Here's the funny thing about "changing the world": it sounds like a really big, almost impossible job...but it's actually very easy. For instance, you hear that your local animal shelter is overcrowded and having trouble feeding all the dogs and cats. You donate $10 of your allowance money to help them, and that $10 covers the cost of chow for one dog for a week. There. You just changed the world! Okay, it's not like you ended the problem of homeless animals forever, but for that one dog, for that one week, the world was a better place. Thanks to you.
On IML we talk a lot about volunteering and taking action, and that's because we know it's important to so many of you. Getting involved with a cause you care about is a great way to learn new things, make new friends, understand yourself better, feel a little less powerless in life, and generally feel rewarded. Sometimes, though, it's hard to find that thing...the problem or situation that you want to help fix. Or if you already have your thing (lucky you!), sometimes it's tough figuring out where to start.
That's why we were really excited when DoSomething.org sent us their new book, called (appropriately) "Do Something!: A Handbook for Young Activists" (by DoSomething.org's CEO and "Chief Old Person" Nancy Lublin, with Vanessa Martir and Julia Steers). It's written especially for tweens who may have trouble finding volunteer opportunities since they don't drive or are limited in what they can do without parental supervision. This spiralbound, easy-to-thumb-through volume has sections called "See It!" (how to figure out what you care most about), "Believe It!" (how to understand the problem better), "Build It!" (mapping out what you want to do), "Do It! (that's kind of self-explanatory), and "Reflect It!" (different ways to look at what you've done and learn from it).
The book is filled with fun quizzes, cool fill-ins, and helpfully specific examples organized by the type of cause. For instance, do you feel most passionate about hunger and homelessness issues? You can get detailed guidelines on how to help by running a fundraising watermelon-eating contest, holding a food drive, or hosting a hunger banquet. We love the way this book is designed and written; it's the kind of thing you could bring to a sleepover and browse through with your friends, or look through with a parent if you want to start a family effort.
IML's Rating: A+
For more ideas, check out our section on Volunteering and other IML'ers comments on the Volunteering You Said It page!
On IML we talk a lot about volunteering and taking action, and that's because we know it's important to so many of you. Getting involved with a cause you care about is a great way to learn new things, make new friends, understand yourself better, feel a little less powerless in life, and generally feel rewarded. Sometimes, though, it's hard to find that thing...the problem or situation that you want to help fix. Or if you already have your thing (lucky you!), sometimes it's tough figuring out where to start.
That's why we were really excited when DoSomething.org sent us their new book, called (appropriately) "Do Something!: A Handbook for Young Activists" (by DoSomething.org's CEO and "Chief Old Person" Nancy Lublin, with Vanessa Martir and Julia Steers). It's written especially for tweens who may have trouble finding volunteer opportunities since they don't drive or are limited in what they can do without parental supervision. This spiralbound, easy-to-thumb-through volume has sections called "See It!" (how to figure out what you care most about), "Believe It!" (how to understand the problem better), "Build It!" (mapping out what you want to do), "Do It! (that's kind of self-explanatory), and "Reflect It!" (different ways to look at what you've done and learn from it). The book is filled with fun quizzes, cool fill-ins, and helpfully specific examples organized by the type of cause. For instance, do you feel most passionate about hunger and homelessness issues? You can get detailed guidelines on how to help by running a fundraising watermelon-eating contest, holding a food drive, or hosting a hunger banquet. We love the way this book is designed and written; it's the kind of thing you could bring to a sleepover and browse through with your friends, or look through with a parent if you want to start a family effort.
IML's Rating: A+
For more ideas, check out our section on Volunteering and other IML'ers comments on the Volunteering You Said It page!
