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Easy Ways to Spread Kindness in Your Community and Beyond

"and in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make" ~ The Beatles

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I'm spreading the word about websites, organizations, and people who provide ample opportunities for every day philanthropy -- even for those who don't have much (or any) money. To a certain degree, I believe in karma (it means "action")...and I assert that acts of kindness are nothing less than vital investments in our global community.

Anyone can make a deposit here in the Great Big Bank of Karma -- the interest is outstanding and 100% guaranteed!

The bank has no boundaries....as any of the Sesame Street characters will tell you, we are all earthlings!

Here are all the branches of the "bank" - and my ideas for giving, even when you think you don't have anything to give!
(Sites are listed in alphabetical order.)

The American Red Cross is always looking for blood donors. It's one of the easiest ways to be a philanthropist, and just about everyone is eligible. You save lives and it doesn't cost a penny. From this page you can make an appopintment to give blood at a local donation site. They treat you like a hero and give you a sticker and cookies and orange juice afterwards, too!

Animal Haven For as little as $10/month, you can help save an abandoned NYC animal's life. Choose a deserving cat or dog at their website. You'll get updates on 'your' animal. You can visit, send treats or toys - or even take your pet home for good. Another way to help is to give a special gift by sponsoring a pet in someone's name. If you chip in with a friend or two, the cost amounts to pocket change.

Book Crossing's goal is to make the world a library. How? You read a book, register it at the website, then "release" it into the "wild!" Look me up at BookCrossing under "winklett," of course. This is a fun activity and anyone can participate, anywhere in the world!

Care 2 Make a Difference! Discover, share, take action! A collection of information and websites for green living, health, human rights, and more. Thanks to Diane, internet running soon! for pointing this great site out to me.

Christian Children's Fund provides assistance to needy children throughout the world, regardless of race, religion, or gender. Yes, this costs money - $24.95 a month...but if you pool with a friend or two, you're only giving up the price of a movie ticket or that daily cup of cappucino at the coffee house. The difference you can make in a child's life is tremendous. My family sponsors a ten year-old girl named Jana from Domenica, and the money is charged to my credit card every month. I used to go see a film every Friday with a friend - now we do craft projects instead, which gives us more time to talk and interact anyway.

The Generosity Game is creating a wave of good deeds around the world while leaving anonymous calling cards. I had already been doing this on my own when I found this site. You can buy cards from the site, or do what I did - buy them for shipping-only (I think it's $5.95 for 500 cards) from VistaPrint. My favorite way to use the cards is to tape two quarters to one of them and leave it at a phone booth, or pay for the person behind me at the drive thru and then ask the cashier to give them one of the cards and tell them their order has been paid for.

Giveline is a a revolutionary online store created for the community-minded shopper. Every transaction in their store generates a charitable contribution to your favorite non-profit organization. Thanks to Tigger thinks of Prancer for pointing this one out to me.

Heifer International Give the gift of a chicken, goat, heifer, etc. so hungry families around the world can feed themselves and become self-reliant. Children receive nutritious milk or eggs; families earn income for school, health care and better housing; communities go beyond meeting immediate needs to fulfilling dreams. Farmers learn sustainable, environmentally sound agricultural techniques. If you can pay to donate a livestock animal, great. If not, you can do what I did -- last Christmas, I asked someone to donate to Heifer International in lieu of a present for me.

The Hunger Site feeds hungry people every time you click a button. What could be easier? Also linked to the Hunger Site are similar sites for Breast Cancer, Child Health, Rain Forest, and Animal Rescue. Not linked to these pages but based on the same principle is Ecology Fund.

I Could Be Mentor Program is for teens and adults. It connects teens with adult career mentors over the Internet to help teens discover what they could be. It only takes one hour a week to send an e-mail to your mentee, and it doesn't cost a cent.

In '2' Books: A Learning Community asks its volunteers to write letters to elementary school students and help the children become better readers, writers, and thinkers. This is your opportunity to be a coach, a catalyst, and a role model to a child. By sharing your love of learning through an exchange of letters and ideas, you open up new worlds to young minds. It's fun, rewarding, and free!

Just Give.org Whether you want to donate furniture and clothing, computers, cars, cell phones, pet supplies, eyeglasses, your hair, or even your organs, you can find a resource here. This is a great place for those who want to help others but don't have any money to spare.

Kiva - Loans That Change Lives Kiva lets you lend to a specific entrepreneur in the developing world - allowing them to lift themselves out of poverty. The bonus part is, as loans are repaid, you get your loan money back!

Locks of Love is a charitable organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss. You can donate your hair if it's at least 10" long. When I wanted to donate my hair, I had it cut off at Fantastic Sam's, where they do it for free and send it off to Locks of Love for you. What could be easier?

Make A Child Smile is a wonderful website featuring courageous kids with life threatening illnesses. All they ask of you is to mail a nice card to one of their Featured Kids of the Month. If you can also afford to send a small gift, that would be even better! This program is great because there is no commitment, so you're not obligated to send a card/package on any kind of schedule. Every so often I'll visit the site and send off some stickers or fingerpaints to one of the kids. If you don't have any money, it'll only cost you one stamp to send off a letter!

Modest Needs gives away no-strings-attached financial assistance to people who need short term help. Yes, really! I read about Modest Needs in Reader's Digest; I was inspired by the founder's spirit of philanthropy and selflessness. Today I pledge a small amount every month to the cause. I don't miss the money because I have it taken out of my paypal account, which I replenish by selling random stuff on e-bay. Voila!

Network for Good Volunteer Program Find volunteer opportunities that match your interests and geographic location, or search for an organization by name. You can also keep a record of all your volunteer activity by using the Volunteer Record of Service to keep a private journal of your volunteer time and your experiences. It's easy - just enter your zip code and see how you can help in your area.

The One Campaign ONE is a new effort by Americans to rally Americans – ONE by ONE – to fight the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty. You can add your voice to the "One Declaration" and find other ways to help as well.

Passport in Time is a way to make helping a vacation! U.S. Forest Service archeologists need assistance in preserving history. And because it's a volunteer program, there is no fee to participate.These are real, ongoing research and management projects on national forests, grasslands, and prairies. The Forest Service professional staff of archaeologists and historians will be your hosts, guides, and coworkers. What better way to see the world and help people too?

Plant a Row For the Hungry is all about people helping people. You plant an extra row of veggies in your garden, then drop off your surplus at your local food bank or soup kitchen. It won't take that much extra time to plant and harvest that one extra row, and you only need to make one trip to drop off the surplus. What a simple way to make a huge, healthy difference in your community!

St. Jude's Ranch For Children - Send them Campbell product labels - with the labels they can get a van to transport the kids to school, doctor appointments, counseling, and other activities. This costs nothing but the price to mail them off.

War Casualties is a website remembering current allied troops who gave their lives in service to their countries. You can search for soldiers by state, branch, etc. or just press SEARCH and get the entire casualty list. There is a place where you can add your condolences to the family members of each soldier, and many of the names are accompanied by photos and/or descriptions of the deceased. This is a great opportunity to show your support for those bereaved families.

Easy Ways to Spread Kindness in Your Community and Beyond

May your kindnesses come back to you a thousandfold!

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