Ways To Give Back To Your Community

It is said that contribution is one of the two spiritual needs, next to growth, that can bring us ultimate fulfillment. Through using ways to give back to your community, you and I can really make an impact on our beloved towns and cities.

We can not only do this, but we can also cause a ripple effect through our service that changes the world forever.

As each time we do something that raises our own vibration and the people around us, it raises the worlds vibration as well, just a little bit. As we are all connected in a strange way.

We know that it feels good to receive, but it feels even better to give back.

Below are ways that you and I can bring value to our community along with live a life on purpose. One that feels meaningful because we shift our perspective from self preservation to instead preserving and making others lives better. In turn both parties feel even better than before the encounter.

This is where our legacies begins.

Also DONT MISS: 261 Random Acts of Kindness Ideas 

Ways To Give Back To Your Community

1.) Pick Up Trash

Simple and easy. This could be on the beach, out in the parks, in the woods or simply as you are walking along to your next appointment.

It is the whole pride of ownership thing. When we clean our outside environment, we feel more clean inside as well. This can help keep our community clean, and help us feel a sense of pride about the place we call home.

2.) Volunteer At A Food Bank

Reflecting back, giving food and service out to people in need in my own community brought me some of the most impressionable memories of all time.

It also gives us perspective on how good our lives actually are, as we see that in our own community, people are struggling. Not just in 3rd world countries where famine is obvious. This even gives us more things to be thankful for.

3.) Paint Over Graffiti 

This is another way to give your town a facelift. Unfortunately there are people out there that feel the need to self express through marking up outside walls. It is what it is. And yet, we can bring back life to a community who has lost hope because of the degrading of the external environment.

This can give people in the community a better sense of value and hope as they are living in a place that is fresh. Allowing them the feeling of having a fresh start.

4.) Give Food/Clothes To Homeless People

One Christmas, my friends and I decided to buy a bunch of hamburgers and give them to the poor people in a town near by. We also gathered up a bunch of old jackets and gave them away as well. As it was a cold season.

This was amazing. We actually had some pretty good conversations with some of the homeless people and found out what happened to them and what brought them to the place they were currently in.

It gave us all more life perspective along with the fact that we knew that a couple less people would go to sleep hungry that night.

5.) Give Fresh Water To Homeless People

I know it can be worrisome to give out money to homeless people at times. Because you don’t know exactly what they are going to do with the money.

And yet, we know that we all need water to survive and thrive. And it can be hard to come by enough water as a homeless person.

Giving a gallon to someone can be a great way to help them not only have water for a day, but use that gallon container to fill up again and again.

6.) Offer Your Services For Free To A Struggling Company

Maybe once a month, you can give back your time and skills to a company that may not be able to afford a good worker like yourself.

Maybe it is a company that is near and dear to your heart. Or maybe you see the owner and works hustling and want to help them get to the next level.

7.) Buy The Persons Coffee Behind You

Simply leaving your card with the barista and letting the barista tell the other person that “someone” has chosen to get their coffee/meal can be awesome.

Find a comfy seat with a good vantage point of the transaction and watch the shock and happiness that fills this persons face.

I guarantee they will think about it and feel good all day. So will you and I!

8.) Leave Dollar Bills In Children’s Books At The Library

How pumped would you and I be as children if we picked up a book, checked it out with our parents, got home and opened it up and money fell out?!

We would feel like we were the luckiest little person in the world!

We can do this for our children in our community, making them brag about it to their friends, and think they are rich because the have “so much money!”.

9.) Give Back Through Your Business/Friends Bussiness

If you have a business, a percentage of the proceeds can go to a local foundation in the community.

Even if you don’t have a business, but your friend does, or you have a favorite small business in town, you can make an agreement with them that you will donate say 3 percent of the next $5000 that is spent there on behalf of the community.

10.) Only Go to Community Gas Stations

Look, I have all the respect in the world for the big guys, the deserve their place at the top.

Although, we can help our little guy become a bigger guy buy religiously buying gas at the stations that aren’t the big names.

