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[i luv tamas!!!!!!]

So...
What have you done to help out?
I've gone out to do clean ups a few times.
Sorry if you think this is dull. Kindly tell me.

[Elana]

This isn't a dull topic at all!

It is very vague, however.

When you say "the community", what do you mean? There are people from all over the world here, and we all might have different ideas of "community".

Also, what kinds of help are you referring to?

I don't really participate in community cleanups unfortunately. It's easy to be discouraged when you live in a city, because there is so much litter and garbage that it seems like a monumental task to clean it up, and you just know that the very next day, it will all be back! Also, frankly, I'm scared to touch other people's litter in the city. Not only might there be bugs or animals that will bite me or something, but I'm afraid of being pricked by hidden needles discarded by HIV+ drug users and stuff like that. But that's just me, I'm a little paranoid.

I do have a conscience though, and one thing I do is I donate regularly to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). They bill my credit card $25 a month, which is a little exorbitant for a student, but that $25 would just end up being spent on comic books or Tamagotchi or going out to bars with my friends. Much better to let it be spent on food, medicine and shelter for the most unfortunate people on Earth. I feel that this is helping "my community" in a sense, because I feel that my community is the entire human species.

Another charity that I give to whenever I have the chance is Medecins Sans Frontieres (or in English, "Doctors Without Borders"). They are doctors who volunteer their time to go to places in the world that do not have the same high quality of health care that we enjoy, and give the people there access to specialized health care, vaccinations, and other important things that we all take for granted. I have met people who have worked for the organization, both doctors and administrators, and I believe that it is a very powerful and ethical (and perhaps most importantly, apolitical) non-governmental organization (or if you want to sound like an expert, "NGO") that really deserves a lot of support. I met an obstetrician who went to Zimbabwe to do Caesarean sections on women with abnormal pregnancies. These types of abnormalities are fairly commonplace and easily treated in the developed world, but in places without access to doctors or hospitals, both the mother and child would probably die. He saved countless lives with simple procedures that we take for granted.

I have often thought of volunteering for my city's animal shelters, because I love cats and I wish I could take them all home! Luke claims that he's allergic to cats - otherwise I would already have adopted like ten. But I can volunteer as a kitten cuddler without making his eyes itchy etc. I would definitely like to do that when I know I can commit the time. Toronto's municipal animal shelters euthanize more than half of the cats that arrive at their door due to space constraints. A happy, playful cat is more likely to be adopted, so if I volunteer my time to play with them, that might increase their odds of survival. (Mostly I just want to take them home. Suck it up, Luke! Take Claritin!)

I think this is a great topic and a good opportunity for us to share the good deeds we have done, and give each other ideas of good deeds to do in the future.

[i luv tamas!!!!!!]

I mean picking up garbage [kinda gross] helping out the elderly etc

In other words,What do you do to make the place you live in better.

[TigerLily013]

I mean picking up garbage [kinda gross] helping out the elderly etc

In other words,What do you do to make the place you live in better.

I don't know. I think a lot what Elana was talking is helping at least somewhere...like in another community. I think that's well done. I definitely can't afford $25 a month but the thing I most recently helped with is my friend Jon's cause. Him and his missus were getting donations going towards their local animal shelter. I had a bit of money at the time so I donated as much as I could give at the time. They also ran this run'walk fundraiser where they were and tickets sold also went towards their SPCA. Anyway even with my contributions they made lotso of money and I'm very proud of him.

I did do my volunteer hours at the SPCA couple years back. 2 weeks 8 hours a day. I enjoyed spending time with animals, but with me I get all attached to every cat I met there, gave them nicknames and unfortunately some had to get put to sleep. I think at times you have to have a heart of steel or something. But besides the sad parts I enjoyed my work and I hope all my feline friends got great homes! Especially Colombus since he was one of my favourites

[i luv tamas!!!!!!]

How cute,TigerLily013!
It's always nice to see a animal go to a good home.
That reminds me,my friend is trying to collect 100$ in pennies. Whatever she earns will go to the animal shelter.

[TigerLily013]

How cute,TigerLily013!
It's always nice to see a animal go to a good home.
That reminds me,my friend is trying to collect 100$ in pennies. Whatever she earns will go to the animal shelter.

Another way to help is if you have any old but still OK blankets you don't need, donating them to an animal shelter they can use them to put in the animal's cage.

[Jiro]

me and my friends volunteered for Community and Service, so every week, we go to school's in the villages
and paint their walls, teach them english, and play games with them.
It's fun teaching them

[ginjirotchi]

This past year I helped out with my churches sunday school group. I helped out by photocopying, typing up info, setting up for meetings and making food for events and stuff like that. I guess I was really helping out the church community!  I enjoyed doing it and in the future I'm planning on maybe helping out with my local animal shelter or the challenging needs class in my school. I will most likely do that in September, though.