Volunteering to make a difference isn’t just with an organization. You can make a difference right in your own neighborhood or community. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I love to talk. I also love to find out more about people so I tend to ask some rather blunt questions at times. One such question that I have asked several people lately, is “what do you do to help others?”
Over and over again, I heard how the way that they help others most often is by lending a hand in their community. Not anything drastic like organize a bake sale, yard sale, or fund raising drive. Just good old-fashioned neighborly helping hand projects seem to be the most popular. You know the type, where you cook a dinner, run an errand, or sit with someone that needs the company.
None of these take a lot of skill or time but the benefits for those that are the recipients of your helping hand will benefit greatly. If you look around your neighborhood or family, you will probably find someone that could benefit from your helping hand. Often times, it is difficult for their pride to allow them to ask for help. Sometimes it is nice to have someone else make the offer of providing help instead of having to ask for it. For some reason, asking is associated with begging, which really is an injustice to those that need the help.
It doesn’t take a lot of time or a lot of energy to sit with an elderly neighbor while their primary caregiver runs some errands or just has a break from the day to day tasks that can wear them down over time. Just a few hours to go shopping or to have a lunch with friends can mean the difference between a caregiver that is relaxed and enjoys doing their tasks or one that is frustrated and easily upset over the smallest task not going as planned. Not only will you be helping the caregiver get out for a bit, but also you may just find that you have the pleasure of a very interesting person’s company in the process.
If you like kids, why not baby-sit for a friend, neighbor, or relative on occasion. The parents could use the time to run errands that are best done without the help of taking kids with them or they could just have some alone time. After all, even parents need a date every now and then. If you have kids about the same ages, then often they will be able to play together and spend some time enjoying each other’s company.
If you enjoy cooking, why not cook dinner for the family down the street that is having a difficult time? If they are able to cook but just having financial trouble, do you have the makings of a meal that you could drop by? Or if you prefer, invite them over for dinner or a cookout. You get the pleasure of spending some time with them and they get a good meal. That sounds like a great trade to me.
There is no need to go all out and do for everyone. That can burn you out and make you not want to help anyone. But helping others can be something as small as doubling a recipe and sharing it with another. That isn’t that difficult to do now is it? So what are you waiting on? Don’t wait for them to ask you. As one wise friend said, “If someone has to ask me, then it is because I haven’t paid attention to them and what they might need.” Open your eyes and share your heart and you will help to make the world a better place for us all.
