One of the most frustrating things about living in the modern day age is poverty. In real terms it means that in my own city someone is hungry, abused, ill and unable to afford medical care, hurt by strangers or homeless…on top of that they’re having trouble getting help.

Being poor in America sucks. Being poor in Minnesota in the winter sucks even more.

By doing just a little bit, you can help change this. Small things help break the cycle of poverty. Children who grow up poor become poor adults more often then not. Hope goes a long way to teach them a different way of life that they can integrate into their own experience.

With that said, no deed is too small. A smile can turn someone’s day around. Initially, it’s hard to be generous with time and resources. Once you start connecting with people, you will feel your life change for the better and that’s what keeps people involved and passionate about helping –

• You give to get
• By teaching; you learn
• The best way to stop complaining is to start doing
• Volunteering is the opportunity to see beyond your own needs

100 Things You Can Do

1. Stop watching television
2. View current volunteer opportunities at Goodwill Easter Seals
3. Join the walk to end hunger in November at VolunteerMatch.org
4. Mentor a kid in Hennepin County
5. Be a volunteer at a parenting class to break they cycle of poverty
6. Be a volunteer cooking instructor because health is important to fighting poverty
7. Buy the next person who asks you for money a full meal. I did
8. Provide a foster home for rescued cats so people can get their pets back
9. Like to play video games? Wii volunteer needed
10. Volunteer your Graphic Design skills for Camp Get-A-Well-A
11. Give $10 to the Red Cross through an online donation
12. Take your children when you go to volunteer
13. Help a homeless person get connected with life changing advocates
14. Encourage someone to get a SCORE business mentor
15. Share David Allen’s GTD methods as you understand them
16. Get rid of your television
17. Help someone get their taxes done by going with them for moral support
18. When people complain, stop them and direct them towards action
19. Hand $20 to a stranger who asks you for money; no questions asked
20. Volunteer to help battered women on the road to recovery
21. Ask your company if there is a mentoring program and join it
22. Educate yourself on why there is a gender gap in salary
23. ….Then inspect your own company policies
24. Help women and children lead better lives
25. Don’t look away. Make eye contact with the next person who looks homeless
26. Give a job offer to someone you normally wouldn’t
27. Start reading to your children at birth
28. Children + money + math – Have them bring along a small wallet to the grocery
29. Give 1 employee another chance before firing them
30. Teach children that credit cards are bad
31. Call the police if you see or hear domestic violence
32. Talk about television and media messages with your kids
33. Have your children volunteer at an early age to teach compassion
34. Learn how to interview to negotiate the best salary possible
35. Give 1 compliment to 1 stranger every week.
36. Surround yourself with positive people and good things will happen
37. Volunteer to speak about wealth building to young people
38. Think on this – Do famous people watch television?
39. Explore the benefits of meditation
40. Figure out what you’re doing with your free time each week
41. …Then stop watching all that television and get off your butt
42. Buy locally from a local company rather than online
43. Use Craigslist before you surf to Ebay to keep wealth in Minneapolis
44. Sell your television on Craigslist
45. Join your local rotary club to find others who want to help
46. Explore micro-lending as an investment option
47. Get 2 friends and go volunteer instead of seeing a movie for a Saturday afternoon
48. Remove the word, “They” when blaming others
49. …Stop blaming other people; you’re not God
50. Sponsor a child for daycare
51. Block off time every month to volunteer
52. Tell people you want to help eliminate poverty in Minneapolis
53. Watch a video on writing a good resume and then do it
54. Get highspeed internet from Comcast for $20/month, dialup is dead
55. Volunteer if you’re multi-lingual

One Person Can Make A Difference

Shawn

He was one my technology students. He’d made it into the first class of 25 adult students selected to participate in the A+ hardware certification program offered by the Minneapolis Urban League. When I met him in January of 2007, I thought, “He’s outspoken and outgoing. He’ll be able to get an IT job in a few months”. Shawn had been in the military. Shawn also hearing and sight problem. He was a hard worker and knew quite a bit about microelectronics, voltage and wiring. What I didn’t know was that Shawn was homeless. Long story short, Shawn had the best attendence over the next 10 weeks. We all pitched in to give him rides. I advocated to get him a bus pass.

To Be Continued…

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