Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 4: Become a good citizen
• Method 2 of 4: Get to know your environment better
• Method 3 of 4: Get involved
• Method 4 of 4: Share your skills and time
• Tips

Your neighborhood or environment will feel more alive when the people who live there love it enough to help improve it. Helping your environment makes life better for your friends, family and other people who live there. If you look around and see that there are problems in your environment, it is time to fix them. The more love you put in, the better it will get. Keep reading for ideas on how you can help make your environment strong and thriving.

To step

Method 1 of 4: Become a good citizen

1. Help when and where you are needed. It's a simple way to make a community better and help foster an atmosphere where people feel safe and happy. If you spot someone who needs help, give them your support instead of averting your eyes. Do for others what you wish they would do for you if you were in their shoes.
   • If you see a mother struggling to get her pushchair down a set of stairs, offer to help carry it.
   • If you notice someone looking lost, help them find their way.
   • Find out how you can help people who are begging for money, instead of passing them by without looking at them.
   • Be the person who helps others in need, instead of being the one who assumes someone else will.
2. Support your local economy. Healthy communities have healthy local economies. People work together to help each other earn their living and thrive. You can help improve the health of your local economy in many ways, from changing your shopping habits to starting your own business. Consider the following different ways to help:
   • Buy your food from local suppliers. Try to get most of the produce from the farmers' market, where people from your area go to sell the food they've worked hard to get.
   • Shop at local businesses when you can. For example, if you have the choice to buy a new pair of jeans from a retail chain or a small business owned by someone close to you, opt for the latter. Change your mindset from buying the cheapest product available to purchases that are most profitable to a community. Knowing that your money will boost your local economy and help create a strong, vibrant community is well worth the extra effort and expense. Help others see the light and participate in improving the financial health of the region.
   • Consider starting your own business. You can help your society by offering a great product and possibly even hiring employees.
3. Recycle and compost. Many communities have problems with overfilling landfills. Producing too much waste pollutes the environment, which is not good for the long-term health of your community. You can do your part to help improve the situation by recycling and composting your waste as much as possible.
   • If you want to do a little more, you can also make other people more aware of how to recycle, or start a recycling program at your school or workplace.
   • Composting is useful in several ways. This allows you to get rid of food waste without throwing it in the trash, ultimately leaving you with rich soil to use in your garden. Once you know how to do this, you can show others how easy it is.
4. Save energy and water. Using excessive amounts of electricity and water depletes community resources. Saving energy and water is good for the planet, as well as your local environment. Do your best to conserve energy and water and it will be an investment in a healthy region in the long run.
   • You can save energy by: switching off your lighting when you are not using it, using energy-saving devices, by being less dependent on your air conditioning, by lowering the temperature of your boiler, and by using (the adapter of) your computer from the mains when you switch it off.
   • You can save water by taking a shorter shower, keeping pipes from leaking, watering your lawn less often, and using little water for washing dishes.
5. Be less dependent on your car. Communities that rely heavily on the car often suffer from more air pollution. Air pollution is not only bad for plants and animals, it also causes major health problems for humans. Use your car less often to reduce your carbon footprint, helping your region. Here are some alternatives to try:
   • Walk or cycle to your destination. It takes a little longer, but you see more along the way.
   • Use public transportation. Even if there is no metro or train nearby, there may be bus lines that you can use.
   • Carpool to work or school, instead of driving there yourself.

