Helping the place you love is the mission of community service. However, it’s challenging to know where to start. Explore the ways you can serve your community this summer and pick your preferred projects.
Mow Your Neighbor’s Lawn
If you have elderly neighbors, they could need help with tasks, especially if they don’t have younger family members. Mowing your neighbor’s lawn is a simple yet effective way to help someone. In addition, you can spruce up the remaining landscape by tending to the flowers or cleaning any lawn decor. People appreciate a helping hand, especially when they wouldn’t otherwise be able to keep up with the care.
Support a Youth Sports Team
Serve your community this summer by supporting a youth sports team. Whether you coach the team, donate snacks, or offer rides for players, your contributions matter. Youth sports are important because they teach kids discipline and good sportsmanship and instill healthy behaviors.
Unfortunately, underfunding and lack of involvement can affect teams, so many kids don’t get the opportunity to play. Become a leader in the community and support your local teams. Even if you can’t financially help, attending games matters too!
Organize a Park Cleanup
Food wrappers, cigarette butts, empty bottles, and other types of litter can pollute parks. This litter isn’t good for the environment and makes public spaces unappealing. Although government maintenance services clean parks, it’s a group effort to maintain these community spaces.
Organize a cleanup day with other community members if you notice an unappealing park. Picking up trash and sprucing up the park is a great service project. Take pride in your neighborhood by beautifying its public spaces.
Give Water to Unhoused People
Homelessness occurs all year, and different seasons present different challenges for unhoused people. Many of us have the luxury of air-conditioned cars, homes, and workplaces, so the summer heat doesn’t affect us.
However, it does affect people experiencing homelessness. Being in excessive heat is uncomfortable and can lead to heat-related issues like dehydration or heat stroke. Fortunately, you can help houseless people beat the heat this summer by passing out water bottles.
Host a School Supplies Drive
During the summer, thinking about the upcoming school year is challenging. After all, it’s summer break! Who wants to think about hitting the books?
Though summer is a season of leisure, it’s still important to consider the needs of underprivileged students. Support kids by hosting a school supplies drive to ensure all students receive necessary items in time for school.
Encourage community members to donate notebooks, pencils, folders, calculators, and other essentials to your drive. Then, donate the goods to local youth centers or nonprofit organizations.
