Take a Stand and
Make a Difference
Getting involved in the community.
by Dr. Keith Taylor
TWEENS & TEENS News April
2007
When you’re young, life seems to
have endless limitations: curfews, the need
for permission to go out, restrictions on
who you can hang out with and what you can
do. With so many boundaries, tweens and teens
can even feel powerless about taking the initiative
to do charity work. But you’re not alone
in this feeling of helplessness; many adults
experience it too. Similarly, some people,
young and old, believe that you must give
$1 million to make a difference. This is not
true. By giving the amount that feels right,
be it materials, time or small change, teens
can work together to end the suffering that
so many people endure.
There are many ways that young adults can
give back to the community. The following
ideas are just a starting point for helping
to make the world a better place.
Donate Time.
Volunteering is an overlooked form of charity,
though time and support are often crucial.
Here are several easy ways to get involved
in your community:
•Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Research
various soup kitchens in your area, and get
your parents and friends to go with you once
a month to serve food to the less fortunate.
Even if you spend just a half hour serving
food to homeless people, you are lending a
hand that wasn’t otherwise there.
•Read with elementary students after
school. Younger children look up to teens.
By devoting time to read with younger kids
after school, you set a great example for
them to follow.
•Volunteer at nursing homes. Isn’t
the greeting you get when you visit your grandparents
the best? In general, the elderly are delighted
to be greeted by a cheerful face. Once a month,
go to a local nursing home and play board
games with the senior citizens. Take your
friends along and make it a fun group outing.
You may just make new friends who are older
and wiser during the adventure.
•Offer to help your house of worship
with spring cleaning. Just like homes, churches,
synagogues, mosques and other houses of worship
have to take part in spring cleaning. Many
things get stored after community activities
and never get used again. Offer to help with
spring cleaning. And instead of throwing everything
away, suggest taking the gently used materials
to a homeless shelter or Goodwill center.
You could also propose a yard sale where the
proceeds would go to a local soup kitchen
or nonprofit organization.
Donate Materials.
We all possess items we no longer use that
just take up space. Instead of letting your
old things collect dust, find a local charity
or shelter that could then give the goods
to people in need.
•Donate old clothes. Every city has
a homeless shelter or Goodwill center that
could benefit from clothes that no longer
fit but are still in good condition. Ask your
parents to get involved, and clean out the
old clothes and shoes from everyone’s
closets. Then take a family trip to a shelter
or clothing center.
•Host coat drives. Many people cannot
afford new winter clothes every year. Ask
your parents, friends and neighbors for old
coats, and take them to a local homeless shelter
or Goodwill center. Really get the effort
going by teaming up with school administrators
to host a winter clothing drive at your school.
•Collect and donate canned food. A
lot of households keep canned food stored
in cabinets, and parents often forget about
the nonperishables. Before your parents go
grocery shopping, ask if there is any unused
food in the cabinets that you could donate
to feed people in need. Be sure to check the
expiration dates and only donate canned foods
that are still valid.
Donate Money.
Realizing you are still a student and you
may not have money to just give away, these
next two ideas may not be feasible. However,
many teens work part-time jobs and it only
takes spare change to make a difference. Discuss
your charitable plans with your parents first.
•Donate the change from your lunch
money. Your leftover small change can help
someone in need in a big way. There are many
organizations that accept small change donations.
Ask your parents to help you research such
local organizations, as well as national charities
online.
•Donate a portion of your allowance
to a charity. Research local organizations
that support a cause to which you would like
to contribute. Turn to the Internet to find
organizations that have made it simple for
anyone to donate money, especially teenagers.
These are all great ways to offer your time
to benefit people in need, but the best way
to get involved is to find something that’s
important to you and something you enjoy that
benefits the community. If you love to play
basketball, for example, coach a youth team
in an underprivileged area. If you love to
cook, create a meal program to help single
parents who work.
Volunteering is a rewarding experience that
leaves you feeling good about yourself and
what you have accomplished. Charity doesn’t
take away from anything you have— instead,
it gives back to the community and gives you
a feeling of accomplishment.
Keep in mind that there is always someone
in the world who could benefit from a caring
individual like you. You’re never too
young to take a stand and support a cause.
Dr. Keith Taylor is the founder and executive
director of Modest Needs Foundation. Learn
more at www.ModestNeeds.org.
April brings Community Service Month &
Earth Day. How can you better the world?
