We all have opportunities every day to change the world, whether we’re adopting a Highway to patrol for litter or volunteering at a local shelter to help the homeless.
It’s amazing what just a small effort by an individual or group of individuals can do to change the world or at least their local neighborhood. Make a difference Day was established to help encourage us to take one day a year to try to make a difference in the world.
Learn about Make a Difference Day
Make a Difference Day has been crafted so that we can all come together and help people who need it the most. This could be anyone from your neighbor to the less fortunate. There are groups of people all over the world that need our help in different ways.
This includes everyone from the homeless to the elderly. Simply checking in on your elderly neighbor now and then can make a massive difference in their life. Of course, the planet needs our efforts as well, from using less plastic to going green in the home, there are lots of things we can do.
As humans, we often have a tendency to assume that we are so small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things that we are not going to be able to make a significant difference. However, this could not be further from the truth. After all, if we all do one small thing, collectively, it makes a massive difference.
Plus, sometimes all it takes is something minor to make a massive difference to someone else’s life. It does not always need to be a grand gesture. In fact, often it is as simple as giving up a little bit of your time to make someone else feel good, and this is something that we can all do.
History of Make a Difference Day
Originally created in 1992 by USA Weekend magazine, Make a Difference Day has seen a great deal of support from various organizations throughout the years and most recently has been transferred over to USA Today as its primary sponsor and organizer.
USA Today provides a central location for people to gather their information and report what they’re doing locally to Make a Difference. Since its creation Make a Difference Day has helped to encourage thousands of people across the nation to start making an actual difference in the world.
Contributions to making the world a better place have ranged from gathering stuffed bears for firefighters to give to injured and frightened children, to organizing relief efforts for victims of natural catastrophes like Hurricane Sandy. Overall Make a Difference Day has spurred people to make a difference in themselves, and the world.
How to celebrate Make A Difference Day
The ways to celebrate Make a Difference Day are limited only by your imagination, and your willingness to contribute your time and efforts to change the world. You can start celebrating by alerting people on social media to the upcoming opportunity to make a difference, and then it’s time to get truly ambitious.
Organize a food drive for your local Food Banks to help the hungry and the needy, approach businesses for donations to homeless and domestic violence shelters. You can even volunteer with your local blood bank or at a free clinic to help sign people in.
There are many organizations and places that run a food bank, including churches. A food bank is a non-profit, charitable organization that supplies food to those that do not have enough money to purchase it. It is horrible to think that in the 21st-century there are still so many people who are struggling to put food on the table. There are many different reasons why this occurs.
Research shows that 43 percent of those using food banks cite delays or benefit changes as the main reason why they don’t have enough money for food. A low income is a reason stated by 22 percent of people. Whatever the reason may be, it is the love and kindness of others that help families, senior citizens, and people from all walks of life all over the world.
Food is something a lot of us take for granted, so adding an extra tin or two to our weekly grocery bill may be something you can easily afford to do, and if you can, why not do so to help others? This can really make a difference to someone else’s life, which is what this day is all about.
There are hundreds of opportunities for those interested in changing the world to get involved, and dozens of organizations you contact to help you get involved.
Remember, making a difference doesn’t have to involve a grandiose gesture, it can be as simple as buying a coffee for a coworker who’s looking down, or lunch for a homeless person just trying to get through the day. You can even donate your old clothes and blankets to shelters to help people get back on their feet and stay warm.
No matter what you decide to do on Make A Difference Day, make sure you share it on social media with your friends, followers, and family members. This is not for the purpose of showing off. It is to gather momentum about the day itself and encourage other people to do something that will make a difference on this date.