Method 2 of 4: Get to know your environment better

1. Get to know people. Getting to know people in your area is a great way to find out what you can do to help. To get to know a community even better, you can start building a network by going out and meeting people. Go to local events, cafes, and get to know your neighbors. The more people you know in your area, the better.
   • To break the ice, bake some muffins or cookies and bring them with you when you meet your neighbors. Go door to door and introduce yourself. This will make it easier to start a conversation with a neighbor or invite them to your home for dinner.
2. Do some research to find out what a society needs. Before you can help a society, you need to take the time to do a little research and find out what it takes. This step is especially important if you are new to the neighborhood or if you have not really been involved in the past. Perhaps there is a river that flows through the city and is so polluted that no one can swim. Schools may need more resources to buy books and computer equipment. Perhaps the homeless population in the region needs help. Whatever it is, figure out what needs to be addressed in your area.
   • Use the Internet to perform basic searches to find out what society needs. Try to associate the name of your city with key terms such as "society's needs", "volunteering" and "problems". Try different keywords to find more.
   • Read the local newspaper (s) every week. The local newspaper is useful for getting to know the area and finding out what people are doing to tackle problems.
   • Talk to people who have lived in that area for a long time. Questions such as "What is the biggest problem facing this community?" How do people tackle that problem? "
   • Don't get overwhelmed by the magnitude and scope of the problems in your environment. Pick one thing you care about and want to change, something you're passionate about, and move on from there.
   • Find out if someone else has these feelings like you. Is there an organization to meet this need? Do you know someone who is as passionate as you are about creating change?
3. Learn about organizations. Try to find out as much as you can about local nonprofits and charities. Visit their web pages and find out what they do, who they are for and why, how they are funded and what types of volunteer work they have available. Keep track of organizations you would like to be involved with at some point.
   • Websites such as Idealist, Volunteer Match, and Serve.gov can also help you learn more about organizations looking for volunteers.
4. Look for ways you would like to help. Once you know more about your environment, start by identifying ways you can help. Think back to what you learned about the environment, your interactions with people, and what the organizations within that community need. Before you get started, ask yourself a few questions.
   • What issue within the region are you most excited about?
   • What can you best use your talents for?
   • How much time do you have and want to free up?
   • What do you need to do to start helping?

Method 3 of 4: Get involved

1. Choose a way to help. Once you find the problem you want to work on, you need to figure out how to work on it personally. Even if you don't believe that one person can change the world, you still have to realize that one person can make a difference - one step at a time. How are you going to make that difference?
   • Find out where your interests and skills converge. For example, let's say your city has too few trees and you want to do something about it. You can use social media to raise awareness of the problem, by sharing what you know with as many people as possible, and encouraging people to plant more trees.
2. Ask yourself some achievable goals. The problem you have identified may not be easy to fix; it probably requires a lot of work; maybe years of work. In fact, it is possible that after years of work, the problem is still not completely corrected. However, if you set manageable goals and keep working on them step by step, you will eventually be able to look back on them and see the progress you have made.
   • Set short-term goals for yourself. Set short-term goals that are meaningful and motivating. What do you want to achieve in a week, a month or a year?
   • Set yourself long-term goals. What do you want your environment to look like in five years? And in ten years? What do you think is feasible at that time?
3. Make a plan for getting things done. To achieve your goals you need an action plan. And implementing an action plan will likely require you to accept help and arrange funding. Write a plan outlining everything you will need to achieve a particular goal, including the following:
   • PeopleIndicate the skills required, the number of hours of work required, the minimum number of volunteers or spokespersons required to achieve the goals.
   • Resources-These can be things like: buses to transport people to the center to clean a ditch; garbage bags, shovels, protective gloves and masks for the volunteers; pizza, soft drinks and a salad for the volunteers at lunch. Think about it down to the last detail.
   • Money - Draw up a budget and its details for how much it will cost to execute your plan.
4. Ask other people to get involved. Ask around you to find out who is as excited to participate as you are. Try to form a core group of activists to implement the plan to improve your community. Everyone will have something to contribute, and together you can start to get things done. Even just telling other people about your goal and what you are doing about it can help you achieve it.
   • To find enthusiastic volunteers and make your plan known, you can share information via social media. Bring your plan to make a change to the public's attention and tell people how they can get involved. Meet with participants to discuss how you can put the plan into action.
   • Some people prefer to help by donating money instead of time. Don't be afraid to ask for donations or a fundraiser to raise money for your cause.
5. Commit yourself to persevere. Now that you have goals and an action plan for achieving those goals, it's time to get it all set up and really put in the time and effort needed to bring about change. If you back down now, your community may never see the effect of your dreams again. It won't be easy to make things better, but every little bit of effort you put into your project will make a difference.

