How to Be "Good" All Year-Round

It's that time of year again. People, songs, signs - all reminding us that it 'tis the season to be jolly, to be helpful, or, in short, to be a decent person. We are being bombarded with reminders to exhibit goodwill towards our fellow human beings. I firmly believe, as do millions of others, that the holiday season is not the only time for exhibiting such acts of goodwill. There are, in fact, 365 days which we can dedicate to doing something to improve the world around us, or oftentimes helping people in places that seem to be worlds away. At the start of every year, we try to make resolutions, ranging from joining a gym to finding ways to help others. Why wait for the ball to drop to act on these resolutions, or the Holiday Season to guilt us into action? I'm not referring to the gym-membership. Why should we wait for an election year or the holidays to find the word "Hope" surrounding us. You'll have to forgive me if you find this cliche, but I think that being realistic and optimistic are not mutually exclusive. The world out there is full of hopeful young people ready to change the world, even if they are without the money and resources to do so. They still hope. They still act. And quite honestly, it IS making a difference.

Of course, when we take a look at the world around us - war, genocide, terrorism, world hunger, global warming (the list goes on) - it is hard to know where to start. Especially with the state of the economy, it is difficult to allocate the funds to donate to organizations that help individuals and causes around the world . There is no doubt that this is a decidedly stressful time to give money to charitable organizations, and they have been suffering. Many NPOs in the United States and worldwide have been reeling from the effects of a bad economy - falling short on yearly goals, cutting programs, and, in some cases, closing their doors. Even when the economy is better, it is still hard to dedicate one's time, energy and money to extra activities. We research some causes, sign up for the newsletter, send in a little money when we can, and we may even receive a picture of a young child wearing shoes they didn't have before. Soon, life takes over. We are busy with the mundane-but-necessary tasks that consume our days, leaving us in complete confusion at where our time has gone. Add the economy, and it seems impossible to do the good deeds that we have always wanted to do. There are, however, still ways in which you can help your favorite charities and causes.

In fact, with minimal cost, in both time and money, you can still make a difference. Here are a few ways in which you can help.

1. Volunteer: This may seem like a time consuming alternative to donating money, however it will not only help whichever organization you choose to work with; it will also enrich your life in ways you may not have imagined. You can do anything from tutor two hours a week in an after-school program, share your artistic skills to enrich a young person's life, plant community gardens, or even volunteer your time online. You will meet incredible individuals, learn about different cultures, and find that you have skills to share that you weren't aware of.

I know that it is extremely hard to find the time to do all of the things that we want to do, but there are easy ways to incorporate volunteerism into your life. Online volunteering is a fantastic way to include good deeds into your daily routine without actually having to leave the comfort of your office or home. What can you do to help others online? The following are several sites that can help you find the perfect way to give your time online.

- http://www.onlinevolunteering.org/en/index.html (This is the site of the United Nations Online Volunteering Service. This is a fantastic opportunity for individuals to use their skills and expertise to help others worldwide. Whether you are a writer, an engineer, a web designer, or have any kind of special skills that communities could benefit from, you can find an opportunity here.)

-http://www.volunteermatch.org/

- http://www.serviceleader.org/new/virtual/

-http://www.worldvolunteerweb.org/browse/volunteering-issues/online-volunteering.html

-http://www.idealist.org (I'm always surprised at how many people are unaware of Idealist. It is a great recourse for volunteering, staying connected to the non-profit community, finding jobs in NPOs around the world and much, much more.)

Another option is to check with your favorite charities and see if they have any specific way in which you can volunteer. This can range from coming into the office to help with some files or event planning, helping with after-school programs, or sending out pre-stamped holiday mailings to your friends and loved ones.

If you would like to get your family involved with your philanthropic interests, there are many ways to turn volunteering into a family outing or vacation. If your children are old enough, why not take two weeks or longer to work in orphanages or schools, or help with various community projects around the world? This isn't restricted to families. College students can go on alternative Spring Breaks. Young professionals can use the opportunity to take a career break or take a vacation with old friends. These are two of the many sites that can help you plan an exciting, educational and culturally invigorating alternative to the beach or ski slopes.

