"Since the passing of our dog in 2012, my wife and I have been missing having a dog in our life. We are so excited to have been approved to foster and train a puppy that will, after a little over a year, go through intensive training to become a guide dog for blind people in my city. Saying goodbye will be tough, but we know he'll go on to make someone's life so much brighter."
—Paul C.
"When I was in grade school, my scout troop wanted to do a project that the whole community could enjoy. We decided on creating a butterfly garden in a community park so that the park would always be a home to butterflies. We researched what kinds of plants butterflies like, asked nurseries and home improvement stores for donations, and got a plot of land from our township. We spent a whole day planting — and the garden is still there today!"
—Dana V.
"Every spring I make it a point to go through my closet and take out anything I haven't worn in over six months. Instead of reselling those clothes for, like, 20 bucks, I will take them to the Goodwill, those donation bins on my block, or a church around the corner. It's a small thing, but it frees up space in your closet and gives someone a fly-looking shirt to put on their back."
—Blake B.
"I give blood because my best friend had to have a blood transfusion once after she lost a lot of her own, and it hit home that she wouldn't have been OK had someone not donated theirs. Also I have a blood type where ANYONE can take my blood, and I think that it'd be crazy not to give it away, so everyone can have it! You get a blood! And you get a blood! But also because the nurses are always very kind, and you get to eat sugar and not have to feel bad about it."
—Ayla N.
"Anyone who speaks a second language or even kind of speaks it, or took it in school, can make a huge difference volunteering in just about any capacity at a local immigration or welfare program. I volunteered for a year at an immigration legal clinic in L.A. which was actually run by the Los Angeles Bar Association. Even they didn't have enough Spanish speakers. If a state-funded legal clinic in Los Angeles can't find enough people to speak Spanish, you know no one else can. There are a legion of people out there who don't get help for reasons as simple as they can't fill out the right form."
—Eric S.
"Last Thanksgiving I volunteered at a local church to help serve meals to those who were without. It was nice to put my old waitress skills to the test and serve food and drinks to a room full of nice folks, but my favourite part was when I had a chance to sit down and chat. I talked to this older gentleman for nearly 45 minutes about our shared love of films from the 1930s, his eyes filling with passion for certain scenes, lines, and performances. His spirit was so beautiful, his inspiration unwavered by the circumstances life threw him (he was living in a shelter at the time). We still keep in touch by email — he now has a job, a place to live, and just bought a television with a VCR. I plan on mailing him some tapes when I win the bid for them on eBay."
—Magdalena W.
