19 BUCKET LIST ITEMS THAT ARE EVEN MORE AWESOME THAN JUMPING OUT OF AN AIRPLANE

Seeing the wonders of the world, meeting a celebrity, skydiving — all great items for a bucket list! But what if you could cross off those bucket list items and make the word a better place in the process? Compassion International asked that very question, and came up with this list of inspired bucket list recommendations.

Travel around the world, or to a distant country - by volunteering.

Experience the world in a way that will introduce you to new people and new cultures – all while helping others in need. Provide help after a natural disaster, build homes in poverty-stricken villages, or even help victims of human trafficking. To get started, check out disaster relief organizations, nonprofits, and local churches for tons of great options.

Love people more deeply by taking the time to write 52 handwritten letters to 52 important people in 52 weeks.

When's the last time you got a handwritten letter in the mail? Send a letter to a friend, drop a thank you card to a co-worker, or write your grandparents a heartfelt letter. Send a letter a week for a year and see how much more connected you feel to your relationships.

Become a mentor to someone younger than you – and dedicate to spending two hours with them every week.

Spare a couple hours a week to be a friend, confidante, and mentor for a child. Check out Big Brothers Big Sisters of America to see how you can get started in your community.

Bring the neighborhood together by creating a community garden.

Want to connect with your neighbors? A community garden can help you bond over a shared project. Over a bit of sweat and hard work, you'll laugh and get to know each other. And you'll even have some fresh veggies for dinner!

Read the classics you’ve always wanted to read—then donate them to a local shelter or hospital.

A lot of us have a list of books to read in our lifetime. Why not formalize things by setting a “date of donation” where you donate all your used books to a local hospital, library, or other organization in need. Better still, leave an encouraging note in each book you donate!

Organize a fashion show – and donate every single clothing item to a local youth shelter.

Gather your friends and organize a fashion show. The catch? Every item of clothes the models wear will be donated to a local shelter after the show. Organize your school or your community to get behind the idea and make the event a big production!

Train for and run that marathon - and raise money for disease research.

Challenge your body, test your fitness limits, and contribute to a good cause. Start off simple with a great 5k, like the Hot Chocolate 5k (also comes in 15k!) and then work your way up to marathoning for a cause, like the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!

Get the super adorable pet you've always wanted - by adopting them from a rescue shelter.

Everyone wants a pet! Change a wonderful animal’s life by adopting a pet from a shelter. You'll rescue their life, while they enrich yours!

Learn to knit—and then give hats, gloves, and scarves away to the homeless to prepare for winter.

Knitting is an awesome, fulfilling skill to have. Take some classes or teach yourself, and then make it a goal to donate a certain number of items to your local homeless shelter before winter comes around.

Try that bold haircut you've always wanted - and donate those chopped off locks to those in need.

Need that final nudge to get the haircut you’ve been eyeing for a while? Give yourself some extra incentive by agreeing to donate those chopped locks to those who have lost hair due to medical issues. Check out Children with Hair Loss and Locks of Love to get started!

Be there for someone no matter what – volunteer with a hospice organization to provide laughter, hugs, and support in someone's most difficult moments.

Your compassion will make an incredible impact on the lives of people who need it most. It’s definitely not easy, but you’ll learn more than you ever thought you could about life and death.

Cause an avalanche of good deeds - by giving away your work for free!

Make life a little bit better for someone in your community by offering your work for free. Whether you're a lawyer, a baker, or a professional lawn mower - see how your generosity will pay forward and inspire others to do the same!

Be a jolly, generous Santa Claus and provide Christmas for a struggling family.

Millions of children – in America and throughout the world – live in homes that can’t afford a Christmas gift. Set aside some money, select a gift or three, and attach a card – your Christmas gift could just be the very best present a child gets this Christmas!

Commit to doing one small random act of kindness every day for a year.

Your kind acts can be anything from a compliment, a bouquet of flowers, or the tip of a lifetime. Spread kindness to your next-door neighbors, your co-workers, and strangers you meet along the way. You’ll be glad that you did!

Find a cause you really believe in – and organize an event to advocate and draw awareness.

Donating to charities is great, and you can challenge yourself to go further by finding one cause that you really believe in and becoming an advocate. Draw awareness, hold an event, and become a community organizer for the cause of your choice.

Write history through the eyes of those who’ve lived it - by interviewing elders in your local community!

Get inspired by the incredible StoryCorps and interview the elders in your family or community, or any other loved ones whose stories you think deserve to be told. Not only are you building lasting memories - you’re recording history in the process.

Write that novel you've always wanted to write - and draw attention to a social cause that you care about!

Take part in National Novel Writing Month and use the platform of creative writing to inspire others! Write a story that draws attention to a particular need or societal issue that you feel passionate about - and see if your story has what it takes to change the world.

Make someone else's dream come true - by contributing the remaining amount to a crowd-funded project!

Play a role in changing the future by saving up some money and donate a large amount to help a crowd-funded project - like an invention, film, or self-produced album - get off the ground. Find a project who's time is almost up, and you'll be responsible for bringing a dream to life!

Make a child the happiest child on the planet - by becoming a child sponsor!

Sponsor a child through Compassion International and you could make a tangible difference in the life of a child facing poverty. Write letters and send pictures while your sponsorship provides food, clothing, education, and medical care for a child!

Happy bucket-listing! We hope that you cross these items off your bucket list while making the world a happier, better place. What would you add to the list?