Collect Things for Your Community:

If you look around your community, you’ll probably find at least a few places that accept donations — like food banks, animal shelters, and schools, just to name a few. Here are some ideas on things you can collect to donate.

1. School supplies
2. Groceries
3. Non-perishable food items
4. Household cleaning supplies
5. Toiletries
6. Feminine hygiene products
7. Unused makeup
8. Toys
9. Collect stuffed animals.
10. Digital Devices
11. Clothes
12. Books

Do Things for Your Community:

Some of these take a few minutes, and others a bit longer, but they all help out in some way. Especially try pitching in to do tasks for neighbours who can’t do them themselves, like folks who are ill, elderly, or busy with work or childcare.

13. Walk children home from school.
14. Tidy a neighbour’s garden.
15. Mow your neighbour’s lawn.
16. Offer dog-walking services.
17. If you know another language, be a translator at your local     community centre.
18. Babysit during PTA meetings.
19. Foster a shelter animal.
20. Take and donate photos during community events.
21. Donate blood (if you’re at least 17, or 16 with parental consent).
22. Organise a litter pick
23. Contact your local councillors about local issues to find out how you can help.

Teach Things to Your Community:

We’ve all got things that we’re good at, so why not share those skills with others? If teaching feels a little intimidating at first, try using these tips for teaching anything to anyone.

24. Help children with their homework.
25. Teach safe social media practices.
26. Give free music lessons.
27. Coach a youth sports team.
28. Teach internet skills.
29. Give a seminar on driving safety.
30. Teach CPR (after getting certified).
31. Teach English language or help learners practice with conversation.
32. Teach people how to register to vote.

Fix Things in Your Community:

If you see a problem in your community, consider doing something about it! Sometimes the best service we can do to the places we love is to take care of them.

33. Start a little, free library.
34. Place campfire safety plaques near campsites.
35. Clean up your local park.
36. Beautify your area with seed bombs.
37. Help a neighbour or community centre paint a fence or building.
38. Spruce up a run-down playground.
39. Help your neighbours with repairs.
40. Offer to patch up clothes and stuffed toys.
41. Organise books at the library.
42. Give IT help to local adults.

Host Things in Your Community:

Here’s your chance to flex your event-planning muscles and put on something that will bring folks together. After all, the only thing better than community service is doing it with friends.

43. Host a bake sale.
44. Host a clothing swap.
45. Host a holiday meal.
46. Host a competitive book drive.
47. Host activities for children in hospitals.
48. Host a dog wash.
49. Host an immunization clinic.
50. Host a river clean-up.
51. Host a gardening party.
52. Host a study group.

Make Things For Your Community:

There’s something special about receiving a handmade gift, and we’re sure there are plenty of people and places that would really appreciate it. Make and send items to folks at elderly care facilities, family shelters, or hospitals to make their days a little brighter.

53. Knit scarves or hats for families in shelters.
54. Bake for food banks.
55. Write letters care home residents
56. Make quilts or blankets for children in hospitals.
57. Build birdhouses for your neighbours.
58. Make Ramadan or Eid cards for your local mosque.
59. Design a community mural.
60. Put together first aid kits for local shelters.
61. Make birthday cards for children in homeless shelters.
62. Produce a community newsletter
63. Set up a community social media channel.

Volunteer For Things in Your Community:

The cool thing about volunteering is that you can do it just about anywhere (even online!), so hopefully this gets you thinking. For more inspiration, we’ve got a few other places you can volunteer and a bunch of volunteer opportunities with DoSomething.org.

64. Register with a local Volunteer Centre
65. Volunteer at your local library.
66. Volunteer to chaperone a school field trip (after getting safeguarding and DBS certified).
67. Volunteer with a local charity, voluntary, community or faith group.
68. Volunteer at an animal shelter.
69. Volunteer at a community centre.
70. Volunteer as a lifeguard.
71. Volunteer to be a crossing guard.
72. Volunteer to do social media for a local charity.
73. Volunteer to help set up a community event.
74. Volunteer at a food bank.

Fundraising

75. Organise a sponsored event to raise money to donate to local charities or fund specific projects
76. Hold a jumble sale
77. Arrange a charity event (run, hike, pea and pie supper, live music, dance, etc)