How Can I Help Without Any Money?

photo by youmanimus www.flickr.com

Sometimes, on this blog, I talk about different charities and how you can donate to them to help women and girls around the world. But I understand, believe me, that many people don’t have extra money to give right now. I also understand how it seems like there is so much need, how can you pick and choose whom to give to?

Money isn’t the only way that you can help these women and girls around the world. There are plenty of celebrities and CEOs who can donate thousands of dollars. But what can you do?

• Tell people what you learn in books, on news shows, on this blog, and in magazines. Education is one of the keys to stopping things like human trafficking, maternal mortality, and genocide. It is often easy for people to turn a blind eye if they think it is not directly affecting them. So, don’t be afraid to talk about these issues to family members and friends.
• You can pray or meditate or whatever your beliefs lead you to do. I’m Catholic, and I believe that there’s strength in prayer. Prayer costs nothing and doesn’t even take much time. I can pray for the victims of human trafficking. I can pray for the children living in poverty. I can pray for people to be treated equally.
• Recommend books like Half the Sky, Left to Tell, or Beatrice’s Goat to friends and family. See if they are in your local library. If not, ask the librarian if there is any wish lists or ways to purchase these important books.
• If you belong to a group at your church or in your community and you are looking for a fundraiser idea, consider one of the charities listed on this blog such as Loose Change for Loose Chains or the Left to Tell Charitable Fund.
• If your neighborhood or community has an area wide garage sale, see if a portion (even 10%) of the sales can go to a charity or put up a donation can at your check-out table with some information about something like the Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia and see if you anyone donates. Send in those donations.
• Tweet about information and charities you hear about. Share information on your Facebook page.

You, yourself, don’t have to give a lot of money to these organizations. If you want to help, try one of the suggestions above. If you have any more, please let us know in the comments section below!