Service Ideas: 10 Ways to Carry On Charitable Acts of Service

giving back • my world • Mom It Forward Mondays • tips for giving back

by Mom It Forward on December 12th, 2011 | 2 Comments »

This week's Season of Service challenge is to do one act of simple service involving the word "carry" in one form or another. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word as the following: to move while supporting, to convey by direct communication (as in "carry tales about a friend"), to influence by mental or emotional appeal, to comport oneself in a particular manner, or help provide sustenance for. Be creative.

10 Bite-Size Ways to Serve Through Carrying

Get a hold of the regional National Forest Service trail crew and go out with them and clear a trail or two. This will involve the carrying of some backpacks and debris. Some of the trails have not been touched in 70 years. This was suggested by reader Michal.
Carry one item of garbage on the ground in your neighborhood or local park to the nearest garbage can.
Leave a little bag of Christmas treats for your mail carrier and/or garbage collector. HandsFreeMama did this with heart-warming results.
Download the mGive mobile phone app so that you can make a small donation via the smartphone you carry in your hand.
Buy some coasters or trays from Heart of Haiti so that you can carry holiday drinks and hors 'd oeuvres in style.
Make a small donation to or put up a happiness poster up for the Joy Team, to help them carry out their mission of helping people shift into a positive frame of mind through the incredible power of positive words and advertising.
Go out right now and check to make sure you're carrying a jack in the trunk of your car, so that you're prepared if the family car ever gets a flat. If you're feeling particularly ambitious, put an extra blanket and a flashlight in there too.
Buy an inexpensive umbrella next time you're at the store, and next time it rains or snows, carry the extra with you (along with your own of course), and give it to an unprepared stranger.
Check out this post on the needs of elderly people in assisted living centers as far as simple activities, and then put a few together, or copy some pages of a crossword or wordfind puzzle book and carry them to your nearest assisted living center.
Contact your Congressional representative and ask him or her to support the Violence Against Women Health Initiative Act, which will continue three small health programs that will otherwise discontinue. These health programs encourage routine assessments for violence, fund prevention interventions, and support training and education of providers on domestic and sexual violence.

How Will You Give to Others This Week?

What other ideas do you have for serving others by carrying?
Has carrying something for someone made a meaningful difference for you this week?
How have others given to you this week and what difference has that made in your life?

How Else Can You Make a Difference This Season?

Make a meaningful difference this season by taking the Season of Service (SOS) Challenge. Here’s how you can participate:

Commit to do one act of kindness/service based on the week’s challenge.
Leave a comment with ideas relating to the week’s challenge as well as your experience(s) performing it.
Enter to win this week’s giveaway.
Join #gno this Tuesday and Thursday on Twitter to connect with other Mom It Forward moms about the challenge.