How do I make a really good differance in people..(like people who don't have money to eat)?

Question

Okay, I live in the US. And I'm 13 years old. And I really wanna make a differance to people who are on the streets that don't have money to support their family. Like I heard Africa, or China needs alot of people to help. But idk where to start...I have nothing to do after school, except school. So usually I'm just being lazy at home doing nothing..but knowing that there are a whole bunch of people in the world who really need help. I want to help..and not just sit here doing nothing.

Does anyone have a good suggestion?

or like good programs over the world that I can help with??..

Right now I feel really worthless.and I want to make a differance in people's lives.

thx :D

Answer 1

HI It's great that you want to help.  

One thing you could do is go to http://www.worldvision.org/ and see the ways you can help for children in other countries.   You or you and your family can sponsor a child in need for $30-35 a month.  That means earning or saving up between $1 and $1.15 a day. So you would need to ask your parents, close neighbors, grandparents, aunts, etc if there are chores you could do to earn this money. You would want to do a net search and read upon the contry so you can explain why it is important.

Another possibility is to go to www.secondharvest.org and put in your zip code to find a foodbank near you.    You could help the main food bank or see what are the food ministries it serves that are closest to you.  Ways to help there might be preparing bags of food to be given out,  sweeping up and keeping things neat in the food storage area, helping count food cans on the shelves,   Helping make it pretty outside too like by plantng flowers or vegetables or both.  Maybe you and some friends could get permission to put a food collection box at school or church or Sunday School or even a local business and invite people to bring a can or box of nonperishible food for a food ministry to give to hungry people.  Maybe you and some friends could get permission to set up a table to collect food at a local grocery store one Saturday AM a month.   That would mean not just being there to get the food but arranging in advance where it will go and who will pick it up, asking the store manager if it is OK (and of course asking your parents very first) making posters to let people know about it,emailing newspaper, radio,tv  places so they can put out info about it. and helping clean up afterwards.    

Or maybe you want to help with a special part of the US like Appalachia.   Here are 2 sites about that www.caringhandsministries.com (That's where I volunteer) and http://www.christianapp.org/  both sites give info about ways to help

You could also get together with your friends and family and plan a project like a bake sale, car wash, craft sale, or something like that to raise money for any of these places.  

You could collect toys and games for kids at a shelter (your schoolcounselor can help you learn about family shelters).

Answer 2

Call your local food bank and ask them how you can help.

You could possibly head up a food drive at your school, or help the food bank fill food boxes.

Call the homeless shelter in your town and ask  them if you can help them get the food and things they need.  One of the middle schools up here had an toilet paper drive because that was what the shelter needed.

Answer 3

You have a heart for the poor, it's great that at 13 you recognize your passion.

If you want to experience making a difference in someone's life, you can join us in South Africa July 3 - 12, 2008.  We chose these dates to enable high school and college age groups to participate on this mission.

We plant gardens that provide vitamin enriched vegetables for people who mainly eat corn for 3 meals a day.  We run a soccer clinic and VBS to engage with the youth in the squatter camps in Soweto, South Africa.  

If you're looking for something to do, you can raise awareness of the plight of the people living the squatter camps with no electricity, no running water and no hope for the future.  You could also raise funds for your mission trip in July, it will change your life forever.

www.buildthefutureusa.com