September 2010: Making a World of Difference
Start making a difference by participating on the national day of doing good and helping others — Make A Difference Day: October 23, 2010. Make A Difference Day is the nation's largest day of citizens volunteering to make communities stronger. In 2009, three million people across the world participated in volunteer projects on this day. It is a great opportunity to get involved in volunteering for the first time ever, or to step up regular volunteer project efforts by planning something extra.
Get started by reading the Make A Difference Day brochure and then look around the community and decide what is needed. Are people hungry, homeless, or ill? Are parks or schools dirty or neglected? No matter where you live, there is a need nearby. Want more ideas? Learn from these real-life projects to get examples for businesses, K-12 schools, teens, and college students.
Get Make A Difference Day updates, learn about opportunities to help in your community, and share your own volunteer experiences at facebook.com/makeadifferenceday. Find out more about Make A Difference Day and how you can get involved this Oct. 23, 2010, at makeadifferenceday.com.
Video: Make a Difference Day
Make a Difference 365 Days a Year
After participating in Make A Difference Day, continue contributing by doing good and helping others every day – here are some project ideas that can be used year-round:
- Renew the planet
Complete a project that will benefit the earth — plant a tree, replace bulbs and adjust thermostats, take public transportation, or start a backyard or community compost. - Revive the economy
Try a project that will help strengthen our economy – organize a food drive, donate eyeglasses, volunteer at a local tax preparation office, collect in-kind donations for shelters, or teach youth good financial practices. - Recognize youth
Start a project that encourages and supports young people in the community – refurbish or build a playground, organize a service-learning activity, donate art supplies to a local school, or organize a book drive. - Support veterans and the troops
Contact your local Veterans Affairs facility and participate in their events, or teach children about veterans. For more information on how to help soldiers serving overseas, go to www.ourmilitary.mil.
Make sure to register your project so that it can be viewed by interested volunteers, other people looking for good project ideas, and news media looking for good stories to tell. For those who do not wish to run a whole project, there are other ways to make a difference — here are just a few ideas:
Find a local volunteer opportunity that you can participate in regularly- Make a regular donation to a cause or organization that you believe in. Find a charity at charitynavigator.org or start contributing through justgive.org.
- Get a job in the nonprofit sector
Ready to make a difference? Whether you pledge to contribute on a daily, monthly, or yearly basis, make the commitment and start changing the world one step at a time. Take action today!
MORE RESOURCES
Effective Practices
- Assessing potential partnerships with community-based organizations
- Generating a list of 100 ways teens can serve their communities
- Mobilizing a community with a Neighborhood Watch program
- Volunteering by, in, and with low-income communities
- Providing childcare to increase participation in neighborhood events
- Honoring ordinary heroes through a community service project
Bibliographic Records
- The Difference a Day Makes: 365 Ways to Change Your World in Just 24 Hours
- The Kid's Guide to Service Projects: Over 500 Service Ideas for Young People Who Want to Make a Difference
- The Idealist.org Handbook to Building a Better World: How to Turn Your Good Intentions into Actions that Make a Difference
- Be the Change! Change the World. Change Yourself.
- Make a Difference: America's Guide to Volunteering and Community Service
