This weekend is national Make a Difference Weekend, when
people from all over the nation work together in order to make a difference. You
can join in, too! Grab your fam, your besties, your peers and your neighbors,
and together, you can make your community and even the world a better place. Need
some ideas? Whether you have 30 minutes or a whole afternoon, here are 50 easy ways you can make a real difference this weekend.
Have a blast and enjoy the celebration!
Make “have a great day” cards and send them to your
neighbors or just sneak them into random mailboxes.
Play chef for a day by volunteering at a soup kitchen.
Leave a note for mom and dad thanking them for being great
‘rents.
Go on litter patrol and pick up trash at a local park.
Spend the day with a grandparent or elderly friend.
Make a gift basket for someone who isn’t feeling well.
Smile at everyone you see.
Collect soap, lotion, shampoo and other toiletries to send
to a homeless shelter.
Gather books and toys for a local children’s hospital.
Ask an elderly relative if they need any help around the
house.
Forgive a friend or sibling; you’ll both feel better.
Surprise a sibling with a mix CD of his or her fave songs.
Have a fashion show and make a pile of clothes that don’t
fit you anymore to donate.
Sign up for a CPR class. You might save a life!
Help a child succeed by collecting scissors, notebooks, pens
and pencils to donate to a school or shelter.
Become a pen pal with a kid in a hospital.
Test coming up? Offer to help a pal study if she’s falling
behind.
Help clean up, even if you didn’t make the mess.
Run a bake sale and donate the money you raise to your favorite
charity.
Volunteer to walk a neighbor’s dog.
Hold the door open for someone who has his or her arms full.
Sit down and tell mom or dad all about your day.
Write a thank-you letter to a librarian, police officer,
teacher or another important community-server.
Give your BFF a hug.
Bake a batch of your fave cookies to share with someone who
lives alone.
Organize used books to donate to schools or libraries.
Offer to make dinner. Surprise your fam with one of their
fave dishes.
Volunteer to read to younger kids at a library or
afterschool center.
Collect canned food to donate to a shelter or food bank.
Make a bird feeder for our hungry feathered friends.
Lend your favorite book to someone who loves to read.
Help a sibling get homework done so both of you can have fun
faster.
Put on a play with your buds to perform at a nursing home.
Write letters to relatives who live far away and tell them
all about what you’ve been up to.
Take time out to play with a younger sib.
Make a list of the top 10 best things about your BFF to
surprise her with.
Put your smarts to good use by tutoring a younger kid.
Do an extra chore around the house.
Play a game with a nursing home resident. You’re bound to
hear some good stories!
Help keep the peace: avoid a fight by letting a sibling have
their way.
Gather gently-used stuffed animals to donate to a firehouse,
hospital, or women’s and children’s shelters.
Compliment someone who might be having a rough day.
Practice your waitressing skills by volunteering at a
community breakfast.
Help a neighbor rake leaves: a good deed and a workout.
Tell your mom, aunt, grandmother is sister why you want to
be just like her.
Make an animal’s day and volunteer at a pet daycare, animal
shelter or zoo.
Be a mother’s helper; entertain her little kids so a mom can
relax.
Surprise someone with a hand-made gift.
Put together a care-package for someone serving overseas. Be
sure to include Halloween candy and a letter.
Tell someone special how they’ve made a difference to you!
How have YOU made a difference in your community? Tell us in the comments!
BY LAUREN IZQUIERDO ON 10/27/2012 12:00:00 AM
POSTED IN boredom buster, charity, do gooder