Do you ever look around your community and wonder how you can fix the problems faced by your neighbors? The best way to help is by rolling up your sleeves and getting involved! From joining the Inciting Altruism community to donating to international charities, the following resources will help you decide how you too can make a positive change!
Humanitarian Careers
For those of you that are passionate about altruism, dedicating your lives to service or just being involved in the non-profit sector broadly - pursuing a career in humanitarianism can lead to an extremely rewarding life.
Consider pursuing a profession that will allow you to directly make a difference in the world. Due to the numerous challenges facing our communities today, this can take on several different forms but here’s a few ideas to get started:
● No matter where your talents lie, you may have a bright future in the non-profit sector!
● By studying public health, you’ll be qualified to help people in your community live healthier, happier lives and truly make a difference.
● Earning your teaching license will allow you to educate and mentor future generations in the classroom.
Opportunities to Help
One of the things that dissuades a lot of people from altruism is the idea that service only counts if it makes a big splash. This couldn’t be further from the truth. We need everyone to contribute their efforts and resources, no matter how big or small. Encouraging everyone to care and be compassionate citizens is how we build truly engaged communities!
No matter what your education and/or career may be, you can plug into existing organizations to make a change or take action on your own!
● Get in touch with homeless shelters to see how you can support them.
● Contact food pantries to find out which items they need most, and then prepare bags for donation.
● Looking for more ideas for helping your community? Head over to the Inciting Altruism blog!
Positive Habits
Finally, a really easy way to help out is by incorporating practices into your life that help make your community a better place to live.
● Write letters to the editors of local or national newspapers about issues you feel particularly passionate about.
● Set up a monthly donation with a reputable charity — you may want to choose an organization that helps people around the world.
● Gather your friends and neighbors together on the weekend for a community cleanup or a couple hours at a local soup kitchen!
At times we can feel overwhelmed by the seemingly endless challenges facing our world. It can seem like we don’t even have the power to drive change within our own small communities, let alone the rest of the world.
It is exactly in these moments of disillusionment that it is helpful to zoom in and look towards the people around us. The people we see and interact with every day. They may take the form of elderly people who need helps with groceries, homeless people who could use shelter and nourishment or even just a friend going through a crisis. These are the people that form our community. If you can help them, you can help the world.
“We know only too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something.” - Mother Teresa
About the Author
Meredith Jones believes that working together brings out the best in people — especially when they’re doing good for the world.
She created FineTimes.org as a way to inspire folks near and far to give back to their communities and engage with others who want to help. The proud mom of two daughters, Meredith, and her family spend most of their free time exploring Alabama’s beautiful lakes, gulf shores, and other natural wonders.
To check out her other blogs and some local volunteering opportunities, visit Finetimes!