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Originally Posted On: https://oneloveapparel.com/blogs/news/5-community-service-ideas-to-help-locals

Around 63 million Americans volunteer every year. If you’re part of 63 million or are looking to start volunteering, then you’re likely looking for community service opportunities. Luckily, there’s no shortage of community service ideas.

Community service can take many forms because there are so many ways in which you can help your community. But, having so many options can leave you at a loss on where to start.

Here, we’ve put together a list of five ways to help your community. Whether you choose to volunteer your time or your skills, you’ll be able to find a community service that inspires you to get out there and help locals in your area.

1. TAKE PART IN A CHARITY WALK

In a charity walk, participants pool together donations to give to a certain cause. Participants gather donations by encouraging fellow supporters to pledge a certain amount of money for each unit of distance that they walk.

A charity walk is a great charitable event to take part in because it can be held for any type of cause.

If you’re planning your own charity walk, make sure that you protect yourself and the event from liability. Like with any physical activity, participating in a charity walk carries a risk. Make sure that you and your fellow volunteers are covered in case of disaster come the day of the event.

2. ORGANIZE A CLOTHING DRIVE

When organizing a clothing drive, you ask your fellow supporters to clean out their closets and donate their unwanted clothes, shoes, and accessories. Then, over a course of days or weeks, you collect their donations in one central location.

You can invite all people who are in need of clothing to your clothing drive, or you can dedicate the event to a specific cause.

For example, you can market your drive to the LGBT community. You can encourage local LGBT people to come get gender-affirming clothes that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to get their hands on or afford at the event.

3. HOST A BAKE SALE

Like a charity walk, a bake sale is a great charitable event to take part in because it can be run for any type of cause.

To plan a bake sale, gather volunteers and then decide on a time and place to hold the event. You’ll want to plan who will bring what type of baked goods to make sure that you have a good variety to choose from come the day of the event.

Once you have enough volunteers, a time, and a location, check your local health codes. Many states require all the baked goods at a bake sale to be individually wrapped. Also, many states require that each baked good has an index card that points out any ingredients that could cause an allergic reaction.

Have your baking volunteers bake the goods either the day of or the day before the event to make sure that the goods are the freshest possible.

4. SHARE YOUR SKILLS BY TEACHING A CLASS

If you have a special skill, then you can volunteer to teach a class at your local youth center, neighborhood community center, or elder care home. For example, if you’re an artist, then you can offer to teach an art class to residents in a nearby elder care home.

5. CLEAN UP YOUR LOCAL PARK OR PLAYGROUND

Most neighborhoods and communities have some sort of park or playground for locals to enjoy. Many people rely on their local park or playground to walk their dogs, take their children out to play, hold picnics, and more.

But, families, couples, and other individuals can’t enjoy their local park if the area is full of trash or debris. Having too much trash around isn’t only unpleasant, but it can also cause safety hazards to park goers.

You can keep your local park or playground a safe place for everyone to enjoy by putting together a clean-up event. To prepare for cleaning up your local park or playground, first ensure that you have enough volunteers and the proper equipment. Once you have enough volunteers, make sure that everyone understands the game plan to avoid confusion come the day of the clean-up.

WHY VOLUNTEER IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Volunteering doesn’t only help your community, but it’s also good for you. For example, participating in community service is a great way to meet new friends and learn valuable skills.

WHY SHOP ONE LOVE APPAREL

If you have a community service idea that you want to act on, then we hope that you include One Love apparel. Every time you buy a product from our collections, we make a donation to a rotating charity or cause that is important to us. We support a variety of causes, from childhood cancer to mental health issues and more.

In other words, we always choose to help people over making a profit. As a business, we make it our mission to give a voice to those who haven’t yet found one of their own. Not only do we give people a platform to express themselves, but we also provide the softest tees, hoodies, hats, and tops available so that you can support a cause dear to you while in comfort.

SHARE THESE COMMUNITY SERVICE IDEAS

One of the best things about volunteering to help locals is that you can do so anywhere, so hopefully, these community services give you an idea of where to start.

Whichever way you choose to volunteer, helping your community is a rewarding experience. We encourage you to share these community service ideas with your family and friends.

If you’d like to buy apparel to represent a charitable movement, then browse our 4-A-Cause collection.