Animal Shelter Crafts: Many animal shelters seek enrichment toys and other donations for their animals. Before donating, make sure to check with the shelter that they accept the enrichment toys. Below are some crafts to make homemade enrichment toys.
Make “Busy Bags” for Kids in Hospitals: Busy bags are bags with little activities for kids to complete to keep them interested. These can be crafts, mini-games, and more. Then, bring these bags to a local hospital so that the kids there can be entertained and less scared.
Host a Food-Making Party: Many homeless shelters and other organizations want sandwiches and other foods to give out. You can throw a party and invite your friends to assemble some of these foods. Each person can bring something, for example some bread, cheese or ham, and then everyone assembles sandwiches together. This is a fun, easy, collaborative way to serve your community.
Bake Something for Local First Responders: First responders work long hours to make sure that our communities are safe, so surprising them with a treat is a great way to say thanks. You can bake something at home, then bring it to your local police department, fire department, or first aid squad as a way to show your thanks.
Run a Drive: Drives are a great way to create a large impact for your community. On top of this, drives can be for all different types of organizations, so it is easy to find something you are passionate about. Below are some examples of things you can have a drive for, and some places where you can donate what you receive:
- Non-perishable Food: Food pantries, women’s shelters
- Clothes: Homeless shelters
- Sleeping Bags: Homeless shelters
- Animal toys and food: Animal shelters
- Makeup: Women’s shelters, Project Beauty Care
- Toys and games: Hospitals, orphanages
- Stuffed animals: Fire stations, hospitals
- Books: Libraries, Better World Books
- Personal hygiene products: Pantries, homeless shelters, Women’s shelters
- Baby stuff: Women’s shelters, Moms Helping Moms
- Feminine hygiene products: Women’s shelters
- Craft supplies: Hospitals, orphanages
- School supplies: Salvation Army
- First aid supplies: Local first aid squads and clinics
- Sports equipment: Orphanages, women’s shelters