Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Helping friends and family
• Part 2 of 3: Helping in your environment
• Part 3 of 3: Offer free help online
• Tips
• Warnings

There are many things you can do to help other people in your area - be it doing family chores or volunteering at a home for the homeless. Even little things can make a person's day brighter.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Helping friends and family

1. Ask what you can do to help. Talk to a family member or friend and ask what they especially need help with, then offer to help. By offering this before they have to ask you, you show that you care.
   • Remember to actually do what they asked for. Just asking doesn't help them.
   • Make it a habit to ask around in your circle of friends and family what they need. Before you know it, offering a helping hand will become second nature to you!
2. Listen. Often people just need someone who listens to them kindly without judging. When someone brings up about themselves or about a difficult time that they will have to go through, don't jump in between talking about your own feelings, thoughts, and stories.
   • Practice active listening. When listening to someone, stay focused on what the other person is saying. Look at the speaker and let go of distracting thoughts. If your mind wanders, the other person will notice and not feel like you are listening.
   • Try to avoid judging the person you are listening to. Not only will this make the conversation less open, but it will also make the other person feel like they can't entrust their thoughts to you.
3. Offer to take over certain tasks or chores. When someone is busy or tense, other things that need to be done can be lost. Go to what your friends and family don't have time to do on their own and make time to take over those tasks for them.
   • Do something like make a meal and then bring it to their house during a particularly busy or tense time so they don't have to worry about preparing the food themselves. This is an especially helpful thing to do for someone who has just lost a loved one or has become ill.
   • Offer to babysit younger siblings or friends' children to give parents a much needed break.
4. Send something to let them know you're thinking about them. Often people may feel like they are cut off from friends and family and feel very lonely as a result. Let a friend or family member know that you think of them and that they are important to you. It doesn't have to be a grand gesture, something small is fine.
   • Write a nice email or letter stating a reason why you like the recipient. Maybe you reminisce about something fun or crazy you did together. If a family member recently passed away or became ill (or is struggling with depression) tell them why they are important to you.
   • Prepare a care package. For example, put in some of your own baking or small things that the other person might like. If the other likes to knit, add a ball of wool in beautiful colors, for example.

Part 2 of 3: Helping in your environment

1. Become volunteer. Volunteering is a great way to help others in your area. Find a shelter for the homeless or a soup kitchen, and spend some time doing what needs to be done there. Not only do you help others with this, but you also get a new perspective on your own life.
   • Work in a women's shelter and help women and children with traumatic experiences to get back on their feet.
   • Teach children without a home at the shelter near you so they can stay in school and not lag behind because the economy has been unfavorable for their families.
   • Volunteer at a hospice and sincerely hear the stories of the people who spend their last days of life there. They will give you a broader perspective on the blessings and difficult times you will face in your life.
2. Donate to important goals. This could be anything from donating money to charity or something like clothing that a food bank or shelter is craving. If you do not have any money to spare, look at things you do not use and check what you can do without and what is in good condition.
   • Donate foods such as unopened foods, healthy long-life items such as canned soup or beans.
   • Give toys to the local shelter and food banks. Many of the children who hide there do not have any toys of their own.
   EXPERT TIP

   Give presents a different destination. Instead of getting tons of new gifts for your birthday or holiday (like Santa Claus and Christmas) every year, ask friends and family to donate money to charities or some other important cause.

   • You can even set up a fund where people can donate. For example, create a fund to help children from low-income families so that they can still go to college.
3. Stop to help. If you see someone on the street who has dropped their groceries or has no money for the bus, help clean up or give some money. It usually doesn't take much to help someone else.
   • Keep in mind that the other person does not always need help. If they say "No, thank you." Or "I'll be fine", persistence will usually only annoy the other person. You won't always be able to tell if the other person needs your help, but it's better not to get involved if the other is angry or in a hurry. However, if they don't accept your help, ask again. If they stick with it, leave that person alone.

Part 3 of 3: Offer free help online

It is not always possible to donate a significant amount of time or money to charities. However, there are methods online that are both free and convenient, giving anyone with the Internet access to help.

1. Play FreeRice. This is a simple website where you answer questions to donate rice to people in need. This works through the UN World Food Program. Every time you answer a question, 10 grains of rice will be donated. There are multiple categories, including vocabulary and geography.
2. Write wikiHow articles. wikiHow is always looking for good editors and writers.
3. Use click-to-give websites such as GreaterGood. When you do this, make sure they donate to useful charities. For example, a part of this website donates to Autism Speaks, which is a cause that usually does more harm than good. But the other departments are completely legitimate charities.
4. Download the extension Tab for a Cause. This is an extension where every time you open an empty tab, a customizable dashboard appears with a small ad as your default new tab. The proceeds from the ad are then spent on charities, based on the percentage of users' votes (1 tab is 1 vote).
5. Just listen to someone's problems. This will show a person that you are actually interested and you can try to figure out that person's problem.

Tips

• Help can be anything, as long as you mean it sincerely. Even a simple smile, "hello" or compliment can make someone happier again!
• Don't forget that every effort, no matter how small, counts!
• Helping out is also a great way to make new friends. Once people know they can trust you, they will help you faster.
• Hospitals and youth associations offer many opportunities for volunteering.
• Donating online depends on the advertisements shown on the screen in order to obtain the money they work with. An adblocker will make this impossible. Depending on your adblocker, it may be possible to deactivate it for certain websites.

Warnings

• Don't always expect a reward or appreciation.What really matters is that you have been able to help someone.