There are plenty of ways to do good and feel good this Valentine's
Day. Here are Fawcett's favorites.
1. Will You Be My…Volunteer? There's no shortage of ways you can help.
Volunteer at a local soup kitchen, animal shelter, or favorite
nonprofit, or offer to tutor a child in reading or math. You can find
loads of opportunities on http://www.VolunteerMatch.org, or check out
http://www.DoSomething.org, which helps younger folks rock the causes
they care about.
2. Put the "Fun" in Fundraising. If you're taking that special someone
out for a pricey dinner, why not have your bill go to a good cause?
Check your newspaper or online city pages for Valentine-themed
fundraisers that support local nonprofits. Or better yet, throw your
own happy hour or party, and donate the proceeds to charity.
3. Give a Little Bit. Sometimes a little helps a lot. Looking to put
your money where your mouth is? Donate a dollar a day to a cause that
calls to you through http://www.Philanthroper.org. Or support students
and classrooms in need in your hometown through
http://www.DonorsChoose.org.
4. Send Love Letters. Not just to your sweetheart, but to people and
organizations that are doing good things for the world. Tell them why
you respect and appreciate their work, and that they really do make a
difference. If you're feeling extra romantic, include a donation.
5. Reach Out to Those in Need. Deliver homemade Valentine's cards or
heart-shaped cookies to the sick, the elderly, the homeless — and
their caregivers. Call a local childrens' hospital, nursing home,
domestic violence or homeless shelter and ask how you can donate an
hour or two of your time.
5. Give Gifts That Give. There are dozens of charitable shopping sites
and online nonprofit stores selling gifts for a good cause. Look for
red Motorola phones, Gap T-shirts and iPods from Apple to support the
(Red) Campaign, or find cause-specific gifts to alleviate hunger,
breast cancer, deforestation and more at http://www.GreaterGood.org.
Can't find the perfect gift for your special someone? Give a Good Card
through http://www.NetworkforGood.org.
6. Remember Those Who Serve You. Think of all those people who make
your life easier and more convenient — every single day. Give a
thank-you card to the bus driver or the barista who serves you your
latte. Personally thank the janitor who keeps your office or campus
clean, or the people who pick up your trash. Leave your waiter an
extra tip, and smile–big–at the gas station attendant.
7. Clean Your Closets. Get a head start on spring-cleaning and donate
clothes, toys, furniture, household items, and old computers to
nonprofits accepting them. Check your local Big Brothers Big Sisters,
Salvation Army, or Goodwill Industries.
8. Love Your Mother (Earth). Take the trash challenge: For one day,
see if you can generate zero trash. Zip, nada, nothing. No cardboard
boxes, no disposable containers, no bottled water. Think of what you
can reduce and re-use, and call your county or city waste management
to find out about local compost programs.
9. Get Your Heart Pumping. Charity walks and runs raise money for a
good cause and get you moving in the great outdoors. Bring the family
or your co-workers along to make it a team event. To find an event,
check your local American Heart Association or a local runners' club,
such as Road Runners Club.
10. Adopt a Pet for a Day. Offer to take care of a pet for an ill or
homebound neighbor. Volunteer at your local animal shelter to take the
dogs for a walk. Or adopt an endangered species through the World
Wildlife Fund, and you'll get a lovable stuffed pet and adoption
certificate.
11. Be a Fair-Trade Valentine. Buy certified fair-trade chocolate from
companies that ensure that small-scale farmers receive higher and more
stable prices for their cocoa. Try Theo, Equal Exchange, or Alter-Ego
Fair Trade.
12. Say it With Organic Flowers. Buy fresh organic blooms from your
local farmer's market, or send a bunch from Organic Bouquet, which
donates 10 percent to charities like CARE, the Global Fund for Women,
and the American Red Cross.
13. Be Kind While You Dine. Taking your sweetie for a steak dinner
this V-Day? Choose a restaurant that sources its meat from
sustainable, humanely treated and harvested animals & farms. Visit
Sustainable Table's http://www.EatWellGuide.org to find vendors that
offer farms and stores that sell sustainably raised meat. For seafood
lovers, download the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch app for
your smart phone.
14.Continue to Support Disaster Relief. We don't hear much about Haiti
or the Gulf Coast on the news these days, but these disasters are in
need of much support. Here are a few ideas: Adopt a Brown Pelican
through the International Bird Rescue Research Center, which picks up
oiled birds, cleans and rehabilitates them. Or provide direct support
to those facing financial devastation due to the Gulf Coast spill by
donating at Protect Your Coastline. For Haiti and other world
disasters, consider supporting an organization like Doctors Without
Borders, which sends medical and non-medical aid workers to countries
whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe.
15. Say "I Do" to Charitable Weddings. Tying the knot this year?
Consider creating a charitable gift registry through the
http://www.IDoFoundation.org and its many retail and nonprofit
partners.
16. Celebrate with Small Acts of Kindness. Valentine's Day isn't the
only holiday this week: February 14-20th is Random Acts of Kindness
Week. What can you do? Pay for a coffee, lunch, or a toll for the
person behind you in line. Tape the exact change for a soda to a
vending machine. Send cards with joyful messages to strangers. Collect
canned goods for a food bank. Shovel a neighbor's driveway, or babysit
a friend's child, for free. Visit http://www.ActsofKindness.org for
hundreds of other ideas.
**
Elaine Gast Fawcett is a writer and consultant. She runs
http://www.FourWindsWriting.com, a national consulting firm providing
top-notch strategic communications for foundations, charitable
organizations, nonprofits and socially conscious companies.
