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HOW TO HELP
People are often stymied about what they can do to help others. I have posted numerous suggestions on Twitter. All of them are based on true stories of real people needing assistance. Here is an easy-to-read summary:
How to Help: send me a direct message via twitter (@DrMMcLaughlin) or email me here with your suggestions for helping others.
How to Help: visit www.allforgood.org. This website lists many options for volunteering your time to help others in need.
How to Help: purchase and donate warm sleepings bags for distribution to individuals living on the street or in a car.
How to Help: donate to Person/Family-in-Need anonymously if you (or they) will feel more comfortable
How to Help: purchase a gasoline gift card and give it to someone who is unemployed.
How to Help: donate $5 - $10 grocery store gift cards to a food bank so that recipients can buy fresh food of their choice.
How to Help: purchase $5 gift cards to Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, McDonald's, Subway, etc. and give to Person-in-Need.
How to Help: ask a single parent or senior citizen if he/ she needs help installing a summer air conditioner.
How to Help: offer to help someone who has had to move due to the economy to clean or repair the new residence.
How to Help: purchase a gift certificate to a barber shop/ beauty salon and give it to an unemployed person.
How to Help: give a gift card for supplies at a hardware/ home-improvement store to a person who had to move.
How to Help: give a roll of quarters for use in laundry machines to a person in need.
How to Help: wash/ detail a senior citizen or person-in-need's vehicle.
How to Help: change oil or pay for oil change in vehicle of Person-in-Need.
How to Help: arrange for required vehicle inspection of Person-in-Need and pay for any necessary repairs.
How to Help: give your extra vehicle to a Person-in-Need. Pay for vehicle insurance, registration and tax if you can.
How to Help: have a garage sale and give all proceeds to a person/ family in need.
How to Help: do you have a storage locker? Review contents and add most to your garage sale for person/ family in need.
How to Help: do Person/ Family in need have a cherished pet? Buy pet food and/ or offer to pay veterinary bills.
How to Help: arrange and pay for dental services, cleaning, and/ or replacement teeth for Person-in-Need.
How to Help: pay annual health club membership fees for Person/ Family in Need where showers are available.
How to Help: no person wants to wear used underwear. Give gift card so that he/ she/ they can buy it new.
How to Help: appliance repairs are very expensive. Pay for washer, dryer, water heater, etc. repairs or replacement.
How to Help: give bus, subway or train pass to unemployed Person-in-Need, Senior Citizen or Disabled Person-in-Need.
How to Help: set up and pay for monthly taxi cab account for Person-in-Need who cannot use/ access public transportation.
How to Help: deliver a load of wood to Person/ Family in Need with a wood stove. Help to stack it.
How to Help: give cell phone to homeless/unemployed/other person who needs phone/voice mail. Pay for call minutes.
How to Help: give a sheet of postage stamps to Person/ Family-in-Need.
How to Help: avoid criticizing priorities, choices of Person-in-Need unless Person-in-Need asks for advice or suggestions.
How to Help: do not ask personal or invasive questions. Respect Person-in-Need's privacy.
How to Help: give a pharmacy gift card to Person/ Family without prescription drug coverage or for prescription drug co-pays.
How to Help: tip all Service Persons as generously as possible.
How to Help: a NYC worker requests half his restaurant meals be pre-packaged as "take-out" to give to a hungry street person.
How to Help: a NYC worker sometimes buys an extra restaurant meal and leaves it on a bench or on top of a trash can.
How to Help: give gift card to store where unemployed Person-in-Need can buy new shirt or blouse and shoes for interviews.
How to Help: give gift card for new athletic shoes to unemployed/ other Person-in-Need who runs/ walks/ jogs.
How to Help: volunteer to help out at the small business that can no longer afford to employ you.
How to Help: out of school for the summer? Can’t find a job? Helping others will look great on your resume.
How to Help: forgive small/ medium debts family, friends, associates owe to you - do this in writing.
How to Help: improve terms of repayment for those who owe you or your company money – do this in writing.
How to Help: provide basic TV/ Internet service to Person/ Family in Need and pay the monthly bill.
How to Help: provide free storage area to Person/ Family in Need who has had to downsize living space.
How to Help: greeting cards are expensive. Purchase a selection and give to Person/ Family-in-Need.
How to Help: give toy store gift card to Person/ Family-in-Need to use buying small gifts for children/ grandchildren.
How to Help: re: toy store gift card - it is especially painful not to be able to give small gifts to children you love.
How to Help: help to pay travel expenses so that Person/Family in need can attend out of town/state family wedding/funeral.
How to Help: pay travel expenses for Person/ Family-in-Need to attend family reunion or to visit sick relative. Use your air miles?
How to Help: bring hot, fresh meal to Person/ Family-in-Need. Let them know in advance when meal will arrive.
How to Help: buy bookstore gift card and give to homeless/ other Person-in-Need who has no TV/ Internet service.
How to Help: got a truck? Help Person/ Family-in-Need to move. Or pay for a rental truck to help move.
How to Help: at Person/ Family-in-Need moving or garage sale, pay more than the asking price.
How to Help: pay more than the asking price for boat, motorcycle, camper, other RV's being sold by Person/ Family-in-Need.
How to Help: notice homes for rent/ sale in your area. Offer to help in any way you can if Person/ Family needs help.
How to Help: help to prepare a house for sale (cleaning, painting, staging, landscaping) for Person/ Family-in-Need.
How to Help: landlords, lower the rent for Person/ Family-in-Need. Let them out of the lease if necessary.
How to Help: provide transportation to/ from AA, NA and other self-help group meetings to a Person-in-Need.
How to Help: purchase movie/ theatre gift card and give to Person/ Family-in-Need.
How to Help: invite unemployed Person/ Family-in-Need to lunch/ dinner at your home or at a restaurant and pay for it.
How to Help: give Person/ Family-in-Need gift card to an ice cream shop.
How to Help: hunger is physically and emotionally painful. Give cash/ grocery gift card directly to Person/ Family-in-Need.
How to Help: If a disadvantaged person refuses your help, don't criticize. Ask what made your offer unacceptable.
How to Help: do not attempt to impose your preferences, priorities or preferred solutions on Person/ Family-in-Need.
How to Help: disadvantaged people are often angry. In conversations show respect, listen patiently and politely. Don't argue.
How to Help: veterans, maintain the same loyalty to disabled colleagues that you had while serving together in the military.
How to Help: teach a struggling small business owner how to set up and maintain a web site to promote his/ her business.
How to Help: expect criticism from others. The old saying "...no good deed goes unpunished" is sometimes true, unfortunately.
How to Help: on the other hand, another maxim (from Christianity) is: "Do not grow weary in well-doing."
How to Help: read my article "Charity Begins at Home" on the ARCHIVES page of this website.
How to Help: a church recently gave $20 to $100 cash to each church member for "pay it forward" gifts to others in need.
How to Help: confirm that all of your family members are ok before reaching out to others.
How to Help: purchase and install a tub safety bar for an elderly person. You will probably need a ceramic tile drill head.
How to Help: do not "blame the victim" for not asking for help... people in need are often weary of being put off or ignored.
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