{"id":12781,"date":"2022-10-18T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-18T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/?p=12781"},"modified":"2023-09-22T14:51:46","modified_gmt":"2023-09-22T18:51:46","slug":"why-giving-back-matters-and-how-to-start-making-a-difference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/why-giving-back-matters-and-how-to-start-making-a-difference\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Giving Back Matters and How to Start Making a Difference"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Make a Difference Day<\/a> is a do-good and feel-good event that takes place every year on the fourth Saturday in October. Originally created by USA WEEKEND <\/em>magazine, this unique holiday has grown into an all-encompassing celebration of neighbors helping neighbors, both near and far. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to supporting the health and happiness of others through acts of service, one of the best aspects of this event is that anyone <\/em>can make a difference! Plus, the personal benefits of doing so are profound. Volunteering can be as impactful for the giver as the recipient, offering a sense of purpose and fulfillment, as well as the opportunity to meet likeminded people who are working with you to better your community. In fact, volunteering is one of the most popular Meetup topics, with more than 1.3 million members in over 1,700 groups across the globe! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you feel called to make a difference but you\u2019re not sure where to start, check out this list of volunteering ideas you can put to use on Saturday, October 22, and beyond.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Community cleanups <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Working to help protect the environment is an amazing and ever-more-necessary way to benefit your local community and the world at large. Simple actions like litter pickup can go a long way in restoring the balance between human beings and nature.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, every Thursday morning, the Fort Lauderdale Kayak, SUP, and Adventure Club<\/a> gathers for a \u201cClean Water Clean Life\u201d paddle where they remove trash from different waterways. This Meetup of more than 1,500 members is making a tangible impact on the health of local marine life. As a bonus, taking part in one of these events guarantees you a discounted kayak rental rate every time you come back! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To participate in a similar activity on Make a Difference Day itself, you could join a group like the Nashville Black Millenials<\/a>, who will be partnering with Recycle&Reinvest on a community cleanup in the neighborhood of Napier. On Saturday, October 22<\/a>, this Meetup group of more than 1,000 members will spend the morning in the streets and parks picking up trash, then celebrate in the afternoon at a block party for neighbors and volunteers.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Food drives  <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the most essential ways to benefit someone in need is by providing nutritious meals. Meetup groups like Atheists Volunteer – Greater Los Angeles<\/a> (part of the largest grassroots atheist nonprofit in California) gather regularly in partnership with local food banks to distribute meals. They\u2019re always looking for more volunteers of all backgrounds to join them in setup, assembling and organizing care packages, distribution, and clean up. At each of their food drives they distribute around 3,000 pounds of nourishment to the food-insecure population. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These direct impact volunteering events draw some of the largest and most active Meetup communities. Groups like the Chicago Fun Volunteers<\/a> (8,000 members) and Random Acts of Kindness Volunteer \/ Non-Profit Meetup<\/a> (20,000 members) host regular gatherings where they actually prepare foods from scratch before delivering them to people in need.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fundraising  <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Organizations that do vital work in the community need money to help support their staff and raise awareness for their cause. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the great things about fundraising is that there are so many different ways to do it, from straightforward donation seeking to sponsoring all kinds of awesome events. The latter method is most popular on Meetup because it\u2019s effective for generating money and generating new friendships at the same time! Here are just a few examples of upcoming events that really put the fun <\/em>in fundraiser: <\/p>\n\n\n\n