Small deeds and little things matter a big deal. Which local community are you involved with this year?
New Year should bring not just new big goals for your business, your health or travel plans. They should also include goals and specific ideas how you can give back to the community. We believe in the saying “Do good. And good will come to you.”
At LA76 Strategic Design we love being part of the community, and we get involved however we can. In the past years, we have helped with the local El Camino school, got involved with Casa Hogar, and indirectly contributed to the construction of sustainable homes for people damaged the most by Hurricane Odile. One of the local charity institutions we have been involved with the most so far is Los Cabos Humane Society. We have created their website for Dressed to the K9’s event for three consecutive years. And for the year 2016 we have decided to engage with the dogs themselves. This year we’ll be contributing to the shelter with food and time donations. Those wagging tails and big grateful eyes make our hearts full each time we spend time with them. We hope your 2016 is full of similar stories of giving, sharing, engagement, and gratitude.
Here are just a couple of ideas how you can get involved and give back. Small deeds matter a lot.
Easy Ways to Give Back This Year:
1. Get one extra. When you buy a food for your dog or cat, buy one additional bag, and take it to your local association. This can work also if you buy an extra toy, blanket, or other living essentials; just drop them off at the appropriate organization. You can apply the same for buying toys or clothes for your child, and donate the extra piece to the appropriate organization.
2. Bring your old towels, sheets and blankets to an animal shelter. More room in your linen closet and more warmth for furry friends who need it.
3. Take a walk. If you can’t donate with cash or products, then give your time. At Los Cabos Humane Society, for example, they walk dogs twice per day, and with the amount of pups they have, the employees at the shelter can’t handle to walk all the dogs by themselves. When we visited, we took several dogs for a walk, and a couple of families and students were helping as well. The dogs need these walks and appreciate your assistance greatly. You can see it in their eyes and big smiles.
4. Play together. If you like a game of cards or a nice conversation, or if you miss your grandparents, visit elderly home, and have a game of cards or chess with its residents. They will appreciate your visit greatly. You can also play with kids at the orphanage, or with dogs at the shelter.
5. Make someone’s day brighter. Gather presents or school supplies for local orphanage homes with your friends and make their day a happy one.
6. (Virtually) adopt a dog, cat, whale, dolphin, … or become a sponsor to a child. If you can’t adopt a dog or a cat from a shelter, you can still commit with a monthly donation. You can also virtually adopt a whale, a dolphin, a sea lion or a turtle, as well as become a padrino to a child in need.
7. Make the workout extra worth it. Download an app like Charity Miles. For each mile you walk, ride or run, they’ll donate to the charity you choose from their list. Kudos to the developer, we’d love to see a similar project come through for charities in Mexico.
8. Make an emergency kit for someone who could use it (in Cabo San Lucas, hurricane emergency kit is crucial). Stock a plastic bin with essentials like batteries and a flashlight, or food essentials, and give it to people you think might appreciate it, or the organization that can distribute them to the communities or neighborhoods in need.
9. Every good deed counts. Help the elderly carry their grocery bags, pay a coffee forward to the person behind you, give your seat to somebody else.
We hope that whichever community or purpose you decide to contribute to this year, you give with intention, not for attention.
*All the photos in this post are from our visit and walk with lovely dogs at the Los Cabos Humane Society.