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4 Ideas for Making a Positive Impact on Your Community
Making the world a better place starts in your own community. No matter where your passion lies, you can find opportunities that will allow you to make connections with the people around you. Check out this list of ways you can have an impact in your community, presented below by The Unifying Way.
1. Check With Community Leaders
Every community has organizations and individuals who oversee much of the community activity. Some of these are elected officials, but other community leaders are volunteers or paid through nonprofit organizations to have an impact.
Organizations such as Family Resource Networks can direct you to volunteer opportunities and help determine where your skills may be best utilized. Although the titles of community resource centers vary depending on location, you can contact your local DHHR to get the information you need.
2. Help Out Your Local Pet Rescue or Animal Shelter
If you want to do your part to make the world better but animals are more your jam, contact your local pet rescue to see if they have volunteer opportunities available. Some may require training or certification before you can be active with animals.
If volunteering isn’t possible, consider organizing a fundraiser or pet food drive. Social media is an excellent way to reach many potential donors, and you can set up donation boxes for pet food at strategic places throughout your community where people can drop off food. Ask your local grocery store if you can set up one in front of it, as customers going into the store will often see it, shop for some pet food while in the store, and then donate it on the way out.
3. Use an Online Volunteer Matchmaking Service
Platforms such as Volunteers of America can help you find precisely the kind of volunteering opportunity you’re looking for. They allow you to specify the kind of work you are looking for, what kind of time commitment you can make and where you are located. They feature many nontraditional ways of volunteering, including using your landscaping, clerical or handyman skills, so that you can find something that is truly tailored to your desires. You could even fulfill that lifelong dream of being a firefighter if your local volunteer units are in need.
4. Become a Teacher
If you are looking to make a more long-term impact, teaching may be the route for you. Education is a service that takes true commitment to the community and the kids who live within it. Every day, teachers have a powerful impact on the students they have under their care, and the satisfaction that can come with teaching is a compelling reason to consider it. Teachers are also highly in demand, so it’s a career with excellent job security and consistent hours.
With a Bachelor of Science in Education, you can follow your dream of becoming a teacher. You don’t have to attend in-person classes, either. There is a broad range of online degrees available for you to choose from so that you can complete your degree on your own time and on your own terms.
Experts explain that an education degree is a great starting point for many careers. It also is an excellent certification to hold when searching for job opportunities at nonprofits that may be a great fit for you as you seek to have an impact on the world.
Change comes from within. Once you’ve made your decision to act for your community, connect with others who have the same goals to work together on achieving them. You and the world will both be better for it.