Fight Boredom — Volunteer

This is an edited version of a previous post entitled Frugal Giving:

Are you looking for activities for your kids during the summer?  Want a change of activities for them for the day? Because of my day job, I am constantly asked how people can get involved in causes they care about if they don’t have a lot excess cash.  I am thrilled with this question because finding ways for people to get more involved is an excellent way to build a sense of community and to create a network of caring people that support key organizations.  Since selecting an organization or cause is a highly personal thing, I decided not to focus on specific non-profit organizations or issues, but rather to create a list of ideas that might trigger creative thinking.  The following are some ideas for volunteering and frugal philanthropy:

Get involved — obviously volunteering is a great way to help out an organization, but what might be surprising is the range of ways that you can get involved.  There diversity of skills that can be utilized by various groups today include general computer skills, spreadsheet abilities, and organizational abilities.  If you love to garden, find the groups in your area that could benefit from your green thumb.

Spread the word– for those with a blog or who spend a lot of time on the internet, helping to publicize your group is really helpful.  Make sure that readers are aware of special events and opportunities that they can get involved.  In addition, if you love to write, see if organizations need help crafting press releases, newsletters, and other materials.

Contribute in kind — in particular used cell phones, office equipment and supplies, cleaning supplies, baby items, as well as food, are in need by organizations in virtually all communities today.  There are several organizations that have ways to expedite the donation of these items.  Also, many airlines allow you to donate your miles.

Make it a family activity — rather than thinking that philanthropic activities or volunteering cut into family time, make them part of family activities.  I have several friends who said that helping out restocking food pantries or building houses when they were teens helped them to understand how fortunate they were.

Make it a social activity — invite a group of friends over and socialize and have fun while giving back.  Some ideas include a knitting party where knitted items are donated to a shelter or hospital or a cooking party where the cooked foods are then brought to a neighborhood soup kitchen.

see other tips at Works for Me Wednesday