Other Ways to Live United

Not the best time to commit to an ongoing opportunity or a structured project? Have ideas of your own, you’d like to try? Here are opportunities to consider in each of the three critical areas of education, income and health.

Many can be done individually or as a group. Several allow you to get your children involved. There are projects that can be done during the week, during the evenings or on weekends. You can also choose something that you do only once, or something you do regularly.

Find your passion and go for it. Live United.

Education

1. Attend a school board meeting. Perhaps, invite a friend, neighbor, or family member to attend with you.

2. If you and your friends have books you will never read again, organize a book drive and share the books with schools, libraries, nursing homes or a local hospital.

3. Read to children in your family, at your library, or with a local nonprofit engaged in childcare or literacy.

4. Buy school supplies for a local school or after school program to distribute to children who need them.

5. Donate your newspaper subscription to a local school when you go on vacation.

6. Allow a high school student to shadow you at work and show them how to apply things they’ve learned in school.

7. Take a child in your life to a local museum, exhibit or play.

8. Be a mealtime partner for a preschool class to help kids develop social skills.

9. Mentor an at-risk youth at your neighborhood school or after school program.

Income

10. Take a child in your life to a bank for a tour and to open a savings account.

11. Help teens or young adults learn budgeting.

12. Tutor at an adult literacy program.

13. Donate new or gently used professional clothing to an organization helping individuals who are seeking employment.

14. Ask your local elected officials about issues affecting working people in your community.

15. Encourage your bank officials to offer free checking and savings accounts to low-income families if they don’t already offer these programs.

16. Offer to teach a middle school class how to save money and watch with them as it grows.

17. Help senior citizens learn how to detect and prevent fraud.

18. Organize a food drive for your local food pantry or shelter.

19. Offer to provide job skill training about your industry or profession.

Health

20. Contact your local health clinic and volunteer to distribute flyers, serve on an event committee, or write a letter to the editor on their behalf.

21. Start a walking group for friends, families, neighbors and/or community members.

22. Get a flu shot.

23. Encourage your family and co-workers to get their yearly health screenings.

24. Buy pedometers for your friends and have a fun competition for who can walk the most steps.

25. Purchase personal care items such as deodorant, toothbrushes and soap and drop them off at a local homeless shelter.

26. Become CPR certified and encourage others to join you.

27. Help transport families or the elderly to necessary medical appointments.

28. Help provide healthy snacks for children that may not be available in your local schools or community programs. Advocate healthy meals and fun exercise at school.

29. Give blood on a regular basis.

30. Become certified as a disaster volunteer so that you can help when needed.

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