Method 4 of 4: Share your skills and time

1. Volunteer for a group that does work that you admire. Any nonprofit or community association in your area is likely to need volunteers. Donating your time is a great way to positively impact a community and strengthen your relationships with other people around you. Find a group dedicated to work that interests you and engage with them; chances are they have a list of things you can get started with right away. Be aware that volunteering is a serious obligation. It takes organizations a lot of time and money to train volunteers, so make sure you are available and willing to help in the long run. Here are a few examples of volunteering:
   • Helping out in a park, by a river or on the beach during clean-up days
   • Answering telephones at phone calls to raise money
   • Play with cats and dogs in the animal shelter
   • Serve meals in the soup kitchen or at homeless shelters
   • Work at a crisis hotline
   • Become a counselor at a summer camp
2. Participate in neighborhood events. It is likely that other people and organizations in your area are also doing their best to improve it. They probably hold festivals, clean-up days and meetings to make the neighborhood a better place to live. How often do you attend such events? Start going to as many such days as you can. Just showing up is one way to help people in your community, because it shows that you care about it. When you feel comfortable enough, you can even volunteer to help out during these events.
   • For example, if someone you know organizes a "Bike to work or school" day on Monday morning and you have a bike, why not give it a try? Also try to enthuse other people. Show people in your community that cycling is fun.
   • Participate in fundraisers, walks and runs. Many nonprofits organize neighborhood walks and running races to raise money. By paying the entry fee, you are making a direct contribution to the nonprofit, and participating in the event helps spread awareness of its purpose.
   • Go to concerts, festivals and other events organized by local businesses or associations. If no one shows up at these kinds of events, there is a possibility that they will stop altogether.
3. Become an active citizen. A great way to help your community is to participate in municipal decision-making. Keep up to date with activities that affect your area and try to be educated on important issues. For example, if your city has to make a decision about whether or not to cut a few acres of woodland for a supermarket, read about the topic and decide what you think. Would it be better to keep the forest or is there really a need for a new supermarket? By understanding the matter and making your voice heard, you can influence which direction the environment is heading. Encourage others to be engaged as well, as community spirit is critical to a healthy democracy.
   • Voting is an important way to change your environment. Find out about the candidates and positions, and vote in all local elections.
   • Reach out to councilors about issues that are important to you. If you don't want a forest to be cut down, or you think a new supermarket is really necessary, call your councilor or write a letter stating what you want to happen and why.
   • Attend council meetings where decisions are made. Take the opportunity to speak about issues that are important to you. Would a city benefit from more crosswalks on busier streets? Are there many potholes in your neighborhood? Do you have any advice on how the city should deal with an increase in crime? Tell it.
4. Make public spaces more beautiful. If you look around and see garbage on the street and graffiti on windows in your neighborhood, you know where to start. By making the living spaces in an environment tidier and cleaner, everyone will experience a better quality of life. The work you do depends on the specific needs in your area.
   • You can immediately make your neighborhood more beautiful by removing rubbish from the street yourself. When you walk down the street, pick up junk and throw it in the trash or recycle bin. If there is too much to do this alone, ask other people to help you.
   • Scrape off paint or paint over graffiti to refresh buildings and fences. If you can paint well, you could even make a mural on a public wall. You will probably first need permission from the owner of the building or your municipality.
   • Garden where areas are overgrown with weeds. Mow them or pull the weeds out of the ground by hand. Plant flowers or trees where you can (and where you can). Adding more natural elements to urban spaces can help make them look safe and inviting.
   • Create a community garden, where everyone has a plot to grow vegetables, herbs or flowers. Ask people to help dig the ground and lend their tools for the project.
   • Always make sure to contact the owner of a piece of land before doing anything with it.

Tips

• Don't get discouraged if your efforts to help go unnoticed. Helping society is important and matters, even when no one sees it. Know that you are doing good things for your region and keep going!