- http://www.crossculturalsolutions.org

-http://www.globeaware.org

2. Green is the new black: When I first researched "going green", it seemed as though it would require drastic life changes that I was not sure I could fully commit to. I recycle, bring my own environmentally friendly bags to the grocery store, and take public transportation or walk. I try to buy locally grown products and the right light bulbs. That seemed to be enough. However, a very "green" friend of mine recommended this site: http://www.treehugger.com/. I have been on it a few times, and it has some fantastic recommendations for easy ways to make your life, and the lives of generations to come, a bit greener. It has ideas for everything from green gifts and grocery lists to simple ways of making your house more eco-friendly. It also provides an insanely large amount of information green technology, environmental politics and even green beauty tricks.

3. Search the world-wide web: This may seem like a silly suggestion. We all use the internet countless times during the course of a day for personal and work-related reasons. How does that help? Go to http://www.goodsearch.com/ . Their motto is "You search, we give". What could be easier? You simply follow the instructions by choosing your charity (my support goes to Seeds of Peace), add GoodSearch to your toolbar, and then use it instead of Google or Yahoo to do your searches. Every time you search, GoodSearch donates to your organization of choice. Take it a step further. When looking for the perfect (and affordable) holiday, birthday, anniversary or anytime-gift, use GoodShop,which is supported by GoodSearch. (http://www.goodsearch.com/goodshop.aspx). GoodShop will donate up to 30% of your purchase (depending on the store) to your charity. You can choose from over 700 stores, ranging from Target to Nordstrom or Ebay and Flowers.com. Even ordering pictures online at Kodackgallery.com can help you make a difference.

4. Think outside the beautifully gift-wrapped box for your special occasions: What do you get the person that has everything? Or even the person that has everything that you could afford to buy? There are several charity-friendly and charity-sponsored options, ranging from cards, jewelry, clothing or even the gift of giving. The latter may seem confusing, but you can donate in a friend or loved one's name or even purchase goats (yes, goats) for a family in need of goats in honor of your friend or loved one. The following are sites that help you find unusual gifts from around the world:

- http://donate.worldvision.org/OA_HTML/xxwvibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?minisite=10020§ion=10024&go=gift&§ion=10024

-http://www.charitygiftcertificates.org/

- http://www.gifts.com/interests/charity-volunteering/ohra354icp

-http://www.justgive.org/ (This site gives links to holiday cards and charitable registries (I personally think this is a FANTASTIC idea. Instead of creating a bridal registry with a hundred things you don't need, give to those in need. Beautiful!)

-http://www.wearyourmusic.org/catalog/index.php (This is a great idea for any music lover. You can purchase a bracelet made out of guitar strings and the proceeds will go to one of tWear Your Music's partner organization. Some of the bracelets are designed by various artists and are stamped with their signatures. Others are extremely simple. They also create earings and other jewelry out of pics. Prices on the bracelets start at $9.99. Or you could buy one signed by Keith Richards or Eric Clapton for $500.00.

- http://www.youthaids-aldo.org/ ( These bracelets share the story of a child from the Rebero Orphan Center in Rwanda. Each bracelet features artwork created by these children, and 100% of the prophets go to YouthAIDS. They also only cost $5.)

- http://www.gap.com/browse/division.do?cid=16591&tid=gpvan011 (It's been hard not to be inspi-red by the campaign started by GAP in 2006.)

- http://one.shop.musictoday.com/ (Help make poverty an issue of the past by purchasing anything from music to hats and t-shirts.)

And of course...

-http://thebcmall.stores.yahoo.net/ (All I have to say is "Pink")

5. Educate yourself: If we truly want to contribute to causes, we need to understand the situation. Armed with knowledge, you can not only better serve the cause you choose; you can also share your knowledge with friends, family and co-workers and expand your cause's sphere of influence to include those around you. We often take for granted that others are aware of or truly understand any given situation in the world (we often over-estimate our own knowledge, for that matter). In many cases, we can be unaware of the monstrosities occurring in our own communities or country, let alone those occurring to people in other countries. Knowledge will hopefully lead to understanding which leads to empathy and respect which continues on. It all makes a difference.

As you can see there are a variety of affordable ways in which you can contribute to causes, ranging from Breast Cancer to AIDS and hunger to global warming, and this list of suggestions hardly begins to scratch the surface of information available. This is simply a small taste of the easy ways to contribute to the causes you are so passionate about, and find new causes to learn about. It's never to late (or early) to start.