When we think of community activism -- volunteering at a soup kitchen, dedicating time to educate children after school, donating money to help women in war-torn nations -- what we’re really thinking of is bringing peace to the
world. Everything we do when we want to make a difference in someone’s life revolves around bringing balance and harmony to that person’s world. For example, cooking at a homeless shelter provides essential nutrition and nourishment
to someone who would have otherwise gone without breakfast lunch or dinner. It may not seem like much, but by taking time out of your day to prepare a meal for someone you’re giving them the necessary strength to go out and find a job, work
a second shift, or spend time with their children. These are not small things. Yes, they’re a part of the daily grind, but the quotidian nature of these activities is exactly what makes making these things possible for someone essential. At
some level, after some time down on their luck, it gives them their day back. And this, I hope, gives them some peace.
This example should demonstrate that we don’t have to win the war on poverty, drugs, or crime to claim victory in helping our communities. It should put into plain view the importance of your involvement, no matter how much
or how little you do. It should encourage you to donate some of your time, even an hour a week, to helping people less fortunate than yourself (if you haven’t done so already, and if you have done so it should validate your efforts). It
should show you that you can make a difference.
Don’t believe me? I know there are cynics out there. I know there are people out there who are still saying, “What’s the point? There’s too much wrong with this crazy world for me to make a
dent. I’d just be wasting my time.” And you know what? You’re right. There are myriad problems in this world, more than any one single person could take on by themselves. But you’d be wrong in thinking
you’re just wasting your time. What if one person who feeds the homeless, who can only feed twenty people by herself a day, brings in four friends to cook with her? You’d have five cooks feeding one hundred people every day. And
if each of her friends brings five friends? You’d have twenty-five cooks feeding five hundred people every day. That’s 3,500 per week. More than 14,000 per month. 182,500 per year. And that’s just one person
lighting the spark. Imagine what it could be like with one hundred, one thousand, or even ten thousand people running around lighting sparks in your community. It would be revolutionary.
This is what I ask you to think about while you’re digging throughout this section of my website: what you can do to help. There should be enough information here to provide you with your own launch pad to changing the world. The
spark you’ll have to discover on your own. But remember: Everyone has something they can offer to brighten someone else’s world, no matter how mediocre, silly, or insignificant they think it might be. In the end, it’s not
the service or the product we’re giving the people who need our help, but peace of mind, peace of body, and, simply, peace.
A bit about the organizations you’ll find in my website:
PenniesForPeace.org
Pennies for Peace educates American children about the world beyond their experience and shows them that they can make a positive impact on a global scale, one penny at a time.
Our best hope for a peaceful and prosperous world lies in the education of all the world’s children. Through cross-cultural understanding and a solution-oriented approach, Pennies for Peace encourages American children,
ultimately our future leaders, to be active participants in the creation of global peace.
WomenForWomen.org
Founded in 1993, Women for Women International helps women in war-torn regions rebuild their lives by providing financial and emotional support, job skills training, rights awareness and leadership education and access
to business skills, capital and markets. Through the program, women become confident, independent and productive as they embrace the importance of their roles in rebuilding their families, their communities and ultimately, their nations.
TheHungerSite.com
The Hunger Site was founded to focus the power of the Internet on a specific humanitarian need: the eradication of world hunger. Since its launch in June 1999, the site has established itself as a leader in online activism,
helping to feed the world's hungry. On average, over 220,000 individuals from around the world visit the site each day to click the yellow "Help Feed The Hungry" button. To date, more than 200 million visitors have given more than 300 million
cups of staple food.
Kiva.org
Kiva: Kiva lets you connect with and loan money to unique small businesses in the developing world. By choosing a business on Kiva.org, you can "sponsor a business" and help the world's working poor make great strides towards
economic independence. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates from the business you've sponsored. As loans are repaid, you get your loan money back.
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