7 Cost-Efficient Ways To Give Back To Your Community

It is our collective responsibility to give back and leave this world a little better than we found it. There are many ways to contribute to the development of your community. If you’re hoping to enrich your neck of the woods but don’t have the financial means to do so, then why not give one of these easy, cost-efficient options a try?

1. Donate your time

If you’re on a tight budget but still want to help out, you could donate something that might even be more valuable than money — your time. Participate in a community clean-up or find a soup kitchen to volunteer at. Local animal shelters could always use the extra help and a trip to a local nursing home to socialise with the residents can make the world of difference. If you have a unique skill set that could benefit your fellow man in some way, why not use it to better your society too?

2. Donate items instead

One of the best ways to give back to your community on a budget is to donate items that you no longer need but can still be useful to someone else. You could visit your local hospice, children’s homes, animal shelter, or soup kitchen to find out if they are in need of something specific.

3. Try to support local

Whenever you shop locally, you support a member from your local area and everybody they utilise. You might not think of your everyday shopping as a way to give back to the community, but it actually can be. You're assisting with creating a positive financial effect right where you reside. Also, consider leaving a positive review for businesses that you’ve had past positive interactions with or even sharing their contact information with friends and family on your social pages.

4. How about donating some blood?

Giving blood will cost you nothing but it could save someone’s life. Giving a donation of blood is a quick and free way to make a big difference in someone’s life. Donating just one unit of blood can be processed into 3 components to save up to 3 lives. Hospitals and clinics run through blood very quickly, so every drop counts when it comes to saving lives. Try to get your community more involved by getting as many people as possible to donate blood with you. It could make a huge impact.

5. Why not start a community garden?

The benefits of a community garden far extend that of being out in the fresh air, exercising and providing food to the less fortunate. It provides the opportunity to set an example for the next generation by showing them how much work it takes to produce food and why it should not be taken for granted or wasted. Food-growing projects are a great way to get participants to speak the same language – the language of caring. With plenty of jobs in a garden, there’s bound to be something to suit every ability or skill. It’s also an exceptionally effective way of bringing people together.

6. Promote causes on social media

Just because you can’t support the cause nearest to your heart financially, doesn’t mean others can’t. Sometimes it’s as easy as making someone aware of a problem for them to do something about it. You can use your social media presence to drive awareness for a certain cause that you believe needs more assistance. You never know who might also share and get even more people involved in the activity.

7. Give back with RE/MAX

RE/MAX runs an annual Coats & Cans collection drive over the Winter months where participating RE/MAX Offices act as collection points for warm clothes, blankets, and tinned food for homeless shelters, as well as pet food & blankets for pet shelters. To keep up to date with our latest collection drives, support our causes and see how our agents and offices give back to their communities, be sure to follow us on social media.