Ideas for making your community a better place

**Tango** · 01-16-2008, 03:15 PM

I am looking for ideas to help in my community. I have a bit of extra time on my hands and would appreciate any ideas you have that one person or perhaps a small group could do to improve their community.
I do live in a large city and there are all sorts of agencies for things. I would rather stay away from these since I don't see them as running efficiently or making good use of their resources. I am looking for ideas for my area and not the entire city. Thanks in advance for your ideas.
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Krissy

**perSue** · 01-16-2008, 03:27 PM

well i dont know where ya live, but there's a few sites online that can help ya out for volunteering, if that's what you're talking about.
idealist.com
nonprofitoyester.com
volunteermatch.com

these can give you different ideas of types of things to help out in your community... be it crafting a blanket for Project Linus or sending postcards overseas, to being a mentor to a child... you name it!

But it matches YOUR personal skills and likes to different opportunities near you.

**Momto2Boyz** · 01-16-2008, 03:33 PM

I "fell" into two things in the last year that you might be able to do.

The first may or may not apply. I started a stay-at-home mom's group. Community oriented, etc. But that only works if you are a mom!

The other I fell into accidentally. We had a problem with our alderman election in our town. My hubby and I, along with another couple in our neighborhood voiced our objections loudly and ended up with quite the following. After some community meetings with our alderman, we resolved things.
My friend and I realized that we had a golden opportunity. We suddenly had the community listening to us (we had set up a website, forum & a blog) and we thought we should try to do some good with it.

So, we started a group called Neighbors Helping Neighbors. The members of our group work independently & together. We have done lots of projects. Some are as simple as shoveling walk for the elderly in the winter. We had a gentelman who had a tree come down in his yard (a huge one), and he had been in an auto accident, was injured & couldn't remove it himself and had been off work so he couldn't afford to have it removed. We gathered up neighbors with chainsaws and ladders and had it gone in less than 2 hours. We also painted a community building...that one was a lot of work.

Basically, look for a need in your community. There are always gaps where volunteers are concerned, you just need to recognize it and fill it!

**powerfm1** · 01-16-2008, 03:35 PM

Sarah - that's wonderful.

**Laurie in Bradenton** · 01-16-2008, 04:20 PM

Want the easiest no cost idea in the world.
Pick up trash. We walk our dogs at night and take an extra plastic bag with us. In it we pick the items laying in the gutter. When we get home we place items into the proper recycle bin. Every evening we pick up a bag full. Amazing! We walk several different routes around our neighborhood and repeat the same walk about once a week. Always enought trash to fill a bag.
May not seem like a big thing to do but can you imagine if everyone did this, the amount of trash that would be cleaned up.
How does the saying go, "Act Locally...."
Glad to hear you've taken it a step further Sarah. Way to go!
Laurie in Bradenton

**Tango** · 01-16-2008, 04:33 PM

Thankyou again for the wonerful ideas ladies. I really love the Nieghbours Helping Nieghbours idea and will try and start similar group in my townhouse complex. I will also make sure that when I go for walk I take a bag for litter.
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Krissy

**sunshine** · 01-16-2008, 11:26 PM

I live in a rural area -- some of the things I've done:

volunteered at the nursing home to read to patients, etc.

purchased carnations in bulk and handed out one to everyone woman I met that day.

I sew, crochet and knit for Pine Ridge reservation, and for the local homeless shelter. I also taught crochet classes at the homeless shelter -- I furnished the hooks, yarn and patterns. The women there were so thrilled to make their own potholders, baby toys, etc.

Our family adopts a family every year at Christmas -- but we try to keep it going all year. Every month (generally on or near the 25th) we give them a smaller gift. Sometimes it's just a box with TP/shampoo/soap/toothpaste in it. Sometimes it's GC to fast food places -- but something every month. BTW - we do this secretly.