Tired of Reposting Activist Infographics but want to make a difference? Here are 4 ways.
I want to preface this article by saying that posting about world issues online is a great way to spread awareness and this article is by no means saying it should not be done. I like to spread awareness online about issues in society myself, but I also know how draining that can be and also not always the most effective.
Donate! Create a 12-month philanthropy calendar and stick with it.
Become a mini-philanthropist! Perhaps you don’t have tens of thousands of dollars to donate to all the organizations you like but don’t let that stop you. Each year research all the organizations you like that you feel are actively pursuing their cause. Choose 12 of them and allocate each one to a month of the year. I like to make mine correspond to whatever awareness is going on for that month. For example, March is Women’s History Month so choosing an organization centered around that as my March donation makes sense to me. As far donations go, don’t feel like any amount is not enough because if 100 people donated $5 one month to one organization, that’s still $500 more that they have to help people. A little goes a long way. I like this method because I find that having a set calendar makes me feel organized and like I am making some sort of impact regardless of how small it may be. The great thing is it’s only mid-January so you still have time to make a complete calendar and record donations for each month by the end of the year.
Volunteer Monthly or Quarterly at a local organization of some sort.
Time is one of our most precious assets, and giving yours to a cause is a great way to make a huge difference.
Get Involved with your local government. Show up to your city council meetings and voice concerns or email your local representatives.
As individuals, we have a much higher chance of making a difference in our own communities versus the whole country, so why wouldn’t we start there?
Plant a Garden
Planting a garden is one of the single most revolutionary things you can do in this day and age. Having sovereignty over your own food system is an incredibly big deal in a country that thrives off a toxic food system. You can confidently ensure that there are no harmful pesticides and you can also control your soil quality which is another substantial issue in the American food system today. For more details on soil health and how you can change it, there is a detailed and interesting documentary on Netflix called Killed The Ground that I highly recommend. The other great benefit of planting a garden is that you will most likely be growing foods that are native to your environment which in turn has tremendous health benefits for your body. It also reduces the need for produce to be shipped to you which is great for the environment. A more in depth peak into the benefits of eating seasonally can be found here.
