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Guest Post: How to Help Thy Neighbor in a Recession
The earthquake in Haiti was a sobering reminder of how important it is to help our neighbors in their time of need. But unfortunately, the country’s anguish hasn’t relinquished the suffering many face right here in the United States.
The recession in particular has had a lasting effect on many Americans, leaving some in the unexpected position of needing help versus giving help. So if you’re in a position to give, this is a great time to show that you truly know how to “Love Thy Neighbor” by offering help to those you know and love – and those you’ve never met – who are struggling through this harsh recession.
Give Money
One of the most direct and effective ways to help those in need is to give money. Whether you’re offering money to a loved one or donating to a local charity, giving cash out of your pocket makes available a number of assistance options, including buying clothes and food, paying bills and more.
Donate Clothes, Food and Even You
If you feel that you’re not in a financial position to offer money, there are plenty of other great ways to give what you already have in your home. For instance, you could:
- Donate your clothes and complimentary items:
Organizations like the Goodwill and Salvation Army are among the many that would love to have you to donate clothes, blankets and bedding that you no longer need. After you donate, the organizations sell the items then use that money to help members of their community, making your donation well worth it. - Donate food: If you have canned goods in your home, you could donate food to local churches or community organizations. Or you could contribute to larger organizations that contribute to community food banks, like Feeding America.
- Donate you: While you may not have money, clothes, food or other miscellaneous items, you do have blood to give. Donating blood is a simple process that could save many lives. Even more, some organizations actually pay you for your time and contribution. It’s definitely worth the 30 minutes you may be giving up.
There are other ways to donate as well, including offering tools and supplies to Habitat for Humanity, which helps rebuild communities by restoring or building new homes from the ground up.
Educate Your Neighbors
Another great way to give to those in need during the recession is through education. Whether you’re good filing taxes, managing money or writing resumes, there’s someone who could benefit from your expertise.
Here are some particularly interesting ways that you could volunteer your time to people right in your neighborhood:
- Help find employment: You may know someone who is not very Internet savvy but needs to find work. If you’re knowledgeable in this area, you could help locate job opportunities by connecting them to online unemployment resources, including job boards, social networking sites and great career advice blogs. Simply setting up online accounts could make the difference in finding a job, so why not offer your expertise to give a neighbor another shot at employment?
- Teach personal finance: It’s more than possible to save money during the recession. If you believe this and are doing it yourself then you could help a friend or neighbor do the same. By teaching personal finance budgeting, you could offer an invaluable resource that would be useful, not just during the recession, but for years to come.
There are plenty of other ways to offer your personal expertise, including providing knowledge on credit reports, helping to fill out mortgage applications, or even teaching how to invest. However, if you’re looking to volunteer with organizations, this volunteer website is a great place to help you match your interests to various organizations’ needs.
The satisfaction of helping your neighbor is one that you should not overlook. By giving to someone in need during this recession, you are indeed fulfilling the greater purpose of serving your fellow man and making this world a better place.
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also, don’t forget about donating your time! there are so many organizations out there to help the homeless, the hungry, at-risk teens, battered women, child services, etc, the list goes on and on. Disney is doing their Give a Day, Get a Day at Disneyland promotion. not only can you get a one day pass to Disneyland if you volunteer a day, BUT they list all of the organizations in need right in your local area, based on your zip code. so even if you JUST want to find a place you can help out, their system makes it very easy to hundreds of local org’s that can use your assistance. i’m not affiliated with them, just someone who wants to do her part, and who has done this sort of service in college.
you can search by zip code here: http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/disneyparks/en_US/WhatWillYouCelebrate/index?name=Give-A-Day-Get-A-Disney-Day
my friend and i are currently looking for places to help in Orange County California and we’ve already found a lot of great, deserving org’s to donate our time and energy to.
If you have nothing,your prayers can help.
You can help with your prayers.
I do agree! Prayer is the most important thing you can give to help your neighbors or friends. But if you have something to give, why not give them.