11.) Set Up A Donation Bin At Your Work

This can allow us to not only give back ourselves but get the people in our daily lives to get behind the cause.

The world will get out and you and I will be able to get a lot more donations because of it. Both from inside the office and outside the office from family and friends who get inspired from our co-workers tell their friends and family about what is going on.

12.) Offer Once A Month Services

Put and ad up on Craigslist to walk someones dog or help seniors pull weeds or even be a handyman/woman for a single mom in need.

13.) Buy Local Food

Go to restaurants that use local meats and produce. Visit farmers markets. And of course buy that lemonade at your local children’s lemonade stand!

14.) Become A Volunteer Fire Fighter

You and I can become one of the people on the front line called on to keep our community safe. This may be the ultimate form of service and giving back to your community.

Here is how to become a volunteer firefighter: Become A Volunteer Firefighter 

15.) Community Garden

Pick a plot in the area and get a group together. Plant it and nurture it with fruit and veggies where the community can come and take some good eats home!

16.) Volunteer at a Senior Center

It seems nowadays that we can sort of dismiss seniors, as if they are done with most all they are going to do here. That they don’t have enough to contribute anymore that they are older.

And yet the fact of the matter is, these people are storehouses for wisdom. They also appreciate it 100 times more when someone spends time with them, than our regular friends and family.

GUARANTEED!

Pick up a few coffees and starbucks and drop in on some seniors. Chat with them. Get to know their past. Who they were in the real world. And what type of advice they can give you for living a good life.

17.) Sponsor A Local Sports Team

Not only can this give us more exposure if we have a business or a cause we wan’t to promote, it can also allow us to put jerseys on the backs of kids and allow them to play sports that maybe the couldn’t afford before the sponsorship/

18.) Tutor A Student

The fact of the matter is, we all know more than most people at at least one thing in this life. Maybe you can tutor a student of even teach them a sport you have mastered to an extent.

You can put a person on a path to both developing and reaching more towards their full potential either physically or mentally.

19.) Adopt An Animal

There are plenty of furry ones just waiting to be picked up and loved on at our local animal shelter. What a way to give back to the community and save a life while doing so.

20.) Coach A Kids Soccer Team

Let’s face it, there are some super busy parents out there. Hey, you may even be one of them. But as kids, we always remember that cool coach, who was fun, believed in us and was just there to make sure we have a good time and played hard.

We can be that person to a group of kids by spending our Saturdays and maybe a couple days a week molding the next generation through coaching. Plus, kids are just plain fun to hang out with!

21.) Run For Office

Maybe you see change that needs to be made in your community and it isn’t happening. Maybe you and I can be that change that we seek in the world.

What a way to impact and uplift our community at large. Become a force for good to our people.

22.) Give A Waiter A Huge Tip

If you are like me and you served tables for any given timeframe in your life, you know like I do, that it can be a dang stressful job! Multitasking to the max.

I know that I can still remember some of the phenomenal tips I got from people and how it made me feel. It made my day for sure, sometimes my week.

If you can afford it, pull out on all stops and tip the heck out of your next waiter!

23.) Pay Someone’s Electricity Bill

I read about this in a self help book that talked about how once a month, a lady would do here contribution through paying someones utility bill. That they would call the main service provider in the area and spring for a random house.

This is an awesome way to stay anonymous in our giving, which is ultimately the true expression of pure contribution.

24.) Find A Struggling Church Member And Anonymously Drop Off Food 

This tip for how to give back to your community was inspired by the man himself, Tony Robbins.

He talked about how the first time he ever gave back, he did it this way. Found some members in the church that were known to be struggling, via the leadership team.

And then he brought them actual meals to their doorstep. He said it was the most gratifying feeling he has ever experienced.

Chat with the pastor of your local church, and tell him your motives. I guarantee he/she will want to help.

25.) Help Put Up Christmas Lights For Seniors

Deck the halls with contribution! Put up an ad on Craigslist that you are looking to help a senior put up and take down Christmas ornaments.

26.) Plant A Tree

One day you can even carve your name or a big heart with your’s and your loved one’s initials in it!

