Service Ideas: 10 Ways to Make a Difference Through Change

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

by Mom It Forward on September 26th, 2011 | No Comments »

Service—This week's Season of Service challenge is to do a simple act of service that involves the word "change," whether that means to provide someone with coins, to cause some kind of social change, or helping a nonprofit that is involved in social change.

Artist Mary Engelbreit once said: "If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it." Do any one of the bite-size ideas in this or any of the Season of Service challenges, then leave a comment here or post about the experience on your own blog or on Facebook or Twitter.

10 Bite-Size "Change" Service Ideas

Drop a Love Bomb, which means to become part of an online community that changes lives by having its members pass on cumulative blog comment love to people who are in need in a variety of different ways.
Subscribe to Love Drop, which means making a contribution of $1 to a large pot that helps change lives in fun and tangible ways.
Read about English Out There, an organization that changes the dynamic between English speakers and English-language learners by connecting those learners who can't afford expensive English classes but are highly-motivated to learn and who've completed guided classwork through Skype, Facebook, or other social media outlets. Consider connecting online for an hour a week.
Leave a pile of change at a payphone.
Pick up the garbage on a small section of sidewalk or beach, if you live sea-side. Causing even a little bit of change on one beach can help slow down the growth of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
Sew a superhero cape and donate it to your local children's hospital. Check out this story of how one mom helped change the hospital experiences of some children after making one cape for her own daughter and letting her take it to the hospital with her.
Buy something from Ethically Hip, which is a site that, like Groupon and Living Social, offers good deals to consumers and branding and exposure to participating businesses. Unlike the other two sites though, Ethically Hip effects social change by giving 100% of the net proceeds to their charity partners in Canada.
Follow GirlsForAChange.org, a national nonprofit that empowers girls to create social change. They invite young women to design, lead, fund and implement social change projects that tackle issues girls face in their own neighborhoods.
Watch this YouTube video about "Piano Stairs" , or visit TheFunTheory.com for inspiration to help you come up with an idea for making better behavior funner.
Sign one petition for a cause you care about on Change.org

How Will You Give to Others This Week?

What other ideas do you have for helping others with "change?"
How has "changing" 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 each week's giveaway. Check out this week's prizes from Together Counts and Good Housekeeping/Pork Crock-stars.
Join #gno this Monday (with Together Counts) or Tuesday (with Good Housekeeping and Pork Crock-Stars) on Twitter to connect with other Mom It Forward moms about the challenge.