Make a Difference Day is the nation’s largest day of volunteering. It is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 27,2012. You and your children can make a difference in your neighborhood, nationally, or in the world by doing something simple, yet meaningful.
Neighborhood: Pick up trash from a schoolyard or local park. Adopt a section of roadway and keep it litter free. Donate old clothes and household items to a local shelter. Collect canned goods and deliver it to a local food bank. Visit sick children or seniors and sing songs or play games with them. I am sure you can come up with many other ways to help your neighbors.
Nation: Support your local STOCKINGS FOR SOLDIERS campaign by collecting items to be shipped overseas for soldiers serving our country. Go tot the stockingsforsoldiers.org website for a list of needed items and where to send them.
Globally: Help a family or individual in developing countries to be self-sufficient by purchasing all or part of a domestic animal through Heifer International. This wonderful program enables families to bring themselves out of poverty by raising their standard of living with the help of a farm animal that would provide meat, eggs or wool that can be sold. The families then pass on the gift to others. Go to http://www.heifer.org for details.
Every time we give of ourselves, we get back much more than we’ve given. Make a difference.
Darlene Beck-Jacobson 