27.) Create An Annual Charity Event

Maybe it is a 5K walk or a big BBQ or even a party for all the little kids in town with a big bounce house.

All proceeds go to either one or even spread out over the top charities in the town. A cause everyone can get behind!

28.) Big Brother Big Sister

You can alter the course of a child’s life this way. Through the likes of becoming a big brother or big sister, you and I can help a child become more goal oriented and successful, have higher aspirations along with hold them accountable for becoming all they can be.

Imaging the feeling of impacting a child in such a way that we set them on an entirely different path that they wouldn’t have gone on if we didn’t become their big sister/big brother?!

You can become one by visiting this link: Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

29.) Volunteer At A Local School

Check in at the front office and just ask how you can possibly lend a helping hand to help at the school, during or after school hours.

30.) Hold A Yard Sale For Charity

Put out a bunch of flyers at local businesses and Craigslist ads up, tell people about it at work and at your children’s schools.

Have a said date to where everything is to be dropped of by at your house. Then launch the massive garage sale on a Saturday where all proceeds go to local charities.

31.) Volunteer At Your Local Hospital 

It is sad, but many people don’t have anyone to come visit them when staying long term at a hospital. You can pop in and make someone’s day who has been lonely.

It can include things like pushing wheelchair patients to food service and everything in between.

32.) Start a Neighborhood Watch Group

If you really want to give back to your community, this can be a great option to help keep your town more safe.

When it comes to how to start a co-op, we need to first organize a group of people who want to be part of it. Then get with local law enforcement to work in collaboration with. Get together and discuss issues and concerns that you want to address and remedy. Then have a plan for communication. Text threads or social media groups. Lastly, hold meetings and invite more people to get involved.

33.) Bring Your Dog To A Senior Center

Check in to see if it is OK first then bring the pup in and watch the biggest smiles ever form on the face of these seniors!

34.) Smile At and Compliment Everyone You Meet and See

The little things go a long way in life. You can bring more positivity and optimism to your town and community by simply flashing a smile or telling someone how great they look in what they are wearing.

35.) Start A Lawn Library

You may have seen this little mini libaries standing in front of someones yard before. They are filled with a small amount of books for people to pop in on and take and read. As well as when people come back, they can bring other books and leave them in there for new people to take.

36.) Read To Children At The Library

Can you imagine it? 10 or even 20 little faces starting at you listening to every world you say?? Laughing, getting scared, getting super animated? What a fun way to spend part of our day, allowing our community kids to get lost in a good story.

37.) Donate Old Books To The Library

The library isn’t highly funded and can use all the help it can get? If you and I haven’t read a book in 6 months or more, chances are we are never going to read it. We can give back to the community by dropping off these books and letting someone else enjoy and grow from them.

38.) Leave Positive Online Reviews For Local Businesses

The fact of the matter is, the first place you and I go to when looking for advice on a product or service is the reviews section.

Lets visit local businesses and go write the most amazing review they have ever gotten.

39.) Write A Positive Letter To A Business Or Official

A hand written note can go a long way. I mean think about it, we usually remember for a long time when we get an actual hand written thoughtful note.

You and I can really make someones day by writing about how we love the service or the food at a local restaurant or coffee shop.

Or if someone in office is doing good things for our community, we can write to them and admire them and commend them for doing good work.

I tell you, just by doing this, this person is going to feel better about themselves, their business and their lives. And it takes all but 5 minutes at the most.

40.) Sponsor A Pizza Party For A Local Sports Team

Maybe the high school football team or the junior high volleyball team.

We can even try to partner with the local pizza parlor to where we can have them donate 20 precent of the bill to a local charity. A win win!

Hungry kids will be full and people in need will get help!

41.) Meals On Wheels

This organization is incredible at giving back to our seniors in our community. They provide healthy food to our seniors and other people in isolation and who may not be able to afford good meals.

Here is a link to find out how to get started in your area: Give Back With Meals On Wheels 

42.) Organizing A Walking Group

There are many of us who are scared or embarrassed to go at fitness alone. Transforming our body can be hard. That is when a good accountability group can come in and help everyone win.

