ChatDD Blog

Just a few suggestions on what you can do to help others…

#1 Donate your professional clothes to an organization that helps people get back into the workforce
#2 Give gently worn home furnishings or household appliances to a person or family who might need them, or donate them to an organization.
#3 Take warm clothes, blankets or food to a homeless person that you often cross paths with.
#4 Donate toys and books to a homeless organization. Toys and books are just as important to kids as food and shelter.
#5 When shopping, buy a couple of extra non-perishable food items and take them to a food drive or pantry.
#6 Make an extra serving of dinner and bring it to a homeless person in your neighborhood.
#7 Donate age-appropriate learning materials to your local schools.
#8 Write notes of appreciation to schoolteachers, principals, nurses, custodians, and secretaries.
#9 Read with your children every day.
#10 Start them early. Bring toddlers and preschoolers to the library to choose books for reading at home.
#11 Give your gently used books to a local school or organization that can help under-privileged children.
#12 Spread the joy of reading — read to your friend or neighbor’s child too.
#13 Pick up trash on the playground or around the schoolyard of your local school.
#14 Rake leaves and pull weeds at your local elementary school.
#15 Thank the school bus driver for taking your kids safely to school everyday.
#16 Make improvements to the teachers’ lounge at a school in your neighborhood.
#17 Give blood.
#18 Go on a walk with friends or neighbors for a little exercise or conversation.
#19 Assemble and deliver a basket of vegetables or fruit and a few flowers for a homebound person.
#20 Sew, knit, or crochet comfort items — small quilts, hats, stuffed animals — for the local hospital.
#21 When visiting a hospital, spend a few minutes with someone who might like a visitor, but ask first!
#22 On your way to the grocery store, ask a homebound or elderly neighbor if there is anything you can pick up for them.
#23 Accompany a friend to a doctor’s appointment if they could use the support.
#24 Share your favorite healthy recipe with a friend or family member.
#25 Encourage friends who are trying to quit smoking.
#26 Teach someone about good nutrition.
#27 Be a daily medication reminder for someone.
#28 Take care of yourself first, with a healthy diet and activity.
#29 Tell your children why you love them. Be specific.
#30 Help them appreciate art. Create a craft project with a child.

#31 Make dinner with a teenager, or find any other excuse to keep them in the room with you for some conversation.

#32 Involve your children in your daily routine — preparing meals, setting the table or cleaning up — they like to feel helpful.
#33 Ask your children to go through their toys and donate some of them to those who are less fortunate.
#34 Children learn by watching — lead by example.
#35 Offer to keep an eye on the kids of a busy neighborhood mom or dad if they need to run an errand.