Most of us have a desire to give back. We want to help others & make difference. If you haven't heard about the Bakken Invitation Honorees you should click HERE to learn more about it. The 10 honorees exemplify what it means to give back with their "extra life." This program celebrates people, who with the help of medical technology, are giving back through volunteering.
Giving back doesn't have to be difficult. You don't have to start a non-profit, feed the entire world, or save all the puppies, but you can do something. Here are 5 Easy Ways to Start Giving Back...
1. Pay for someone's coffee
Or lunch! When you're pulling through Starbucks for your morning coffee, tell them you want to pay for the person behind you. It's a simple way to start a chain reaction that will leave many people feeling great all day, including yourself!
2. Adopt a pet
So many animals are euthanized every single day. If you have a desire to own a pet, why not look into your local animal shelter? That's where we got our sweet puppy Benson.
3. Write a Thank You Note
Did you have a teacher that really affected you? Or a friend who touched your life? Send them a hand-written thank you note to let them know.
4. Visit a nursing home
This Christmas season can be especially hard on the elderly men and women whose family often doesn't have time to visit. Call ahead and ask if you can visit, or better yet, ask if you can come caroling!
5. Donate
If you have old clothes that don't fit anymore, give them to Goodwill or a family in need if you know one. Save your shampoos and soaps from hotel stays and donate them to a local homeless shelter.
Imagine what you could do if you had $100 to give back? Well, Bakken Invitation Program is giving one of you a $100 VISA gift card to do just that! The winner can use the gift card however they would like but should use the money to do something good in their community.
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Thank you to Medtronic for sponsoring today's post & inspiring me to give back to my community.
53 comments:
I think it's great to remember we are all humans.
I would love to give back by leaving a surprise for someone on Christmas Eve!
I would love to give back by leaving a surprise for someone on Christmas Eve!
I would love to give back by leaving a surprise for someone on Christmas Eve!
I try my best do donate money and energy to places that inspire me :)
Nominated you: http://www.southernhopeblog.com/2014/12/lovely-blog1-and-2-and-another-liebster.html
Love that you're inspiring such an incredible movement! I try to volunteer as much as I can- I recently was a volunteer teacher at my Church + am looking to found an organization to help battle bullying in our schools in 2015!
I love these, Brooklyn! Such easy ideas and great ways to give back.
Great minds think alike! I just posted today about easy ways to find volunteer opportunities for the holidays. Cheers!
xo Jen | The Single Diaries
www.thesinglediaries.com
I am a HUGE activist for people adopting pets! There are so many amazing (and even purebreed) dogs in shelters who ned loving homes <3
This is awesome! I always donate old clothes and write thank you notes but never thought of paying for someone's coffee!
I've done the pay for someone's coffee before - it feels great doesn't it? Speaking of Thank You notes, I am always on the ball with those snail mail ones, I think they're so much more personable than a quick email. More thought goes into it.
This time of year I love volunteering around the local fire station my husband works at helping with the Toy & Joy Program. I also love volunteering at the American Cancer Society year round.
I spend a good amount of time helping others. It's very rewarding and addictive. I would like to spend more time volunteering at animal shelters.
These are great! We adopted our cat who was an abandoned stray a few years ago, and now he's super plump, warm and happy!
These are great ideas!! Thank you for reminders such as these…especially during this season.
These are great and definitely something I need to remember, sometimes I get too caught up in my life and forget to give back!
You never know what a smile or a kind word can do, so I always try to smile at strangers and give a compliment if I am thinking of a compliment (like, "I love your skirt")
These are all such great ideas to do.
I often buy a cup of coffee or a meal for the person behind me in line at coffee shops/fast food restaurants etc. but there are so many more things I could do as well!! Thank you for this
I often buy a cup of coffee or a meal for the person behind me in line at coffee shops/fast food restaurants etc. but there are so many more things I could do as well!! Thank you for this
Great post and a reminder that there are practical things we can do each day to really make a difference:). Have a great week!
Our church hosts a food pantry all year so I always try to buy a few extra cans of food at the grocery store to donate, but this time of year they also do extra holiday dinner baskets for people who can't afford their own holiday dinner. I definitely donate clothes all the time! It seems I always have way too much. I love your idea of writing a thank you note. Especially to someone unsuspecting like a teacher you had a long time ago! I'll have to do that one this year!
I'm still in college, and I'm in a sorority, so we go and volunteer as a house frequently together! I also try to compliment people when I admire something about them, because you never know how a few words can truly change someone's day.
Some great tips for giving back! Sometimes, I need a little kick in the pants reminder!
I donate to local shelters and food bank.
I donate food and clothing items often. I love giving to those that need it.
LOVE this! This week I wrote a whoooooole bunch of thank you notes from by baby shower last saturday. Annnnd I volunteer at an animal shelter! (: Love this post!
Fantastic! 'Tis the Season to give! <3
'Tis the Season to give! This is fantastic! <3
I donate to the toys for tots program.
I love teaching my kiddos how important service can be. They have also learned a lot about how sacrificing their wants for the needs of others is a huge blessing!
I love teaching my kiddos how important service can be. They have also learned a lot about how sacrificing their wants for the needs of others is a huge blessing!
i give back buy donating regularly to our local food bank and support charities in our region that care for the elderly in hospices.
Wonderful and simple ideas for giving back! When I was young we used to visit the nursing homes and sing christmas carols, it was great for all of us!
My husband and I have agreed that our next dog is going to be a shelter dog. There are so many pups out there that need a forever home!
I donate to my local food pantry and to the salvation army.
This year we gave back by hosting a toy drive to donate toys to a local organizations to help meet demands in lower income childcare facilities.
I give back to my community by donating food and clothing to a local shelter.
We donated to a fund for families who couldn't afford Christmas.
I give back by volunteer coaching a basketball team for my church! I also donate clothing and other items to different organizations in my city!
We donate monthly to the food pantry and baby closet. I would love to do more!
I give back by buying cat food and treats to help feed neighborhood cats in need. It's truly rewarding!!! I love it!
I help with fundraising for a local hearing dog program.
Every year we purchase gifst for children in our neighborhood. This year we even bought a Chrismtas tree for a family along with gift for their three kids!
I use shopping sites like imyne and amazon smile to have a percentage of my purchases go to the charities of my choice. I also donate to the local food bank and donate to the local police toy drive
We give back by collecting food for our local food bank and donating clothes/goods every couple of months throughout the year.
I donate to my animal shelter. Every winter we bring them towels and blankets to keep the animals warm at night. Also lots of treats :)
I give back by donating our used items to Salvation Army, Buying our Mailman & delivery people thank you gifts.
I try to give back by using gift cards I was given on other people. Lots of my co workers have been getting Starbucks in the mornings :)
Currently sitting at the blood donor clinic, waiting to give my bimonthly contribution of liquid gold. It's in you to give.
I love paying for the person behind me in the drive-thru! It puts me in a better mood and I love seeing the shock on their face (and even more when I see they keep the chain going)!
In college, my friend and I would go to an elderly care facility and paint the ladies fingernails once a week! It was so fun, now I get to go with my YW next week!
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