But really, why volunteer?
For many, volunteering goes into the bucket of things we “should do.” But why? I can think of a lot of reasons why: to make a difference, to learn, to help those less fortunate, to feel good. Maybe, for some, it’s for a resume or to impress a teacher. Either way, with all of these reasons, volunteerism still manages to become a “to do” item on a list, rather than a fun activity with friends and family.
The thought of volunteering can be daunting, right? It’s the whole process of finding a cause to support and figuring out how to support that cause. And then there is the commitment. In the end, we get so tired thinking about how to volunteer, that we become exhausted and forget why we wanted to volunteer in the first place.
Since 1992, Gannett has tried to solve for the “how.” We wanted to make it easy by committing just one day a year to make positive change. That day is called USA TODAY’s Make A Difference Day. For more than 20 years, Gannett has led the nation in the largest day of volunteering through USA TODAY’s Make A Difference Day. This single day of service has become a movement that has helped millions of people, causes, and communities across the country.
That day is coming up on October 24th and we want to make it easy for you. Since it is safe to say that we all agree on the “why,” here are 10 ideas on “how” you can participate in Make A Difference Day:
(1) Set up a lemonade stand with your friends/family and donate the proceeds to a local charity of your choice.
(2) Dig through your closet and find that suit from your wedding that just doesn’t fit anymore! Dust it off and donate that and a few other pieces that you no longer wear to your local Goodwill store.
(3) Donate your children’s books, magazines, novels and other reading materials to local shelters, libraries, or schools.
(4) Touch base with a local homeless shelter and sign up to serve breakfast or lunch to those less fortunate than you.
(5) With winter just around the corner, donate warm blankets, jackets, gloves and other items to your local shelter for distribution.
(6) Get together with friends and help the elderly. Offer to rake leaves, clean their kitchen, or teach them how to email their grandchildren!
(7) Host an 80’s dance party marathon at your house: all proceeds donated to your charity of choice.
(8) Clean up a local park for a few hours. Trash bags, gloves, and hand sanitizer and you are ready to go!
(9) Invite friends and family over to make care packages for troops. Each guest can bring one item to contribute to the package! Another idea? Go bowling with Veterans!
(10) Find a local project in your area through makeadifferenceday.com or register a new one!
At Gannett, we are in the business of serving our communities. Making a positive impact and empowering our communities to connect, act, and thrive is at the core of everything that we do. Gannett is leading more than 80 projects in communities on October 24th, and there are already more than 400 projects registered to take place across the country. To find a project happening in your area or to create your own (big or small), be sure to register a makeadifferenceday.com! If you haven’t done so this year, take the opportunity on this one day, October 24th, to help someone else.
