There is a ton of negativity in the world. At times, it might feel like there is nothing we can do to help it out, but that’s just not true.
While one person can’t change the whole world, you can change the world for those around you. Supporting your local community is a wonderful way to improve the lives of those around you. If you want to put some positivity out into your community, here’s some ideas to get you started.
Volunteer and Support Local Charities
There are a lot of organizations all about making the world a better place and many rely on people volunteering and supporting them to fulfill their missions. Regardless of your skills or experience, there’s definitely a local charity that could use your help.
Volunteering at local charities is a great way to support both your community and people in need. Even if you can’t volunteer, there are other ways to support charities, including donating money, sharing their causes on social media, and participate in fundraising activities.
Just a few charities that Pioneer works with are:
During our Summer of 65 promotion, you can help us support these organizations when you open a rewards checking account. When you do so, Pioneer will donate $65 to your choice of one of the five organizations listed above. Plus, you get $65 in your wallet too!
Learn more about the Summer of 65!
Shop at Local Businesses
A great way to support your community is going out of your way to shop at local businesses rather than large chains or corporations. It’s been proven that if you spend $100 at a local business, an additional $58 goes into the community. If you shop at a large retailer in comparison, only $38 goes into the community.
By supporting local businesses, you are also encouraging local growth of the job market and helping your community grow as a whole. This can prevent local treasures like family operated businesses and pillars in the community from going out of business and keep many people happily employed.
This doesn’t mean you need to boycott shopping on Amazon or Walmart, but it might be worth checking out local businesses to see what you can buy from them instead. You just might find something you can’t get from the big chains that you love.
Help a Stranger in Need
The man who holds a fussy baby on a flight so a weary single mother can get some rest. The 12 year old boy who mows the lawn of the veteran who struggles to get it done. The family whose farm is repossessed by the bank and the whole community shows up to the auction to buy it back for them.
We all love reading these stories on social media, but what’s stopping you from creating your own? All around us are people in need, so next time, stop and help. Often, it won’t cost you anything to help somebody, but you can make somebody’s day. Hopefully, who you helped will try to pass it on and help others too, but also those around that see and hear about it do too.
Start Your Own Movement
So much of what’s wrong in local communities doesn't get fixed because people figure somebody else will handle it. Trash will pollute a pond because nobody wants to pick it up, a broken swing doesn’t get fixed because people think others will do it, kids go hungry during the summer because nobody thinks to feed them lunch. Small problems quickly become massive issues that people don’t know what to do. Rather than simply expecting somebody else to fix everything, start your own movement to improve your community.
Start by picking one problem and work on fixing it. Wade into that pond and pick up trash. Find out who is in charge of fixing the swing and get them working on it, or just do it yourself. Make two dozen sandwiches for kids in your community and make sure they eat lunch.
It will require your own time, energy, and money, but you’ll start to see results rather than just watching it get worse. As you start to get traction, you can also try to enlist the aid of others in the community including neighbors, small businesses and your local government.
Right now, we're also looking for nominations for our Community Pioneer award. Every year, we give a grand total of $15,000 to people and organizations making a difference in the community. Visit our Community Pioneer page to nominate who you think is a Community Pioneer!
If you are just starting up or been running your own charity for several years, Pioneer would love to help out with your next big event. Our Community Sponsorships helps charities and non-profits within our communities reach their goals, whether by helping you find volunteers, advertising an event, or assisting with funding. If this sounds right for you, click the button below to learn more!
Check out our Community Sponsorships!