How to help your community without spending money

Your community is important. It’s where you live and it’s often where you work and spend your free time. On top of that, many of your favorite people probably surround you in your community.

Community is important for many factors, but ultimately, people thrive in inclusive, thoughtful communities. But how can you help your community, especially when money is a factor?

Of course, when money is of no issue, donating funds, food, or items directly to a project or cause can be used to bolster your community. But for many of us, finding inexpensive or free ways to help is more realistic.

Thankfully, there are plenty of ways you can improve your community and the only thing it will cost is a bit of time.

Ways to help your community without spending a dime

Doing Good + Being Kind

This is a favorite of ours. Not only is it how we represent ourselves to clients, but it’s something we strive for in our daily lives.

Doing Good + Being Kind can mean a lot of things to different people, but ultimately, it is about treating everyone with respect and kindness. Making small efforts every day to display kindness goes a long way.

Volunteering

One of the best and most rewarding ways to help your community is by volunteering your time. Most communities big and small offer many opportunities to volunteer.

This could be at a local food pantry or library, or even walking dogs at your local animal shelter. By volunteering, you can make an impact on your community, and build long-lasting relationships with other people from your area.

Attending community functions

Volunteering is a great way to help your community, but consider attending community functions when you have the time. These can be town hall meetings, local book clubs, or neighborhood events.

Whatever the event, by being there you are helping bolster your community and encourage others to get involved. It also gives you the chance to speak up about issues you may see or elevate causes that aren’t getting enough attention.

Keeping in touch

Life can get busy - quickly! It’s easy to get caught up in your day-to-day life, but making an effort to stay in touch with friends and others in your community is a great way to spread a bit of kindness and cheer.

One great way to stay in touch with your community is through online options like local Facebook and NextDoor groups. This gives you a chance to interact with others and also gives you a channel to highlight local events, causes, and more.

Little actions can build up to great things

Building up your community doesn’t have to be a monumental task to make a difference. Little actions every day add up and when everyone comes together, great things can happen for your community.

If you are looking for a place to start volunteering locally, tools like Serve365 are a great way to find the perfect fit for you. Additionally, you can connect with local Facebook groups, or even go old school and pick up a local paper to find opportunities.

Regardless of how you choose to help, kindness, inclusivity, and acceptance should be at the forefront of your mind. Remember, in order to make your community a better place, the goal should be to make it better for everyone.

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