Going Beyond Gratitude: Doing Good Together

Hello, my delightful do-gooders!

If you’ve been following my blog for awhile, you know I recommend keeping a gratitude journal. I think the practice of acknowledging at least three things that you’re grateful for each day can have a big impact on your mood and shift your perspective by reminding you what is truly important.

But according to Wharton professor Adam Grant, studies have shown that people who volunteered or donated their time to helping someone else felt better even longer. “Gratitude is a temporary emotion. Giving is a lasting value,” he says, and seeing yourself as a giver and expressing kindness “causes a small but significant improvement in subjective well-being.”

So this November, let’s go beyond gratitude and dive into tangible ways we can show our appreciation for our community by giving back. I’ve put together my Top 5 ways you can get involved and share your time, skills and caring with others in need.

Read on to start doing more good ASAP.

 

There are two ways of spreading light
– to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.
Edith Wharton

 

Sponsor A Family In Need

Let’s face it, our friends are basically the family we get to choose. So why not rally your best buds and sponsor another family in need? This task may take a whole village, but it’s super rewarding to give back as a group. Think of it as kindness multiplied.

While you may think of a holiday dinner or new toys right off the bat, many families’ needs are far simpler and more essential, like groceries, furniture, clothing and school/office supplies. So you can pool funds as a group or have a neighborhood garage sale to raise some cash to pass on to your “adopted” family. Check out The Box Project and Family-to-Family for online sponsorship programs. And locally, contact Toys for Tots, The Salvation Army, and The United Way, which usually have a lot of opportunities during this season of giving.

You can also search for smaller activities like backpack and birthday parties for kids in need on VolunteerMatch.

Bloody Brilliant

The American Red Cross and local blood banks are always in critical need of blood and platelet donations. If you’re strapped for time, donating blood is certainly a huge return on your investment. When you make an appointment ahead of time, the whole blood donation process takes under an hour and could literally save someone’s life!

It’s also good for your health too. Every time you donate, you get a free wellness checkup which includes blood pressure, pulse, temperature, iron count and cholesterol screening. Plus, regular blood donation helps manage the iron levels in your blood, which if out of whack can contribute to the hardening of the arteries. Studies have even shown that regular blood donation decreased the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

If you have Type O-negative blood (you really should know, girl, so look it up!), your blood is the universal donor type, meaning anyone can accept it so it’s always in demand. You’re the Bey of blood donors, so rock your natural superpower!

To find a Blood Drive in your area, you really only have to Google ‘blood donation”, or search your area at redcrossblood.org.

The Clothes Make The Woman

When you start a new job, you inevitably purchase a new wardrobe, right? Instead of tossing those old suits and business casual dresses away, pass them along to women in need.

Dress for Success has been empowering women to achieve economic independence since 1997, but providing them “a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help [them] thrive”. You can be a part of their cause by having a mini donation drive in your office or with your girlfriends.

Check out their website for details on how to donate clean, gently used business attire and other opportunities to donate your time in one of their local chapters.

Patriotic Postage

It’s tough to be away from your loved ones during the holidays, especially for our troops stationed overseas. Each year, organizations like Operation Gratitude in California, Soldiers’ Angels in Texas or Operation Shoebox in Florida, ship hundreds of thousands of care packages to those who serve.

These packages contain reminders of home, video games and movies, messages of support and thanks from citizens and much more!

Even if you cannot join them for a package assembly day, you can still help them fill their boxes with cards, crafts, hygiene kits and healthy snacks. Gather your girls together and have a night making Paracord “Survival” Bracelets or Cool Ties while binge-watching Netflix.

I mean, who doesn’t love opening a care package? It’s a simple way to brighten someone else’s day.

An Extra Helping of Love

Just like being stationed overseas, for so many senior citizens the holidays can feel very lonely. Especially if their mobility or resources are limited. They may not be able to get to the store and enjoy regular, healthy meals. This is why our local food banks, soup kitchens and Meals on Wheels are so essential – to support those facing hunger and isolation across America.

It is a truly powerful experience when you can physically see the face of the person you are helping. And it’s super easy to donate your lunch break to someone in need – just check out this nationwide program “Let’s Do Lunch”.

You can also help sort donations, assemble and distribute food bags, cook and serve meals. To find a local homeless shelter or food bank near you, check out this awesome map of shelters across the country. If you’re in Southern California, you can get a little dirty donating your time to gleaning fruit trees and farmers markets to help ensure our food banks have access to fresh produce.

What other ways do you volunteer your time? Do you have a favorite organization we all need to know about? Spread the word in the comments below!

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LOVE + Fall fellowship!