World Humanitarian Day

Posted on August 2, 2013 Updated on January 4, 2014

You have probably noticed by now that I am encouraging each of you, each of our readers, to do something about poverty, to volunteer. That is because I believe that volunteering is one of the most important things that a person can do. Volunteering is helping someone without getting anything in return. It is helping the needy, maybe someone in one’s community or someone in a foreign country. Most of the suggestions that were provided on how to help someone suffering from poverty were encouragements to volunteer. August is such an important month to discuss volunteering and poverty, too, because World Humanitarian Day!

So, what is World Humanitarian Day? On August 19th this year, World Humanitarian Day is a day that is dedicated to the volunteers everywhere who have sacrificed something, sometimes even their lives, for the benefit of another person. It is a day on which we all should strive to become like those people, and it is a day on which we should show our utmost care and love toward our fellow humans. We, the magazine as a whole, have created an event for that day. The event is more of a challenge, a challenge to see how many of our contributors and readers will spend at least two hours of their time on the 19th volunteering, doing anything to help others. We hope that those who do participate in this event send pictures and tell us about their experience. You can join the event, too! In this post, write your name and what you will be doing on August 18th, and we will add you to our list of attendees. You can also join on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/675887892426646/. Please help us help others!! Here are some suggestions of things you can do to volunteer:

• Volunteer at a soup kitchen.

• Volunteer at a nursing home.

• Volunteer at a daycare.

• Clean up a local park.

• Help an elderly or a disable person clean their house/yard.

• Tutor a student (in a lower grade than you).

• Have a fundraiser for a cause.

• Collect food for a food pantry.

• Collect clothes for a homeless shelter.

• Help paint a house.

• Help plant trees and other plants at local parks.

• Teach someone how to read.

• Teach someone to speak English.

• Volunteer at a local animal shelter/humane society.

• Give blood.

• Train to be a first responder.

• Volunteer with your church (if you go to one).

• Babysit for someone for free.

• Read to children or the elderly.

• Send a care package/cards overseas to soldiers.

• Go grocery shopping for your elderly or handicapped neighbors.

• Read to people in the hospital.

• Make cards for people in the hospital.

• Foster an animal.

• Perform a play for kids in the hospital or orphanage.

• Be creative, and discover your own way to help people!

You might notice that some of these options last longer than 2 hours, but the decision is up to you on what you would like to do, and for how long. 

-Alex