5 Ways of Making A Positive Change To Your Community in 2019

Most of us have a yearning to make a positive change to our communities. We start the year with all the best intentions, but as the months go by, and life gets busier, these good thoughts begin to fall by the wayside a little bit. We finish off the year regretting the opportunities to help others in the community and quite often, this is down to a lack of creative ideas for how we can help out. Here, we look at a few ways that you can make a difference to the people in and around the area you work and live.

Use Your Professional Skills

If you have a successful career or are a business owner, you have many skills that are a valuable insight for everybody. You know how to apply for jobs, interview skills and how to build and grow a business. You know how to work within a team and solve problems. People who are looking for work often turn to trusted professionals within their community or industry to help them, and this is where you come in. Get in contact with your local job centre or business centre and offer your services. Perhaps you could read and advise on resumes, hold mock interviews and give seminars.

Help the elderly

Sadly, elderly citizens are often overlooked in our society. Many older men and women live in sheltered or residential care and don’t get many visitors. Some yearn for their independence and stay at home, but can go days without seeing another person. Arrange dinners or evening entertainment specifically for them, as Mayor Vauss has done, or visit them in their homes or daycare centers. Sometimes, a friendly face and a chat can make all the difference.

Donate to food banks

Food bank donations are very sadly on the rise, with more and more families having no option but to use them when times are dire. This means there is added pressure on the food banks, and they rely on donations from those in a better position. When you are out grocery shopping, add a few tins of soup or a packet of cookies to your trolley and donate them to the food bank.

Shop Locally

Many of us tend to do our shopping at out of town supermarkets or shopping malls, which can hurt our local community. If you can, visit your local main street and buy from independents. No, you might not get the attractive discounts and offers from big chain stores, but you will have the satisfaction of knowing you have helped your local community directly.

Pay for students lunches.

Many children, sadly, will be going without food at school because their parents are struggling with money, or they are running up massive debts that they cannot afford to clear. Phone up your local high school and see if you can pay off a student’s lunch debt, or put some money on a tab to allow a hungry child to buy some food from the cafeteria.