Maybe once a weekend, you all get together and coffee up then walk a couple miles together. This can create great community camaraderie.

43.) Drop Flows At A Random Doorstep

I mean hey, who doesn’t like flowers, right?

44.) Write A Letter To Cops/Firefighters

The law enforcement and those who keep us safe love to hear from us about out love for them and thanks. They put their lives on the line and it means the world to be recognized for this.

We can even drop in on them at their stations and departments and bring some cookies of simply verbalize our thanks for them.

45.) Ask Authorities How You Can Help 

Often times we may not even know where to start, and yet our authorities have the best pulse on the community and where help is needed.

We can reach out to local departments, city councils, and local groups to let them know we are here for them to put in some grunt work for them!

46.) Holiday Food Drives 

I know this is more geared towards holidays where you go into businesses and you see bins collected canned foods, clothing and other items to give to community members that are struggling.

And yet we can do so full time at our place of work. If you have your own business, simply leave them out all day every day.

If you don’t own your own businesses, bring it up at the next board meeting about how you and your place of work can become known for having an all year long food drive. This can also help your business become bigger.

47.) Volunteer at A Women’s or Children’s Shelter

This one is always a great one to do during the holidays. Spirits can be low within these groups as they may already be feeling alone and lonely.

But anytime is great.

48.) Give Shout Outs To Local Business

It is awesome to showcase businesses on your social media.

Say you and I go out to a nice dinner and the service is superb. We can take a picture with the waiter, a picture of the food, and of the kitchen staff.

And then blast it on all of our social media channels. As word of mouth advertising is the best form of advertising and can help new businesses gain traction. Or help community staples become even bigger in our town.

Let’s go like all their posts, comment on their pictures and promote them to our followers!

49.) Teach English As A Second Language 

There are many people arriving in our beautiful country, here for a chance to make a better life. And we can help them accelerate that process by helping them learn the language at a more rapid rate.

Maybe we can even get some good tips on how to cook their style of food better, ethnic night!

50.) Get Local TV Involved In A Community Game 

Maybe hold a big flag football game or a massive 3 legged race. Contact the local TV channels and let them broadcast this and invite the whole town out!

All proceeds go to the top 5 biggest charities in town.

51.) Stock Quarters In Laundry Mat Slots

I would have been pumped to see this back in the day when I was doing my laundry at the laundry mat. Maybe even put a little not letting them know that you put it there and that this isn’t someone who just accidently left them. And even tape a tide pod to it!

52.) Welcome New Neighbors Into Town

I remember being welcomed into my community once when I first moved in. They brought over some lasagna and it was a cool feeling to know that I was going to have at least one good neighbor.

We became long time friends because of this.

Whenever you see a moving van in a driveway, stop by and introduce yourself!

53.) Let Busy People Cut in Front of You

We have all been in life and a person is fidgeting behind us. We can FEEL the energy that this person has places to be.

Lets let them go ahead of us!

54.) Vote For City Officials

If you have someone you believe in, and you have some extra dough, you can always contribute to their campaign.

If not, simply always voting can help us give back to our communities.

55.) Donate Unwanted Toys

One kids trash is another kids treasure. You and I can recycle our toys back into the community by giving them to the Goodwill, churches, libraries, doctors offices, hospitals, shelters and to social services.

Conclusion To How To Give Back To The Community

So there we have it my friend, ways to give back to your community you live in.

At the end of the day, giving back will bring us more fulfillment than anything else we ever do in life. And starting in our communities is a great way to begin.

One we impact the community, we may feel the need to expand and go broader. We can give back to other cities, and then our state as a whole. Then our country.

And then our world at large.

And maybe spark a big enough movement to where we get rid of hunger and hunger related diseases and deaths.

Maybe, just maybe, you and I can leave this world completely transformed because our actions and movements. And ultimately leave this life transformed and completely transcended from our lower selves. Enlightened through our earthly actions.

I hope you enjoyed the article my friend.

Let me know your thoughts and advice on the topic.

What good ways have you used to give back to your city and your country?

I can’t wait to hear about it!

Chat in the comment section below.

With gratitude,

Chris Cucchiara