizing for a cause online. You can fundraise using platforms like Go Fund Me or even Fundly.
This goes for other philanthropy projects as well. Try checking into what local non-profits or social enterprises are looking for people to take odd jobs. This is what happened when most of our staff joined Integrous Women – they were looking for a way to support a cause they cared about and they STAYED! We are so grateful for this.
Treasure
While we can all donate money if we have the means to, we’re not just talking about money when we say ‘treasure’.
I recently was stopped by a man in the street selling masks that he was given by a shelter to try and make some money. Can you guess what he told me? He said that he was cold and that he had been living in tent that he had poured all of his money into when COVID-19 shut his business down.
If you are struggling yourself, take a look at what you might already have that you don’t need anymore. People are in great need of things like:
- Socks
- Coats
- Sleeping bags
- Shoes
Go through your closet and do a bit of a spring clean, just in time for March and see what you can go without. You might be surprised at the stuff you find that is lightly or not even worn at all that someone else could really benefit from. There are also pieces that you can get rid of that you might not of even thought of. If you are doing a bit of a home revamp, take a look at what appliances or furniture you might not need. Shelters for high risk youth and domestic violence victims are often in need of these things. Contact a shelter you’d like to help out and see if they’re taking these items.
Lastly, the one we all can’t live without – food. Take a deep dive into your cupboard and ask yourself what it is you really need in there. Non-perishable food is a god-sent for a lot of people living on the street. If you want to go out and purchase food instead, try giving your local shelter a call and see if there is anything specific they are in great need of.
Talent
Now this one seems strange but hear us out. While time is great, talent is even better if you have them both. Do you have a skill that could be useful to empower an organization to do even more good? Maybe you are a social media whizz or you are great with numbers. Try offering your time to an organization you are passionate about and see where it takes you! You may end up leaving an impactful legacy just by offering a few hours a week to lend a hand.
Maybe you don’t have that much time to spare but you are an expert in your field – offer to do a chat with the organization or help build out key points where they could improve their impact model. If you’re a musician you could offer to make a video for people who are in the hospital or who are staying inside to keep safe before they are vaccinated – this list goes on.
Ultimately, putting time, treasure or talent in a cause you believe in will not only empower you to live a heart-centered life but it could change someone else’s for the better. There’s always a way to make a difference, you just need to look around you to see it.
Looking for ways to give back? Take a look at our For Others page and get involved! We would love to have you.
If you’re looking for a way to jump start finding your mission, subscribe to our newsletter to get access to the Creating your Life Mission course for free!
