30 Ways You Can Make a Difference

Looking for ideas on how to “pay it forward” with small random acts of kindness? Make a Difference Day is Oct. 27. To celebrate, we’re sharing several ways you can make a positive impact on the world and in the lives of others. Check them out by reading on.

1. Look for a small act or a big project that can help your community be a little more eco-friendly, such as planting trees.
2. Rescue a stray animal and take it to a no-kill animal shelter in your local area.
3. Try your best to use all your meal leftovers for a week; they make tasty lunches!
4. Donate blood; just one pint can save up to three lives!
5. Forgive someone from whom you expect an apology; give, don’t expect to get.
6. Grow out your hair for a few months, cut it off, and then donate it to an organization of your choosing, such as a group that makes wigs for childhood cancer survivors.
7. Donate old or unused clothes, shoes and other items to a charity.
8. Organize a weekend drive to clean up any trash floating around your neighborhood.
9. Save a life by volunteering at the suicide hotline in your city.
10. Donate books to your local library, or help kids discover the adventure of reading by volunteering to read at a library event!
11. Avoid plastic bags for a month or even a whole year by using reusable options instead.
12. Buy a cup of coffee for the person in line after you.
13. Save an hour’s electricity than your normal consumption, daily.
14. Sponsor an entire year’s education for a child, if you can afford it.
15. If you have lots of grocery coupons, give some to the first person you meet at the store.
16. Donate a month’s-worth of art supplies to the kindergarten class at your local school.
17. Lend a helping hand with a local group that has a passion or goal that aligns with something you believe in.
18. Dedicate a day to help a friend with his (or her) aspirations and goals.
19. Donate children’s toys to a local salvation army or an orphanage.
20. Visit a senior living home in your community and read books to the residents or play an instrument.
21. Collect reusable plastic bags for recycling.
22. Help out a single parent by offering to babysit.
23. Share your snacks or lunch with a friend at work.
24. If you’re upgrading your cellphone, give your used one to someone in need, such as a veteran’s group.
25. If you have any unused cellphones lying around, donate them to women’s shelters or organizations that deal with domestic violence so women have a way to get help.
26. Mentor someone.
27. Cultivate a vegetable, fruit or herb crop in your yard, on your patio, or at a community garden.
28. Make a meal for a friend.
29. Say “Thank You” to someone today.
30. Pay someone a compliment.