Have you made a difference today?

It is always a good idea to reflect on your life periodically. Have you ever said something that has changed someone’s life? Have you been kind to someone? Have you given your time to someone? Have you given a lending ear to someone who needed it? Have you been a mentor? Have you given back to your community in small ways? Have you used your education, your skills, your experience, your expertise- to help someone? Have you acknowledged and appreciated someone? Have you served other people in some way? Have you recognized and expressed a ‘thank you’ for all the people in your life? Have you talked to someone who you think might be in distress? Have you given your best to every conversation, task, and even fun activity with someone? Have you smiled at someone today?

To make a small difference around you, you don’t have to be a well-known expert, author, researcher, journalist, scientist, innovator, business genius, entrepreneur or a professional. It is everyday people, like you & I, who can contribute at their highest level and influence others. Because you count! Because you count for the people around you! Because you can make a difference!

What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.

Nelson Mandela

Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person

Mother Teresa

Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth. 

Muhammad Ali

Doing good, as they say, is its own reward. There are many ways to make a difference in lives around you and be present for others. In this post, I am talking about volunteering and giving your time to the community. Whether you are volunteering after retirement and you have some spare time in hand, or your kid is volunteering for NJHS (National Junior Honor Society in Middle School) or NHS (National Honor Society in High School), or your office requires it as a yearly commitment or you do it as a family to teach your kids so they can imbibe these values when they grow up; there are lots of opportunities for you to do that. Below are some of the places we try to volunteer on a regular basis as a family:

1. Local food bank
2. Animal shelter
3. Old age home
4. Homeless shelters
5. Local library
6. Local church
7. Charity that you donate your money to
8. Local schools: VIPS (volunteer in public school), PTO (parent teacher organizations), clubs (Math clubs, Olympiads, Destination Imagination)
9. Art Museums
10. Local or state parks

If you do find yourself with some extra time on your hands, please consider committing a few hours to community service. The benefits of volunteering includes self- gratification, connection to others, and in the process learning an entirely new set of talents to even advance your career! Do you know that volunteering is good for your body and mind as well? Volunteering alleviates stress, anger, and anxiety; combats depression; and gives you a sense of purpose making you happy and self-confident!

According to Forbes, the five surprising benefits of volunteering include making you feel like you have more time, helping you develop new skills, helping you have a healthier body and mind, helping build your experience, and making you feel more love.

 As a family, we volunteer yearly at the local food bank. In addition during the 4 breaks from school, we volunteer at local animal shelter: summer (June or July), fall (Thanksgiving break), winter (Christmas break) and spring break (1 week break in March). It also depends heavily on what your kids want to do. When our kids were younger, we barely volunteered once a year or so. Now that they are teens, they look up for opportunities themselves and register online. Most of the time, if not all, I go to volunteer with them, if possible, as it gives us a family bonding time in addition to helping out.

My older one, for her school volunteer hours, has participated in Students of the Year campaign for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), and in the student congress for the Institute of Engagement Cohort 1.

Other activities for the school hours include participating in the 30 Hour Famine at school to help fight against world hunger, and raising money to benefit people in developing countries who lack sufficient resources and food. This yearly campaign against global hunger is held in March to save the world from famine and starvation, and she has been participating for 3 years since she started high school.

Other volunteering opportunities completed by our teen include March for our lives, Mayor Youth Council, volunteering at adoption events, including Doggy Party On The Plaza/Rescue Me Parade at CITYCENTRE , and American Cancer Society Relay for Life.

Please comment below or share by email, your favorite volunteering opportunities including organizations, and let us help spread the word!